A home of our own
Since we have a very classical view of education, we would ideally like to build the Academy from the ground up in the spirit of Plato's Academy and Socrates' Lyceum.
But in the meantime we've been looking at other viable and affordable alternatives, starting in our own backyard, so-to-speak.
There is the abandoned Coggeshall School on Van Zandt Avenue (see below) right down the street that would definitely be a great fit, for us as well as the city of Newport. There's also a huge old-school warehouse at 1 Cherry Street, on The Point, that would do quite nicely too.
We are exploring these opportunities.
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We've also been looking throughout New England: a recently-closed Catholic High School in Plymouth, MA, and an abandoned insane asylum in Medfield, MA – oh, the irony! – have crossed our radar.
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But we think Newport is such a special place and the Academy will be such a welcome asset, a unique and transformative magnet school, that we'd like to make it our permanent home.
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"Someday, in the distant future, our grand-children' s grand-children will develop a new equivalent of our classrooms. They will spend many hours in front of boxes with fires glowing within. May they have the wisdom to know the difference between light and knowledge."
– Plato
We always like to think BIG.
Anybody have a spare school lying around you're not using?
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Seriously, the Old's Cool Academy is a back-to-basics program featuring a rigorous, one-year Classical Liberal Arts Education, traditional-skills instruction, and a paid apprenticeship. We're convinced that the treasures of the mind, heart, and hands should be housed in an architectural environment that is as respected and inspiring as the precious knowledge it's entrusted with. A reborn Coggeshall School would be the ideal location for our excellence Academy.
We’d love to revitalize its sleeping beauty with our (eventually) world-class educational institution and become a proud and valued asset to the City of Newport. A central location in the heart of a vibrant community featuring lovely stonework and historic design, plenty of room to grow, local businesses willing to partner/sponsor, and easy access to the ocean–in short, the perfect place to plant our classic flag that's a win-win for everybody.
We can't imagine a better opportunity to invest in the future success of our youth than with the tried-and- true traditions and time-honored principles of hard work, honor, and discernment going all the way back to Plato and the original Academy, in a building that was purpose-built for passing on to the next generation this valuable knowledge and wisdom.
The Old’s Cool Academy is a priceless education in the art of living well by doing good.
Let’s wise the world up together!