Saint Kosmas Conference Archives:
Index by Conference Date

6th Conference: March 2022 (Arizona)

KEYNOTE PRESENTATIONS:

Raising Children in a Post-Covid World (Fr. Josiah Trenham, Ph.D.)
Heart and Mind in the Thought of St. Nektarios of Aegina (Fr. John Palmer, Ph.D.)
Higher Education, 21st Century America, and Orthodox Christianity: Understanding the Reality Before Us (John Mark Reynolds, Ph.D.)
The Formation of the Child in the Thought of St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory the Theologian (Mark Tarpley, Ph.D.)
Seeking Purity in an Age of Impurity (Fr. Josiah Trenham, Ph.D.)

GENERAL SESSIONS ON EDUCATION:

Beauty, Heart, and Mind: Why Orthodox Chant is Central to the Formation of the Human in the Life of the Church (Dimitrios Katsiklis)
Sacred Cosmos vs. Material Universe: The Challenge of Teaching Science in the Modern World (Mark Tarpley, Ph.D.)
Classical Education within an Orthodox Christian Worldview (Presv. Ana Coman, Ph.D.)
How to Teach Public Speaking (Jamie Silva)
You CAN Be a Great Math Teacher! (Kathleen Cotter Clayton)
Narration and the Lives of the Saints: A Practicum (Bede Carpenter)
Reading and Discussing Patristic Texts: A Practicum (Mark Tarpley, Ph.D.)
Byzantine Music Workshop 1: Byzantine Musicology (Dimitrios Katsiklis)
Byzantine Music Workshop 2: Liturgics (Dimitrios Katsiklis)

GENERAL SESSIONS ON CHILD FORMATION & FAMILY LIFE:

Beauty will Save the World: The Importance of Beauty in Childhood (Anna Larsen)
A Childhood Unplugged: Evaluating the Advantages of an Early Childhood without Screens (Presv. Ana Coman, Ph.D.)
The Exodus and Its Application Today: Freeing Ourselves from the Entanglements of this World and Seeking Simplicity and Virtue in our Family Life (Elizabeth Davis)

SESSIONS ON ORTHODOX SCHOOLS:

Starting and Growing Orthodox Schools in America (followed by Q&A) — Dr. John Mark Reynolds, Ph.D.
High School on Mount Athos: An Interview with Dimitrios Katsiklis
Toward an Orthodox Pedagogy: Teaching as the Church Teaches — Dn. James Hughes
Educators’ Q&A Session with Dr. Mark Tarpley

SESSIONS ABOUT HOMESCHOOLING:

The Importance of Homeschooling in a Post-Covid World (Fr. Justin and Mat. Michelle Frederick)
Practical Techniques for Creating a Thriving Homeschooling Environment (Seraphim and Anna Larsen)
Glory to God for All Things: Establishing a Family Culture for Homeschooling through Life's Challenges (Miriam Cosby)
Be of Good Cheer: The Struggle of Homeschooling is Worth It (Fr. Justin and Mat. Michelle Frederick)
Dispelling the Myths About Homeschooling (Presv. Ana Coman, Ph.D.)
High School Transcript Workshop (Presv. Ana Coman, Ph.D.)
How to Start a Homeschool Co-Op (Fr. Justin and Mat. Michelle Frederick)
Homeschool Alumni Panel: Interviews with Orthodox Adults Who Were Homeschooled

SESSIONS FOR COMMUNITY LEADERS:

(for Clergy & Laity Seeking to Support Orthodox Education within the Local Parish)

How to Minister More Effectively to Homeschool Families (Fr. Justin and Mat. Michelle Frederick)
How to Start a Homeschool Co-op (Fr. Justin and Mat. Michelle Frederick)
Starting and Growing Orthodox Schools in America (followed by Q&A) — Dr. John Mark Reynolds
Q&A Session with Fr. Josiah Trenham
Q&A Session with Fr. John Palmer
Q&A Session with Dr. Mark Tarpley

LECTURE SESSIONS SPECIFICALLY FOR THE YOUTH:

(Teens registered for the conference are welcome to attend any of the sessions offered at the conference.)

Fr. Josiah Trenham’s Talk with the Youth: Living the Orthodox Faith in a Post-Covid World
Introduction to Public Speaking (Jamie Silva)
An Encounter with the Lives of the Saints Through Narration (Bede Carpenter)
An Introduction to Reading the Church Fathers (Mark Tarpley, Ph.D.)

5th Conference: April 2021 (Arizona)

The Domestic Church and Education in the Writings of St. John Chrysostom (2021 Keynote)
- (Part 1) Why Christian Education Always Starts in the Home Within the Life of the Church
- (Part 2) Realizing St. John Chrysostom’s Vision for Christian Education in a Post Christian World
(Tarpley) Modernity’s Vision for Education and Why We Should Be Concerned (2021 Keynote Part 1)
(Tarpley) Don’t Be Caught Unaware: Why Post-Modernity is More Influential in the Formation of Our Children Than We Think (2021 Keynote Part 2)
(Berge, Larsen) Including Art in Your Child’s Education
(Boitor) Last Child in the Woods: Outdoor Education as a Valuable Form of Science Instruction
(Carpenter) Conversing with the Past: The Study of History in an Orthodox Christian Context
(Carpenter, Tarpley) Why and How Christian Education Should Reintegrate English, History, and Philosophy into a Single Humanities Course
(Johnson) Homeschooling 101: Making a Good Beginning
(Johnson) Closing Out the Homeschool Year: Practical Tips for Record-Keeping, Grading, and Making Transcripts
(Katsiklis) Why and How to Include Byzantine Music in Your Child’s Education
(Lawler) Building a Solid Math Foundation
(Pierce) Bostock v. Clayton County: How the Supreme Court Ruling of June 2020 Impacts Churches, Private Education, and Homeschoolers
(Pierce) California Homeschool Legal/Legislative Update
(Pierce) Charter Schools: Opportunity or Hidden Stumbling Block?
(Pierce) COVID-19 and Parental Rights in California, A Legislative Update
(Pierce) Getting Your Family Involved in Homeschool Advocacy: What Can I Do?
(Pierce) Law for California Private Homeschoolers
(Tarpley) Introducing the Hybrid Model: Blending On-Campus Schooling with At-Home Study
(Tarpley) The Three Most Important Components of a Successful School
(Tarpley) Q&A with Classroom Educators and Administrators
(Taylor) Honing Your Craft: How Skilled Work Creates Balanced Teens
(Volmensky) Daily Life Through the Mystery of the Cross and Resurrection
(Wilkinson) Raising Pro-Life Teens: Equipping Your Kids for College and Beyond
5th HOMESCHOOL ALUMNI PANEL: Interviews with Orthodox Adults Who Were Homeschooled (Dumont, Hall, Larsen, Tarpley)
Panel Discussion on (1) Supporting Orthodox Education within the Local Community and (2) Breaking Down the “Homeschool Versus Orthodox School” Paradigm to Create Greater Unity within the Local Community (Frederick, Larsen, Tarpley, Trenham, Willmarth)
Panel Discussion: Counting the Blessings: Raising a Large Family in a Post-Christian World (Johnson, Larsen, Trenham)
Panel Discussion: Experiences with Homeschool Co-ops
Panel Discussion: Keep On Keeping On: Homeschooling Encouragement for the Long Haul (Johnson, Larsen, Taylor, Trenham)
Panel Discussion: Making High School at Home a Rich Experience (Davis, Larsen, Volmensky)
(Pierce) Talk with the Youth: Getting Your Group Ready for Action: Homeschool Advocacy for Teens
(Tarpley) Talk with the Youth: The Nature of Freedom within the Orthodox Christian Life
(Trenham) Talk with the Youth: Teens’ Responsibility Within the Home as a Member of the Domestic Church
(Wilkinson) Talk with the Youth: Sharing the Pro-Life Message in a Post-Christian World