Apprentices attend two retreats each year: a 5-day summer retreat and a 4-day winter retreat. The summer retreat initiates a year-long journey with fellow apprentices and the Head Mentor and is held at the end of July or early August at a location determined by the Head Mentor. Apprentices MUST be present for the duration of the retreat. The winter retreat is held during a week in February determined by the Head Mentor. Both retreats are refreshing times of learning, fellowship, and camaraderie.

“The August and February retreats are some of the best parts of the Apprenticeship. Spending a week with your fellow apprentices not only helps you bond together as a friends, but also gives you greater opportunities to learn from each other’s strengths. There is no better way to learn mimetic pedagogy than to spend a week watching mimetic lessons and teaching one of your own. The banquets are true moments of leisure and celebration of the fruits of a challenging week’s honest labors!”

– Jacob, an apprentice from Florida

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Each year apprentices attend two retreats, a 5-day summer retreat and a 4-day winter retreat. They also participate in regular webinar discussions. The summer retreat initiates a year-long journey with fellow apprentices and the Head Mentor.  It is held at the end of July/early August at a location determined by the Head Mentor. Apprentices MUST be present for the duration of the retreat. During the summer retreat, each apprentice observes, teaches, and assesses a mimetic lesson drawn from The Lost Tools of Writing.

The winter retreat is held sometime in February (each group’s mentor will choose a week). Once again, each apprentice observes, teaches, and assesses a mimetic lesson drawn from The Lost Tools of Writing. Both retreats are refreshing times of learning, fellowship, and camaraderie.

Apprentices should expect to cover their own travel, lodging, and personal expenses.

Each month, September through May, the Head Mentor meets with participants in a 90-minute live webinar. Apprentices and journeymen attend separate webinars. A third webinar brings the apprentices and journeymen together to discuss the reading. Each new apprentice is assigned a mentor from among the journeymen to assist them throughout the year.  Apprentices meet with their journeyman-mentors once each month, and more frequently if needed.

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WEBINAR TIMES
East Coast (Bianco) – Wednesdays, 3:30-5 EST
Appalachian (Holler) – Tuesdays, 4-5:30 EST
East Coast (Shirley) – Thursdays, 3:00-4:30 EST
Mid-Atlantic (Mooradian) – Wednesdays, 5:30-7 EST
Gulf Coast TX (Carrillo)– Tuesdays, 4:30-6 CST
Midwest OH (Rychener) – Thursdays, 4-5:30pm EST
Rocky Mountain (Lipinski) – Wednesdays, 4:30-6pm MST
Ozark Mountain (Eben) – TBD

SUMMER RETREATS

East Coast (Bianco) NC — July 21-25
Appalachian (Holler) TN — July 21 – July 25
East Coast (Shirley) NC — July 28 – Aug 1
Mid-Atlantic PA — Aug 4-8, 2025
Gulf Coast TX — Aug 4-8
Midwest OH —  July 28 – Aug 1
Rocky Mountain CO — July 28 – Aug 1
Ozark Mountain AR — Aug 4-8, 2025

WINTER RETREATS

East Coast (Bianco) NC — Feb 18-21
Appalachian (Holler) TN — Feb 25 – Feb 28
East Coast (Shirley) NC — Feb 11-14
Mid-Atlantic MD — Feb 18-20, 2026
Gulf Coast TX — Feb 11-14
Midwest OH —  Feb 18-21
Rocky Mountain — Feb 4-7, 2026
Ozark Mountain AR — Feb 11-14 

Airport Cities to reach Retreat Locations
East Coast (Bianco) NC – Charlotte, NC
Appalachian (Holler) TN – Knoxville, TN
East Coast (Shirley) NC – Kernersville, NC in July and Emerald Isle, NC in Feb
Mid-Atlantic (Mooradian) – Philadelphia, PA in Aug and Baltimore, MD (or possibly remaining in Philadelphia) in Feb
Gulf Coast TX (Carrillo) – Dallas, TX (Love Field) for Fairfield, TX
Midwest OH (Rychener) – In Ohio, 1 hour from Cleveland or Detroit airports
Rocky Mountain (Lipinski) – Denver, CO in July and Phoenix, AZ in Feb
Ozark Mountain (Eben) – TBD

The Apprenticeship curriculum operates on a three-term rotation in which each term corresponds with one academic year. Thus every apprentice completing three consecutive years will cover all of the selected literature. For example, an apprentice who joins during Term B advances to Term C and concludes with Term A.  Each term works through The Lost Tools of Writing, Norms and Nobility, and three selections from classical literature. Additionally, apprentices teach The Lost Tools of Writing weekly at home to a group of one or many students. 

The Apprenticeship curriculum operates on a three-term rotation in which each term corresponds with one academic year. Thus every apprentice completing three consecutive years will cover all of the selected literature. For example, an apprentice who joins during Term B advances to Term C and concludes with Term A.  Each term works through The Lost Tools of Writing; David Hicks’ influential book, Norms and Nobility; and three selections from classical literature. Titles are subject to change.

Term A: 2026 – 2027

• Homer: Iliad
• Plato: Gorgias
• Shakespeare: Hamlet
• David Hicks: Norms and Nobility
• The Lost Tools of Writing

Term B: 2024 – 2025

• Homer: Odyssey
• Plato: Meno
• Shakespeare: Julius Caesar
• David Hicks: Norms and Nobility
• The Lost Tools of Writing

Term C: 2025 – 2026

• Virgil: Aeneid
• Plato: Phaedrus
• Shakespeare: The Tempest
• David Hicks: Norms and Nobility
• The Lost Tools of Writing

Apprentices and journeymen write several essays on the assigned readings and post regularly on the apprenticeship forum. In addition, participants have the opportunity to learn and practice classical modes of instruction (Mimetic and Socratic) at the retreats.  All apprentices apply the skills learned to their own teaching in the classroom or at home.

CiRCE apprentices come from a wide range of circumstances, including homeschooling parents, private and public school teachers, homeschool co-op instructors, academic deans, and school administrators.

WHAT WE LOOK FOR IN AN APPRENTICE

We seriously consider any candidate who expresses commitment to Christian classical education. We especially seek candidates who desire to teach in a way that honors the child and the subject taught; who cultivate a love for truth, goodness, and beauty; who love and respect God, man, and the creation; and who embrace their own ignorance–that is, who preserve a humility that recognizes limitations.

PROFILE OF AN APPRENTICE

CiRCE apprentices enjoy reading great literature, discussing important ideas in small groups, and writing about these ideas to enhance their understanding and compositional skills. Apprentices are eager to learn and willing to be corrected. They work hard to understand and communicate ideas. They love teaching, or want to learn to love it. 

EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE

All applicants should be actively involved in some form of education. Such involvement might include homeschooling, classroom instruction, co-op instruction, or administration.

Apprentices will have to travel to the two mandatory retreats each year. The retreats take place during early August and February in or near Charlotte, North Carolina (East Coast groups); Knoxville, TN (Appalachian); Houston, Texas (Gulf Coast group), Cleveland, OH (Midwest group), Denver, CO and Phoenix, AZ (Rocky Mountain group); and Philadelphia, PA, Annapolis, MD (Mid-Atlantic group) and Siloam Springs, AR (Ozark Mountain group).

In total, you can expect to spend approximately 6-10 hours a week on the Apprenticeship; some people even say 4-7 hours is sufficient. The workload estimates depend on your current teaching circumstances. Apprentices are required to teach The Lost Tools of Writing at home throughout all three years while they are in the program. This teaching requirement can be met in a teacher’s current classroom or in a new setting. Some apprentices teach their spouse, teach their children, teach a group of fellow teachers from school, or launch a new class and offer it to their homeschool community.

The Apprenticeship costs $3247/year, with a $400 administrative deposit due within thirty days of acceptance or April 1st for returning apprentices each year. There is a non-refundable $75 application fee to apply for the Apprenticeship. In addition to the tuition, apprentices should expect to pay for travel, lodging, and food for the two retreats. A general estimated cost for each retreat is $500 plus airfare if applicable. Including all fees and expenses, the estimated cost for one year in the Apprenticeship is $4247.

The CiRCE Apprenticeship does not lead to a degree, as CiRCE is not a degree-granting institution. However, due to changes in accreditation and credit granting over the last several years, it is now possible to be granted graduate level credits for your work in the CiRCE Institute’s Master Teacher Apprenticeship by colleges willing to do so. Colleges are giving credit for “prior learning experience” (the term the regulatory bodies use to describe this kind of credit) to people who have participated in the Apprenticeship program. If you are interested in earning a graduate degree, you should contact the specific school you are in or are considering to see if they will grant prior learning experience credit for the Apprenticeship. Additionally, Belmont Abbey College has launched a Master of Arts in Classical and Liberal Education that grants 12 credit hours from the CiRCE Apprenticeship.

An apprentice is a first-year participant. Second and third-year participants who have met all first-year requirements are referred to as journeymen. As a journeyman, you take on a mentoring role with the first year apprentices and are required to read different material. The costs, travel, and time commitments are the same for journeyman as they are for apprentices.These terms indicate progress in the program.

Apprentices receive an evaluation in December for the fall semester and in May for the spring semester. During evaluations, Head Mentors provide apprentices with valuable feedback and suggestions for improvement.  Apprentices are assessed on their participation, teaching, and writing. 

Apprentices receive an evaluation in December  for the fall semester and in May for the spring semester. During evaluations Head Mentors provide apprentices with valuable feedback and suggestions for improvement.  Apprentices are assessed on their participation, teaching, and writing.

• Participation: Attended both retreats and at least two webinars each month as well as post twice monthly on the internet forums.

• Teaching: Implemented Classical instruction at the retreats and at home

• Writing: Read all the assigned material and completed the assigned essays each semester.

To be recognized as a CiRCE Certified Classical Teacher participants must:

• Attend 6 retreats

• Attend at least two of the three webinars scheduled for each month from September to May

• Complete all writing assignments, including assigned essays and regular contributions to online discussion

• Implement mimetic instruction at home or in the classroom

• Read all assigned literature

• Fulfill all payment obligations

• Earn passing marks on evaluations distributed twice per year

An apprentice who does not fulfill the necessary requirements will be awarded an Audit Credit.

The Atrium is our best preparatory option that is less time-consuming and demanding than the full program. 

For various reasons, teachers may not be ready (or able) to join the apprenticeship. For teachers who want to develop the art of classical instruction from home, CiRCE offers the Atrium.

Our Atrium program explores the foundations of Christian classical education with online only classes and discussions. It is a one year (nine/ten month) commitment. For teachers, administrators, and learners, we offer a variety of options to cultivate wisdom and virtue. Course offerings have included courses on Rhetoric, Plato, Norms and Nobility, Shakespeare, the Medievals, the Great Ideas, and Pedagogy.

The Atrium is an excellent preparation for the Apprenticeship.