Gutenberg College

TONIGHT! Gutenberg VP and tutor, Dr. Eliot Grasso, will lead this session of the Great Books Symposium in a discussion of the themes and characters of Homer’s Iliad. This webinar is designed to engage mature teachers and learners alike in dialogue about how conflict impacts the way we think about what is ultimately valuable.

How did the Greeks think about what was valuable and what does the Iliad have to say about it? Register now at the link in our bio!

Date: Monday, September 9
Time: 7:00-8:30pm PST
Cost: $10
Format: Zoom

Hey folks, we are less than a week away from our next Great Books Symposium. On 9/9 at 7pm PDT, Eliot will be leading a discussion on Homer's Illiad. If you are a teacher, homeschooling parent, or lifelong learner, this webinar is for you to practice leading/having a discussion. While it is a live or later webinar, live is definitely better, but you must register ahead of time.

Check it out.

Great Books SymposiumHomer's Iliad - Gutenberg College Achilles storms off in a huff: Agamemnon has deprived him of his war prize. The ensuing tensions and conflicts of Homer’s Iliad are wrapped up in the question of how conflict impacts the way we think about what is ultimately valuable. How did the Greeks think about what was valuable and what does ...

Today is the last day to double your impact with Gutenberg's Board Matching Campaign. All funds raised will go towards student aid. To contribute, please visit gutenberg.edu/get-involved/give/

Thanks to all for contributing to our Board Matching Campaign. There is merely $3000 left for our goal of generating $30,000 for student aid!

We strive to help students wrestle with their difficult and demanding questions. It is difficult to learn to hear someone’s opinion, and it can be even more difficult to trust that someone will take the time to hear yours.

At her graduation, senior Emily Grose shared her experience with this immense task:

“The biggest spiritual lesson that I have learned at Gutenberg is the importance of being earnest. […]

I have had some conversations with people where I say what I really think about a spiritual matter, and I have been met with snickers and sarcastic responses that ring in my ears as “Hahaha, Emily. That was a funny bit. Now be serious, and say what you really think.” Then, my brain blows it out of proportion, and what I hear is not only “what you have *said* I consider a joke”, but ‘I can’t believe you actually think that—I think that *you* are a joke’.

My reaction to this spiral is to pridefully recoil, withdraw, and think that **I** will not be fodder for anyone’s laughter. I will give you nothing so that you may never laugh at me.

Gutenberg has taught me, however, that although hiding may be of temporary comfort, it is the worst thing to do if I ever want to achieve the first thing—to find answers to seriously held spiritual questions.

No matter how I answer, someone might ridicule me behind my back for it. The thought of that won’t ever become particularly pleasant, but that is ok—because I’ve learned that in all the ways which matter, earnesty defeats sarcasm, every time.

My past four years here have raised more spiritual questions than they have answered, but they have also given me the will to continue this process of asking. Gutenberg has not only taught me the importance of being earnest, but also the importance of meeting another person’s earnesty with the dignifying respect of taking them seriously, even if I cannot initially believe what they are saying—and that is no laughing matter.”

If you would like to get involved in support our student’s educations, please visit gutenberg.edu/get-involved/give/

Thank You!

Emily’s full speech is on our website under gutenberg.edu/colloquy/

Photography done by Erin Greco

The Berg is getting more renovation! For those of you in town, you might have noticed our periodically missing windows. Ryan, a current house resident, has been toiling away to re-glaze, paint, and hang them all throughout the building. He’s been doing a great job and we are really thankful for all the hard work!

Hey everyone, we are at 59% with our summer fundraising campaign! Just about $6,300 to go to reach our goal and have the board match another $15,500!!

Almost half of the time a student spends at Gutenberg is funded through community support. Every dollar makes a difference in their education, so it’s a big deal!

We are so thankful for your support!

Still time to register. If you have questions about what makes Gutenberg College unique, join me this afternoon at 4pm PDT.

Information Meetings - Gutenberg College Thinking about higher education? Disillusioned with the typical four-year experience and all its associated costs? Join us for an information meeting about Gutenberg College, a small four-year Great Books school in the gorgeous Pacific Northwest where your students’ humanity is of utmost importanc...

Thinking about higher education? Looking to learn about the Gutenberg difference? Check out our Information Meeting this Thursday at 4pm PDT and hear Pam Lee talk about a humane education at a humane cost. Click the link for more details and to register for this free event.

Information Meetings - Gutenberg College Thinking about higher education? Disillusioned with the typical four-year experience and all its associated costs? Join us for an information meeting about Gutenberg College, a small four-year Great Books school in the gorgeous Pacific Northwest where your students’ humanity is of utmost importanc...

Each year our generous board of governors pledges a matching gift to help our students in the school year to come.

This year they have pledged an amazing $15,000!

Many of you have been dedicated supporters for a long time and we are so grateful.

Every dollar donated to Gutenberg College serves to equip students with knowledge and skills to navigate a life of meaning that is pleasing to God.

As of this post, we are halfway to our goal!

We invite you to click the link below now to donate and double your impact.
https://gutenberg.app.neoncrm.com/forms/28?campaignId=50

With EdCon 2024 only a couple weeks away, we are delighted to say a few words to introduce our own Eliot Grasso!

Many of you may know Eliot from campus visits and conferences. In addition to being a tutor and our Vice President, Eliot is one of the preeminent specialists in traditional Irish music in the United States and an internationally acclaimed musician. He has performed for prestigious occasions like the National Heritage Awards, and venues including the John F. Kennedy Center. His scholarship and pedagogy have earned him international awards, and he has spoken at conferences at many well-known colleges, including an invitation to present research at Oxford University! At Gutenberg, students know him as a caring person who will make time to go out for coffee and discuss all manner of life - as well as the guy who plays fiddle and uilleann pipes bagpipes at lively student-led dances.

For 2024's theme of The Independent Mind, Eliot wants to raise the questions: What if our cultural assumptions are wrong about what is true? How are we to engage in education when culture and truth, even God's truth, part ways? We're thankful for the opportunity to explore this question together, and excited to see what comes of this discussion.

There is still time to buy tickets - please feel free to reach out with any questions! We hope to see you there! Visit gutenberg.edu/edcon or find the link in our bio

Set up and ready to meet all the fantastic attendees of Circe’s National Conference. If you are here, be sure to stop by, say hi, and hear about a humane education at a humane price. 🙂

This week I'm delighted to be representing Gutenberg College at CiRCE Institute's National Conference: A Contemplation of Prudence here in Charleston. I'll be leading a Colloquy on Psalm 127, sitting on the Poetic Knowledge Panel to discuss Monet, and leading a session on "What is courage?" for CiRCE's Duty & Desire youth conference.

If you aren't able to attend in person, I believe there are remote access options! Check it out: https://circeinstitute.org/product/2024-national-conference-virtual-ticket/

Thanks so much, CiRCE, for having me!

Just finished a fabulous lunch with Cassandra from PEL Prep Ministries. Long Island folks, if you are looking for a schole homeschool community, check it out. 🙂

Excited to meet with our New England peeps today at The New England Consortium of Classical Educators conference! Come visit the booth it you are here. I would love to chat with you about a humane education at a humane price. 🙂

Lots of hustle and bustle with the Olympic Trials in town… it’s good to pause and be thankful for the time we have.

Good morning all you Oregon homeschooling peeps! Be sure to visit our booth today and tomorrow at OCEAN. Cannot wait to chat with you about a humane education at a humane cost. 🙂

Graduates of 2024, we send you off with proud tears of joy and sorrow!

Can’t wait to see where you will go in your next stage of life!

Congrats to our graduating seniors!

Theses are in and defended, and we are very excited to celebrate the work they have put in the last 4 years!

Time to play, “Where’s Eliot.” 😁

Photos from the annual Dewberry’ Memorial Day hike and dinner!

As always, dinner was great, and the learning experience was unparalleled!

Vice President Eliot Grasso was delighted to be representing Gutenberg College at the Newberg Classical Conversations Practicum this last Thursday!

A dance, an ice cream social, and a birthday!

Amanda Butler is returning for another year of community and thoughtful discussion!

She is the VP of Training and Support with the well-established homeschooling program Classical Conversations. The Classical Conversations program began in 1997 and has since served over 125,000 students and families, supporting parents through all aspects of raising young students.
Amanda is passionate about holding conversations with students that are deeply engaging and enriching to the person and the mind, as well as encouraging the capacity of each individual as image bearers of God. She has experience teaching in all kinds of spheres: public, private, homeschool, and as a private tutor. We look forward to conversation with her this year on the topic of The Independent Mind.

It’s the term for film class!

Seniors and Juniors get to discuss, analyze, and understand what it takes to make great films such as:
The 400 Blows by François Truffaut
Rashomon by Akira Kurosawa
Vertigo by Alfred Hitchcock

It’s a great time, and they movies are often hosted the tutors, so it’s a great way to connect outside of the classroom.

Davies Owens is our keynote speaker for The Independent Mind!

He is the founder and host of the BaseCamp Live podcast, dedicated to discussing topics like 'Fostering Deep Thinking and Independent Minds' (featuring our very own Chris Swanson!), and 'What Does It Mean to Bear the Image of God in Everyday Life?'

His primary goal is to assist parents and schools in building confidence, clarity, and renewed enthusiasm as educators. With over two decades' experience in Christian school leadership, and three as a speaker, leader, and entrepreneur, there will be much for us to learn from.

Davies earned his M. Div at Duke University and his doctorate at Gordon-Con well Theological Seminary. His doctoral work centered on leadership and online community, instilling him with a deep appreciation for technology while keeping a keen eye on its limitations. With Holly, his wife, he has three incredible children, who have all benefited from a K-12 Christian education.

Our fourth annual education conference is exactly two months away - for more information, or to register, visit Gutenberg.edu/edcon or find the link in our bio.

Feel free to reach out with any questions!

The tour continues! Vice President Eliot Grasso is a speaker today at the Classical Conversation Practicum in Monroe, Washington!

If you see him there, don’t forget to say hi!

Gutenberg staff got to play for Knox Classical Academy’s annual fundraiser banquet in Central Point, OR. Trisha and Eliot had a wonderful time with our academic neighbors!

Don't miss our early bird pricing! Register before May 15 to save on tickets to our 4th annual Education Conference! We offer pricing for students, individuals, and families, with extra discounts for groups.

Gutenberg EdCon 2024: The Independent Mind gutenberg.edu/edcon

You'll hear talks and workshops by guest speakers Davies Owens, Andrea Lipinski, and Amanda Butler, joined by our very own Eliot Grasso and Chris Swanson. Lunch is provided both days. We hope to see you there!

August 9-10
University Fellowship Church
Eugene, Oregon