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About the Academy

The Classical Liberal Arts Academy was founded by Mr. William C. Michael in 2008 to “research, restore, publish and teach the classical liberal arts”. The Academy operates as a private LLC in the State of North Carolina and has been entirely self-funded since its founding. We receive no outside funding and are neither dependent on nor influenced by any donors.

The CLAA offers students of all ages affordable access to the most comprehensive and challenging course of studies available today. The CLAA allows 21st century students to engage in the same studies enjoyed by wise men and saints throughout history, while also satisfying modern college prep requirements.


Mr. William C. Michael, O.P.

Headmaster

  • A.L.M., History, Harvard University (in progress)
  • B.A. (Honors), Classics & Ancient History, Rutgers University

Mr. Michael is a Lay Dominican who studied Classics & Ancient History at Rutgers University (New Brunswick, NJ), where he graduated magna cum laude and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. He has spent 25 years studying and teaching the classical liberal arts, full-time. Mr. Michael studies History and Philosophy at Harvard University (Cambridge, MA).

Outside of his academic work, Mr. Michael enjoys going for daily walks on the farm and collecting sacred and classical music, which he shares on the Academy’s Classical Catholic Radio program. He shares personal thoughts and resources on his personal blog, “The Catholic Classicist” and posts talks regularly on the Academy YouTube channel.


Mrs. Dania C. Michael, O.P.

Elementary Studies, Catechesis

  • M.Cat., Catholic University of America (in progress)
  • B.A., Classics, Rutgers University

Mrs. Michael is a Lay Dominican who studied Classics & Elementary Education at Rutgers University (New Brunswick, NJ), and worked as an elementary private school teacher. A Catholic homeschooling mother of ten children (ages 9 to 24), Mrs. Michael assists with administrative work in the Academy office and provides support for homeschooling mothers. Mrs. Michael studies Catechesis at Catholic University of America (Washington, DC).

Outside of her Academy work, Mrs. Michael enjoys gardening, cooking during holiday seasons and participating in her children’s extracurricular activities.


Lay Dominicans

Mr. & Mrs. Michael (top, center) pictured with the Lay Dominicans of the Diocese of Charlotte, NC.

Mr. and Mrs. Michael are lay members the Dominican Order in the Catholic Church. As Lay Dominicans, we aim to live according to a rule of life based on four pillars of Prayer, Study, Community and Apostolate. We have promised to pray the Liturgy of the Hours and the Holy Rosary daily, to attend Mass as frequently as possible, to study the Scriptures and Catholic faith diligently, to participate in the life of the Dominican community and to share the fruits of our own contemplative life with others through an active apostolate. The Classical Liberal Arts Academy is our Dominican apostolate.


The Best Education for Every Student

Education is always a private activity. No school can cause an individual student to learn any art or science. With the development of modern technology, homeschooling has the potential to be far more productive than private or public schooling, but it must be managed prudently.

To enjoy the best education available, students need three things: (1) direction in what to study, (2) access to the best study materials, and (3) support while studying. The Classical Liberal Arts Academy, in collaboration with homeschooling parents, provide for all of these needs. Not only do we provide our students with the curriculum developed and recommended by history’s wisest and best men, but we also provide convenient access to the works through which those men taught the curriculum, and the means for students to master them at their own pace during their school years and throughout life. No one in history ever had such an opportunity.


Academy Logo

The Academy logo was designed by Mr. Michael to represent our mission and character. The logo is in the figure of a shield to signify our duty not to innovate or create a program of study but to preserve and defend that which we have received from the wise men of the past. The shield is crimson to signify the blood of Christ, without which there would be no hope of eternal happiness, or grace to live according to God’s will, which is the end of our studies. On the shield, we see the sun, moon and seven stars, which represent the core subjects of the classical Catholic curriculum: the seven liberal arts (stars), philosophy (moon) and theology (sun). At the bottom of the shield is a book representing Sacred Scripture with the Latin phrase “In antiquis sapientia.” This is taken from Job 12:12, and translates as “With the ancients there is wisdom.” It is this wisdom of the ancients that we seek through classical Catholic studies.

Classical Liberal Arts Academy (CLAA) Logo 2023

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