In this webinar, Elizabeth Sullivan, Executive Director of the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education, presents a compelling case for reclaiming the Church’s own intellectual tradition in K-12 Catholic schools. She contrasts the modern, industrialized approach to education—rooted in John Dewey’s pragmatic philosophy—with the classical liberal arts tradition that produced saints, scientists, and some of history’s greatest minds. Sullivan argues that progressive education’s focus on metrics, standardized testing, and “college and career readiness” has stripped learning of meaning, wonder, and purpose, contributing to widespread disaffiliation from the faith among Catholic school graduates.

Catholic liberal education, Sullivan explains, is ordered toward eternal happiness rather than merely temporal ends, integrating faith, reason, and the Seven Liberal Arts (grammar, logic, rhetoric, arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy) to form the whole person. She shares encouraging data from schools that have adopted this approach: 82% report improved faculty morale, two-thirds see increased family engagement in faith, and enrollment has grown in over three-quarters of participating schools—all while maintaining or improving test scores. The Institute offers teacher formation programs, school leader academies, and resources to help schools transition from secular models to this deeply human, Christ-centered vision of education.