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A Renaissance man is defined as someone who has expertise in a number of different subject areas and uses that knowledge in order to problem-solve. The faculty and teachers at the Washington Latin School are molding the next generation of Renaissance men; but since this is the 21^st century and more than just men can master many different areas of academia, I shall call these students “The Renaissance Kids”.

Washington Latin School, located at 5200 2^nd St., NW, offers a classical education curriculum to an extremely diverse population of students.  From 5^th to 8^th grade, all students study Latin. By 9^th grade, the students begin to take another language, French, Arabic or Chinese. The students learn through drill and memorization and are taught to be fluid writers. They have Socratic seminars, which involve the study of public speaking and debate. They study dance and drama and are required to play sports.

It was amazing seeing the Renaissance kids in action. We visited a 6^th grade history class, where they were learning how to pass a bill in the American political system. They already knew that it started in the House, moved the Senate, went to the desk of the President and even the role the Supreme Court played. They were asking questions about Executive Order; something I did not fully understand until my freshman year of college. They were extremely engaged and the teacher used Lego animated figures in his PowerPoint. In a 9^th grade Chinese 1 class, the teacher only spoke Chinese and they recited their vocabulary words with precision, while at the same time having fun with a game of Simon Says.

As I saw the Renaissance Kids in the hallway, they were happy, greeting their teachers with respect yet with a sense of familiarity. The teachers care and that is truly the driving force behind this amazingly rigorous curriculum. Next to the students and teachers in the hallways are huge murals with quotes from some of the world’s great thinkers. My personal favorite was by J.W. Von Goethe.

“If you treat an individual as he is, he will remain as he is. But if you treat him as if he were what he ought to be and could be, he will become what he ought to be and could be.”     

It does not matter what ward these students are from, what race or what socio-economic background; The Renaissance kids know what they can be and the teachers treat them thus. Washington Latin School is a prime example of a successful and unique public charter school and I hope they continue to see success.

Sahara Lake, CER Intern