Cultivate: A Veritas Academy Podcast

Veritas Academy

Cultivate is the podcast of Veritas Academy, a preschool though 12th grade classical Christian school in Lancaster County, PA. Our mission at Veritas Academy is to cultivate loving, serving, thinking students, and this podcast features discussions that help you and your family be intentional about cultivating good and godly things in your and your child's heart, mind, and life.

  1. JAN 24

    Created to Create: Reflecting God's Image through Art and Science

    In our last episode on Logic, you may remember our guests defining Logic as "the art and science of reasoning well." In this episode, we're continuing that trend and talking about, well, art and science! At Veritas, one of our science teachers has a unique background and set of skills that, at first glance, may seem like it doesn't all match up. Amanda Crooks teaches biology, anatomy and physiology, and earth science...and also served as an art teacher for many years. Science and art - two disciplines that aren't too often discussed together - merge beautifully in Amanda's classrooms. In this episode, Mr. Fischer talks with her about how her perspective on both of these fields helps her students see God's glory and enjoy learning in a whole new way. Hear about: The shared elements of beauty, observation, and creativity in both fields art and science. Unique classroom activities that naturally bridge artistic flair and scientific discovery together. The joys of integrating faith with art and science education, encouraging curiosity and critical thinking among students while grounding them in Biblical truth. The importance of preparing students for the world beyond school by instilling virtue and fostering a holistic appreciation of God's creation through. This season of Cultivate is sponsored by Hershey Financial Advisers, a wealth management firm located on North Pointe Blvd in Lancaster, leading people to make better financial decisions, and empowering them to fulfill a vision beyond themselves.

    44 min
  2. JAN 6

    Teaching Kids How to Think Critically: The Logic Phase & Why It's Important

    Middle schoolers can be argumentative. And it can drive parents crazy. But they are blossoming into young adults who will need to communicate and sometimes argue ideas in the real world soon enough. How do we equip them with the tools to not only think through their own beliefs, but to critically process new ideas, and sift through arguments to find and promote TRUTH above all? Enter the LOGIC phase of classical Christian education - the middle segment of our three-pronged Trivium. Right in the center of their education, students train their minds to know how to spot and construct sound, valid arguments and reason well, so that they can apply the facts they've learned and live as someone who listens and speaks well. In this episode, we'll hear from our two Logic teachers at Veritas Academy - Stephen Darrenkamp (who also teaches Latin) and Adam Timmins (who also teaches Omnibus and Apologetics). You'll listen in on a discussion covering: The role of logic in a student's educationThe integration with faith and reasonHow logic prepares students for rhetoric and effective communicationPractical advice for parents of argumentative middle schoolersThe broader implications of logic on students’ understanding of faith, culture, and morality. This season of Cultivate is sponsored by Hershey Financial Advisers, a wealth management firm located on North Pointe Blvd in Lancaster, PA,  leading people to make better financial decisions and empowering them to fulfill a vision beyond themselves.

    47 min
  3. 12/03/2025

    The Art of Good Conversation: Cultivating and Appreciating Face-to-Face Relating

    One thing that many alumni and students will say upon reflecting on the merits of their Veritas education is: "I learned how to carry on a good conversation." The art of conversing seems to be dwindling in our culture. Being able to relate to others well in a variety of situations - and engage thoughtfully on a breadth of topics - is a skill that is deeply appreciated by others, and beneficial for ourselves, too. Especially now during the holidays – when we find ourselves in an array of social settings with family, friends, and even strangers – being equipped with the mindset and skills for good conversation will make Christmas gatherings all the more pleasant for everyone. Our host, Head of School Ty Fischer, is joined in this episode by Veritas alumni Jesse Brooks and Dean of Students and Omnibus/Rhetoric teacher Graham Dennis to talk about what makes for a good conversation, and how we can help cultivate in ourselves and our children the desire and skill to carry on good conversation. After all, that's a big part of what we're doing at Veritas – fostering students who can listen well and speak thoughtfully on topics that truly matter, and who excel at relating with one another in Christ because they've been trained regularly in talking around the table. This season of Cultivate is sponsored by Hershey Financial Advisers, a wealth management firm located at North Pointe Blvd. in Lancaster, PA, leading people to make better financial decisions and empowering them to fulfill a vision beyond themselves.

    59 min
  4. 11/05/2025

    Artificial Intelligence: A Valuable Tool for Efficiency or a Source of Cultural and Mental Atrophy (...or Both)?

    Does it give you pause when you see a photo, video, or story and you wonder "Is this real, or was it created by AI?" Does it even matter anymore whether the art and information we're interacting with was created by human or machine? And, how is classical Christian education - so deeply focused on cultivating well-read, well-written, and well-spoken students - still relevant in a world that is increasingly obsessed with the efficiency that artificial intelligence tools promise? Our host, Veritas Head of School Ty Fischer is joined in this by two guests who are employed in various STEM fields and are in the thick of some of this AI usage - Jack DeWeese, a software developer and Veritas alumnus Zach Spykstra, a mechantronics engineer. They will dive into: How most AI programs actually work (they're not actually intelligent).Thoughts on how (or even if) parents and Christians can use these tools rightly and with discernment.What kind of education will serve the next generation growing up in an AI-fueled world...and how kids can set themselves apart by maintaining their God-given abilities to reason, think, and create freely.Warnings on the use of too much AI.Why (or whether) it matters if humans or a machine created content that we use. This season of Cultivate is sponsored by Hershey Financial Advisers, a wealth management firm located on North Pointe Blvd. in Lancaster, PA, leading people to make better financial decisions and empowering them to fulfill a vision beyond themselves.

    42 min
4.8
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

Cultivate is the podcast of Veritas Academy, a preschool though 12th grade classical Christian school in Lancaster County, PA. Our mission at Veritas Academy is to cultivate loving, serving, thinking students, and this podcast features discussions that help you and your family be intentional about cultivating good and godly things in your and your child's heart, mind, and life.

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