In the words of Great Hearts Co-Founder Dr. Dan Scoggin, Great Hearts’ Core Purpose statement “is more than just a mission statement. I would describe it as a ‘DNA statement,’ because to change one word, or to change the emphasis, would fundamentally change the organization; it’s that important to our shared work together.

“It’s not about getting kids into college; that’s not the language of our Core Purpose statement. That’s very important. We love being college prep schools and placing our students in colleges and universities around the country.

“It’s not about shaping 21st-century learners—21st-century skills. Those are important. We do teach skills at Great Hearts that will prepare our students for the time in which they serve, but that’s not our first purpose.

“Nor is it about a bottom line. We are a non-profit organization at all levels, and we are fiscally responsible, but it’s not first about a balance sheet. It’s about this: ‘cultivating the minds and hearts of our students through the pursuit of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty.”