Course offering - Intellectual Character Development
This is a new course available to participants beginning February 2020.
Course Summary:
Since Scripture’s command to love God includes loving God with our minds, Christians are concerned not only with the development of our moral character, but also our intellectual character – the habits of our thinking. And since schools are places that promote thinking, the character of that thinking should be of high importance to Christian educators. This course aims to equip Christian teachers with an understanding of intellectual character and some way to develop intellectual character in their students through their classrooms and schools.
This course explores the why, what and how of developing intellectual character, based on the book “Virtuous Minds: Intellectual Character Development” by Philip Dow. Video presentations, forum discussions, linked articles and practical application activities will enable course participants to interact with each other as they process what they are reading in the book.
Course Title: "Intellectual Character Development"
Course Format: online course at: https://acsieu.org/moodle
Course Language: English
Length of Course: 4 weeks (3-4 hours/week)
Register here
This course is available to anyone interested in understanding the why, what and how of developing intellectual character. You do not need to be a member of ACSI or even be currently teaching. We require a minimum of 10 participants to begin the course. Please contact us for more details or questions.
Participation requirements and costs:
- Time frame and requirements: 3-4 hours per week for 4 weeks (for fluent English speakers) which equals 12 class hours of instruction (2 Continuing Education Units)
- Course fee: This depends on your ACSI membership status and region. Please see the price chart. Remember that ACSI member schools in Europe receive 2 complimentary 4-week courses each year.
- The course cost does not include the course text ("Virtuous Minds" by Philip Dow).
- If you have never taken an online class before or are new to Christian education, we recommend that you first complete our pilot course, The Mission of the Christian School.
Course Objectives: Participants will…
- Understand the nature and significance of intellectual character.
- Collaborate with Christian teachers from other schools.
- Develop a plan for promoting intellectual character development in their school or classroom.
March 2026 Highlights
In early March, Christian school leaders from across Europe and beyond gathered in Budapest for the International Educational Leadership Conference (IELC 2026) under the theme “On Mission, On Guard.” Over 3 days of learning, prayer, and deep conversation, participants were encouraged not only to lead well today but to endure faithfully in the long-term calling of Christian education.
Insights from Christian School Leaders - part 3
Moving beyond insight toward implementation, this article highlights how intentional systems and collaborative tools such as CSIP can help leadership teams translate mission vision into consistent practice and long-term school improvement.
Framing Our Teaching with a Biblical Worldview
What is education for? For educators, there is perhaps no more important question than this one. Our answer defines what we believe our profession is about and frames the way we teach and how our students learn. For Christian educators, our understanding of the purpose of education needs to be framed by a Biblical worldview.
Insights from Christian School Leaders - part 2
Survey insights reveal that while Christian schools across Europe hold strong mission convictions, sustaining alignment in daily practice requires intentional leadership structures. This article explores key needs such as teacher formation, mission-informed decision making, and regular rhythms of strategic reflection.
ACSI eLearning Syllabi
