About the Institute

The Institute

Every renaissance carries the best of the past into new frontiers. Drawing upon ancient wisdom, contemporary scholarship, and nearly two decades of experience at Great Hearts Academies, Great Hearts Institute is renewing the tradition of classical education by directly supporting educators, school leaders, and families. Our work includes:

  • The National Symposium for Classical Education, an annual forum for the classical movement at large, featuring the finest research and training the movement has to offer.
  • VIRTUE, a free quarterly magazine with dispatches from the cutting edge of the classical renaissance. Sign up or browse back issues here.
  • Exceptional scholarly articles and talks from Advisors, Fellows, and Symposium presenters.
  • A regular blog, including book reviews, teacher interviews, scholarly insights, and more. Read it here.

Great Hearts Institute is also home to curriculum resources such as Amy and Leon Kass’ landmark What So Proudly We Hail, and a wealth of networking and professional development opportunities for classical educators.

 


The Team

Dr. Robert L. Jackson
Executive Director

Rob Jackson serves as the Executive Director of the Great Hearts Institute. For more than a decade, he served as a professor of English and education at The King’s College (New York), training future teachers in the great books and the liberal arts. His writing has been published in Society, Academic Questions, Mythlore, and Comment. He has also contributed books chapters on classical education.

Dr. Jackson has received awards for teaching excellence at Florida State University and The King’s College. His administrative experience includes the oversight of two university language programs, coordination of a childhood education degree, and service as an associate provost. In 2021, Dr. Jackson received the Heritage Foundation’s Salvatori Prize for American Citizenship.

Rob lives in Phoenix with his wife and five children—all of whom enjoy the leisure of travel and good food.

Ann Ny Matsuda
Operations Manager

Ann Ny Matsuda is the Operations Manager for the Institute. She oversees the operational flow of information management, budgeting, and reporting; serves as the event planner and logistics manager for the annual National Symposium for Classical Education; and, provides support of platforms, communications, and general operations.

For over fifteen years, Ann Ny worked with food-related companies in brand marketing, copy editing (of cookbooks!), and recipe development for food packaging. She received national and regional awards in baking and cooking contests and has contributed to several cookbooks. Residing in Phoenix, she enjoys travel with her family, reading, and cooking. Now, she brings her passions, skills, and experiences together in supporting the mission of the Institute: promoting liberal education and a well-lived life.

 

Kent Anhari
Publications and Marketing Coordinator

Kent Anhari is the Institute’s Publications and Marketing Coordinator. Kent brings an academic background in classics and philosophy to his work on the Institute’s publishing endeavors. His writing has appeared in The New Atlantis, Athwart, and Jesus the Imagination, and he has several years of experience editing book-length nonfiction. He lives in Baltimore with his wife, daughter, and three mischievous cats.

Esha Kubavat
Office Assistant

Esha Kubavat is the Institute’s Office Assistant. Esha is an alumna of Anthem Preparatory Academy.  She is enrolled with Arizona State University’s Barrett Honors College, majoring in global health and minoring in anthropology. She is also an intern with the School of Human Evolution and Social Change (SHESC) and looks forward to global health fellowship with the Barrett Honors College. In her free time she enjoys traveling, cooking, art and spending time with friends and family.

VIRTUE

VIRTUE is the flagship publication of the Great Hearts Institute. It shares outstanding scholarship and first-hand stories from leaders, teachers, and students of classical education—all to inspire the continued pursuit of truth, goodness, and beauty.

Subscribing to VIRTUE’s mailing list is absolutely free.

VIRTUE Magaizine Issue 14

Sign up today for your copy and join 35,000+ teachers, leaders, and friends of K-12 Classical education.