The Old's Cool Academy is a back-to-basics school offering a rigorous (and fun!), year-long Classical Liberal Arts Education, traditional-skills instruction, as well as a paid, real-world apprenticeship.

We loved going to The Academy* so much we decided to open one of our own.

Same cast of characters, of course: Democritus, Clytemnestra, Caesar, Virgil, Montaigne, Spinoza, Shakespeare, Nietzsche, Einstein and Frankenstein.

Seriously, the Old's Cool Academy is a traditional, back-to-basics school, offering a rigorous six-month Classical Liberal Arts Education centered on the Western Canon. And the time-honored principles, somehow almost-forgotten today – of virtue, facts over feelings, critical thinking, discipline, courage and integrity above all. Damn difficult stuff.

Our students will also discover that manual labor is not only admirable and fulfilling, but almost always translates to a deeper and broader understanding of the world. As part of the curriculum every student will either restore a car or motorcycle, or build a boat and drive/sail it away into the sunset, literally, on graduation day.

This baptism by fire will be immediately followed by a six-month paid apprenticeship at one of the many businesses we are partnering with to give our "graduates" an out-of-the-frying-pan taste of the real world.

But the true objective of the Academy will be to provide a timeless and priceless education in the art of how to do good and live well, and to instill in our students the importance of knowledge, curiosity, hard work, forbearance, and integrity. We’ll also encourage an Emersonian sense of self-reliance, a can-do attitude that will inspire them beyond Hamlet, oars, and lathes, and help them find meaning and responsibility in their own lives.

Unlike most schools, which are either academic, or vocational, or religious, the Academy will have the students immerse themselves in the Great Books, to be awed and enlightened by the deeply human and valuable perspectives and answers these works of art can still bring to their everyday.

Traditional craftsmanship – e.g. woodworking, bread making, beer-brewing – the thrill of the drill, the mill, and the still, so-to-speak, is also a part of the curriculum. As well as business etiquette basics, and, although pooh-poohed in today's real-whirled immediacy and relentless pursuit of gratification, so many other simple but enriching life skills like  patience, humility, and gratitude.

Extra-curricular activities will run the gamut from trap shooting to fishing, boxing to beekeeping, to raising chickens or snorkeling around Newport.

The perfect antidote to the go-to-university-or-you're-a-loser mentality, as well as a lifetime membership in a tight-knit community of like-minded recalcitrants and kings – the Academy is a wicked awesome option for anyone ready to bite the ass off a bear, in a quarter of the time, and without the sunk-cost of college.

Discover what our motto, Viriliter Age means, who the "Wiseacres" are, why we do all of our lessons with notebook and pen (no computers or smart phones), and how classic cars, character, and calluses can open up not only your mind and endless possibilities, but the door to the career and life of your dreams too.

Nerve and verve, always.

Timothy Cataldo

Headmaster and Commander

p.s. If you have any questions, concerns, or comments, or just want more information, please don't hesitate to contact us anytime on: timothycataldo@oldscoolacademy.com or by calling (401) 572-7090. Or stop by anytime: 38 Charles Street, Newport, Rhode Island, 02840 – door's always open.

*West Point