COEUR d’ALENE — North Idaho College is preparing to launch a new higher education track for students seeking a classical education, NIC President Nick Swayne announced this week.

The program, called Cardinal Classical Academy, will enable students to earn a two-year associate’s degree that satisfies all general education requirements. 

“Many charter schools and private schools in the area are doing what they call a classical education,” Swayne told NIC trustees Wednesday night, during the board’s regular monthly meeting. “We figured out that we have all those classes already.” 

NIC will offer several pilot courses in the spring semester and fully implement the program in the fall, Swayne said, offering “rigorous” courses that cover the tenets of classical education, including classical literature, Western civilization and history, philosophy, art appreciation, writing and rhetoric, debate and more. 

Swayne said NIC is working on partnerships with Idaho universities to make it possible for students who complete the program at NIC to continue their education and earn a four-year degree. 

Classical education is in high demand in North Idaho, Swayne said. He estimated that up to 20% of families in Kootenai County are home schooling their students or placing them in a classical academy setting. 

Though schools offering classical education for K-12 students are growing in North Idaho, Swayne said there’s no clear post-secondary step for students once they complete their high school educations. 

“If you’re home-schooled on a classical curriculum, where do you go next?” Swayne said. 

By offering a classical track, Swayne said NIC can fill that void and retain local students who would otherwise leave the region to pursue their studies. 

“I see this as providing an opportunity for those kids to go on to post-secondary education,” he said. “It gives them an opportunity to really expand their horizons.” 

With Cardinal Classical Academy, Swayne said NIC aims to respond to the community’s needs.  

“This is also about listening,” he said. “Some in our community have felt disconnected from higher ed. Offering a classical program shows that NIC is serious about representing all viewpoints.”  

Swayne said classical training “builds the cognitive muscles” that employers and civic organizations demand. Classical education emphasizes the roots of democracy, the Constitution and the responsibilities of citizenship, he said.  

“The jobs of the future won’t just require technical skills,” Swayne said. “They’ll demand clear thinkers, persuasive communicators and ethical decision-makers. A classical program builds exactly those traits — and that’s a direct benefit to our regional workforce.”