Campion College recently welcomed Emily de Rotstein, Executive Director of the Chesterton Schools Network, for an inspiring evening talk about the renewal of Catholic education through classical learning.
De Rotstein and her husband, Nes, travelled from the United States to share how the Chesterton Schools Network has grown from a single classroom in Minnesota to 71 schools around the world.
“Whenever the Holy Spirit intervenes, He leaves people astonished,” De Rotstein said, quoting St John Paul II. “What’s happening with the Chesterton Schools Network – and what’s happening here at Campion College – is really quite amazing.”
The movement began in 2008 when two fathers, Dale Alquist and Tom Bengtson, set out to create a high school that was “rigorous, fully and faithfully Catholic, and affordable.” Their efforts became the first Chesterton Academy, which today serves as a model for faithful, accessible Catholic education across the globe.
Each Chesterton Academy follows an integrated four-year classical curriculum that blends literature, history, theology, philosophy, the arts, and daily Mass. De Rotstein described the schools as “joy-filled seedbeds of formation” where students “learn to see Christ at the centre of every single subject.”
De Rotstein also outlined the practical framework behind the rapid growth of the Network, emphasising the entrepreneurial spirit that underpins each school’s foundation. The model equips parents and laypeople with an 18-month roadmap for launching a new academy, complete with curriculum support, teacher training, and operational guidance.
“We’ve created an innovative model that empowers parents as the primary educators of their children,” she explained. “They don’t have to wait for institutions to act – they can start with as few as ten students and a small group of committed families.”
She spoke candidly about the movement’s adaptability to local contexts, noting that the Network works closely with schools to meet state requirements while maintaining fidelity to the Chesterton vision. “Our curriculum far exceeds most state standards,” she said. “Even when we make adjustments internationally, the heart of the formation – the integration of faith and reason – remains the same.”
A recording of Emily de Rotstein’s talk is available to view the form below.
