Kolbecast

214 A Long View

03 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG. As parents of five Kolbe alumni, Charlie and Dee-Dee Mihaliak have a wealth of experience with Kolbe and home education. They visit with Bonnie ...

213 This Is a Beginning - Commencement 2024

26 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG. Our 2024 commencement ceremony featured voices of experience ranging from new graduates and experienced teachers to ancient philosophers and mod...

212 Portable Treasure with Abigail Palmer

19 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  We live in unprecedented times—or do we?  Can a classics degree set you back in the job hunt? What do you do when primary sources seem daun...

211 Continuity & Community · Homeschooling on Base

12 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Families who homeschool in various states or countries during military service have all the complexities of “regular” families and then so...

210 Firm Grounding

05 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Experienced Kolbe mom Deirdre Mundy joins Bonnie and Steven in this second half of a two-part conversation on the lessons and insights she’s...

209 Kolbe Kids Give Gems of Information

29 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Current Kolbe students and brothers Jacob, Gabriel, and James visit with Bonnie and Steven today about their day-to-day lives, their experienc...

208 A Mosaic of Experience

22 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  In this episode, we gather alumni in various stages of life post-graduation to discuss the dividends their Kolbe education is now paying.  On...

207 A Privilege of a Lifetime

15 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Tune in to our newest two-parter of episodes last week and this, where we visit with longtime Kolbe moms recently hired on as Kolbe employees....

206 Loaves & Fishes

08 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Tune in to our newest two-parter of episodes this week and next, where we visit with longtime Kolbe moms recently hired on as Kolbe employees....

205 Gratuitous Love with Kaiser Johnson

01 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG. Actor, writer, homeschool alumnus, husband, and dad Kaiser Johnson joins Bonnie and Steven today for a conversation on the love story of creatio...

204 Habits of Ownership with Jacob Imam

24 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Education rightly formed helps students see and serve God in a practical way while both sustaining this current life and preparing them for t...

203 Guided Freedom

17 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  In this episode, we bring back a style of podcast we haven’t done in a little while: a deep dive into part of Kolbe’s curriculum.  We foc...

202 A Great Conversation

10 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Experienced Kolbe mom Deirdre Mundy joins Bonnie and Steven in this first half of a two-part conversation on the lessons and insights she’s ...

201 The Soundtrack of Life

03 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Join us for the second in our multi-movement reflection on music.  Carl Hasler and Olivia Knuffke visit with Bonnie, Steven, and Jordan about...

200 Transition Years

27 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG. In the 200 episodes since we rebooted the Kolbecast, we’ve heard from a lot of significant voices. In this episode, we hear from two of the m...

199 Jason Craig: Do Good Work and Read Good Work

20 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  If you want to make boys into men, it requires a brotherhood of men to set a disciplined example.  Jason Craig joins the Kolbecast today to v...

198 The Sign of Our Salvation: Dr. Gilbert Lavoie on the Shroud of Turin

13 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  The Shroud of Turin—a burial cloth evidencing Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection—has become a research focus for Dr. Gilbert Lavo...

197 Tools in a Toolbox: Kolbe Academy's Student Support Services

06 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Children don’t come with instruction manuals, so having resources to help road map out various challenges can benefit everyone in a family. ...

196 Adaptable Asynchronous & Dynamic Digital Homeschool Options

28 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Today’s episode demystifies the self-paced program and describes upcoming changes that will streamline and improve Kolbe’s asynchronous co...

195 Greatness Awaits featuring Bobby & Dan Angel

21 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG. Brothers Bobby and Dan Angel visit with Bonnie and Steven today about how the human soul is meant to be challenged toward greatness.  Through a...

194 Visual Literacy with Amanda Shepard

14 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG. This episode is all about the accessibility of art history. Friend of the Kolbecast Therese Prudlo and co-host of the Catholic Art History Podca...

193 STEM, State Schools, and Sibling Dynamics

07 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG. We cover a trifecta of topics today that homeschooling parents tend to fret about: STEM, state schools, and sibling dynamics. Kolbe alumni Erin ...

192 Kitchen Doings

31 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Creativity and frugality, experimentation and reflection, community and solitude, fasting and feasting...the kitchen is a place for all of the...

191 A Window into the Ancient World with Mike Aquilina

24 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG. Mike Aquilina—vice president of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, author of more than 50 books, homeschool father, and expert in Chur...

190 The School of Patience

17 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG. Today’s guest speaks from fourteen years of homeschool experience raising eight boys. Tricia Kavanagh joins the Kolbecast from Ontario, Canada...

189 Fit Mind, Fit Body

10 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG. St. John Paul the Great had a great love for the integration of physical activities and virtues. That passion is built into Kolbe’s approach t...

188 Dr. Kevin Majeres Sees Challenges As Opportunities

03 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG. In this episode, Dr. Kevin Majeres, Catholic psychiatrist and co-founder of Optimal Work (among many other things), brings words of wisdom for ...

187 The Impact of the Incarnation

27 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG. Tune in to this episode for our hosts’ yearly Between the Years conversation—part retrospective, part preview of what’s to come. Bonnie, S...

186 Full Circle (of Fifths)

20 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG. A harmony of voices joins together on today’s episode to discuss music. Bonnie, Steven, Dr. Jordan Almanzar, Dr. Carl Hasler, and Kolbe alumna...

185 Developmentally Appropriate Independence

13 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  This episode debuts in the dreary days of American wintertime, but our topic is far sunnier: summer camp.  Bonnie and Steven visit with Josh ...

184 Hope & Wonder with Katie Bogner & Shari Van Vranken

06 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Advent is a time of active waiting, preparation, and reflection.  In this episode, guests Katie Bogner and Shari Van Vranken share their educ...

183 Gratuitous Gifts: Sherry Weddell on Charisms

29 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Think about the idea of being the answer to someone else’s prayers.  Does that seem humbling or overwhelming, frightening or appealing......

182 Festive Holidays Ahead: Preparing, Adapting, Delighting

22 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Last week, you heard from a few Kolbe-connected dads about their kitchen adventures.  The theme continues this week as Kolbe instructor moms ...

181 Chef Dad

15 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Gather in our metaphorical kitchen with Bonnie, Steven, Tony Guzzaldo, Everett Buyarski, and Craig Lengyel as the men don their oven mitts and...

180 Grace & Accompaniment in Times of Crisis featuring Anne DeSantis

08 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

 AMDG.  Family dynamics understandably influence the day to day of homeschooling.  When crisis comes—be it separation or divorce, job loss, healt...

179 Translation Tug of War with Dr. Matthew Minerd

01 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Professor and translator Dr. Matthew Minerd joins Bonnie, Steven, Jordan, and Everett in this episode about making connections across rites, l...

178 Cultivating Kitchen Stewards with Katie Kimball and Kids Cook Real Food

25 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Kids in the kitchen can be enriching or unnerving for all involved. In this episode, Katie Kimball of Kitchen Stewardship and the creator of t...

177 Tabletop Theology with Alexi Sargeant

18 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG. Writer, theater maker, game designer, and alumnus of Kolbe and Yale University Alexi Sargeant joins the Kolbecast in this episode to discuss com...

176 The Agenda Is to Grow - Art & Laraine Bennett and the Temperaments

11 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG. Personality encompasses both nature and nurture, from biological traits and education to family of origin and cultural background.  Temperament...

175 A Both-And Approach at The University of Dallas featuring Dr. Jonathan Sanford

04 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  University of Dallas president Dr. Jonathan Sanford joins Bonnie, Steven, and Chief Academic Officer Megan Lengyel in this episode to discuss ...

174 Kolbe’s Chiaroscuro with Anthony D’Ambrosio

27 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Our patron St. Maximilian Kolbe is known for the heroism of his final days, but those acts were the culmination of the virtuous life he lived ...

173 A Deeper & Greater Joy

20 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Good Catholic priests come from good Catholic men, and many good Catholic men begin as little boys with lots of energy.  Kolbe alumni Fr. Amb...

172 A Gift-Laden Voyage with Philip Kosloski of Voyage Comics

13 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Keeping young minds wondering, active, and curious can sometimes feel like a struggle.  With pop culture always debuting new ways to capture ...

171 Forming Financial Disciples with Jonathan & Amanda Teixeira of WalletWin

06 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Many of us aren’t familiar with what the Catholic Church teaches on money, finances, and possessions.  We think of missionaries as being po...

170 A Spiraled Art

30 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Thinking well is important.  Communicating those thoughts well is too.  As the school year kicks off, English and Literature department teac...

169 No Made-Up Answers

23 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Kolbe teachers educate their students, sure, but their bigger role is to help their students’ formation.  Today mathematics chair Wes Strat...

168 The Adventure of a Lifetime featuring Melissa Dee of Saints Alive

16 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  If the saints have ever felt inaccessible or unrelatable to your family members, hearing their stories in a different format may help them com...

167 Sanity & Sanctity with Johanna Seagren of Interior Kingdom

09 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG. How we respond to meltdowns and dysregulation is as crucial to family life as praying together, eating together, and extracurriculars. Catholic ...

166 Dr. John Cuddeback on Dwelling Together Richly

02 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  John Cuddeback, a philosophy professor at Christendom College, family man, and homesteader, visits with Bonnie and Steven this episode about r...

165 Now I Know God

26 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG. The conversations we started at Kolbe’s commencement events in Atlanta a few months ago continue to yield fruit. Today’s guest, Jennell Kvis...

164 This Is Not a Kolbe Infomercial

19 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Today an experienced Kolbe parent named Lindsey, mother to four sons between eleventh grade and kindergarten, shares the reasons behind her lo...

163 Postcards from France

12 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG. Our three-part series on language study wraps with a delectable flourish and an insightful conversation as Jenni Mammola, Kolbe’s language dep...

162 Let Latin Conquer You

05 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  In the second installment of our linguistic trifecta, Bonnie and Jordan revisit a conversation begun long ago on the Kolbecast, and Steven and...

161 Fostering a Linguistic Consciousness

28 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG. In this first of a three-part series on language study, Kolbe advisor and alumna Agostina Cavasotto, whom Kolbecast listeners met in episode 154...

160 A Legendary Occasion

21 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Newly minted alumni, siblings, and parents shared their time and thoughts with us at graduation in Atlanta, Georgia on May 25, 2023.  This ep...

159 Now We See in Part

14 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  A podcaster, a Latin teacher, a development director, and an attorney walk into the same room... It’s not a joke, although there’s plenty...

158 The Gift of a Mind

07 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Kolbe celebrated its class of 2023 in person in Atlanta, Georgia, on May 25, 2023.  During the commencement ceremony, four individuals spoke:...

157 Renewal, Revival, Variety, and Unity with Patrick Reilly

31 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG. Patrick Reilly of the Cardinal Newman Society rejoins us to discuss renewal and reform in Catholic education during the 30th anniversary year o...

156 Mission Intent: Formed to Serve

24 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  This episode continues our thread from last week on military service.  Erica and Kevin Treat, Chris Bates, and Erik Duhn discuss their reserv...

155 Mission Intent: Pathways to Serve

17 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Students interested in potential military service after their homeschooling days may wonder what qualities they bring from their Kolbe educati...

154 Passport: Argentina

10 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  We’re adding another stamp to our Kolbecast passport in this episode with Kolbe alumna and advisor Agostina Cavasotto.  Agostina joins us f...

153 How Diversity Relates to Humanity with Adam Seagrave

03 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Our Catholic identity puts us in touch with the deepest questions and truths of our existence, particularly the truth that every single human ...

152 Join the Conversation

26 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG. We love hosting visitors from across the Kolbe and wider communities, but sometimes it’s nice to take a breather and check in with each other....

151 Joyful Discoveries for Preschoolers

19 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  As the toddler years turn into preschool years, children develop big ideas, big feelings, and big opinions.  On this episode, Nicole O’Conn...

150 A Family Apostolate: Liturgical Living with Kendra Tierney

12 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Mother of 10 and liturgical living guru Kendra Tierney joins us today to chat about embracing both the fasts and the feasts of our faith.  Ke...

149 Faith-based Play with Chantal Baros of Shining Light Dolls

05 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  We’ve talked before about filling our environments with things that help young children encounter their faith in a tangible way.  In this e...

148 Engage & Apply

29 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Every Kolbe student gets a rigorous experience, so how can high school parents best decide between core and honors courses?  That’s the top...

147 Building Blocks for Reading Success

22 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Learning to read is different for every child and every family, but there are resources and helpful hints that can reduce frustration and brin...

146 Stepping into the Arena: Bobby Angel on Our Call to Holiness

15 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  The call to be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect can be intimidating, but God doesn’t ask us to live in a pressure cooker.  Today ...

145 Subsidiarity, Support, and Resources

08 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Kolbe is committed to classical education, the western canon, sacred tradition, and academic rigor.  As the breadth and needs of students dev...

144 The Word Made Known with Mark Brumley of Ignatius Press

01 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  The Gospel of John begins by describing the Word of God.  What does it mean to use words to study the Word—what joys, responsibilities, and...

143 Partners in a Liberal Arts Renewal with CLT’s Soren Schwab

22 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  The harmony between education’s tangible and intangible features is our focus today as Soren Schwab of the Classic Learning Test joins us. ...

142 Kolbe Kiwis

15 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Visit the Southern Hemisphere with us today as we get to know Mieke Byerley, a Kolbe alumna and homeschooling mother with a Dutch background a...

141 From Homeschooling to The Night Train with Peter Atkinson of The Merry Beggars

08 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG. Who am I, what is excellence, and what am I called to do here? These are three foundational questions here at Kolbe. Today homeschool graduate a...

140 Burnout Happens

01 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  After making the choice to homeschool, it can be difficult to admit when hard days arrive.  After all, we signed up for this, right?  It’s...

139 Glorifying God through Film with Daniel Bielinski

23 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Storytelling is foundational to the human experience, and the more new media develop, the more options are available for families to select fr...

138 Stories to Treasure Together with Kathryn Swegart

18 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Come along with author, storyteller, and Kolbe mother Kathryn Swegart today as she shares her experience of homeschooling with Kolbe from 1998...

137 Remember Your Whys

11 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  As the doldrums of January and February set in, we turn to one of the most important topics for homeschooling families: encouragement.  Karen...

136 Cura Personalis - The Sequel

04 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Today we continue a conversation we started with Elizabeth Hoxie in Episode 112 on the Ignatian tenet of care for the whole person.  Far from...

135 Hidden Holiness Made Known

28 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  In this special Christmas break episode of the Kolbecast, Bonnie, Steven, and Jordan gather for a catch-up over coffee.  Jordan describes whe...

134 For Tinkerers of All Ages

21 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG. Most people listen to podcasts like ours on their cell phones or other portable electronics, but how many of us actually know and appreciate how...

133 An Audience of One

14 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Pope Saint John Paul II was simultaneously a visionary and a devoutly orthodox leader (among many other saintly attributes), and a university ...

132 Monday Morning Assembly

07 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Kolbe students form connections and community through online interactions. While many of these interactions happen through online classes, ext...

131 It’s All about Relationship featuring Danielle Bean

30 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Voice of experience and wisdom Danielle Bean joins the Kolbecast today to share insights from her path.  From being a self-described reluctan...

130 The Gifts We Have with Emily Stimpson Chapman

23 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Author, mother, and gracious example of hospitality Emily Stimpson Chapman joins us today. Emily has written on topics from encyclicals and Th...

129 Windshield Time (replay)

16 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG. In this replay of a conversation from April 2021, Bonnie and her sister Hope visit with Dr. Don Prudlo to discuss the specifics of college visit...

128 Living in Community

09 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Join us on a virtual college visit today to The Collegium, a unique Catholic college in Hagerstown, Maryland, with Dean of Students William St...

127 Forging a Path

02 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  It's never too early to think about what life after Kolbe looks like.  Today, Kimberly Farley—director of homeschool partnerships for the C...

126 Digital Citizens

26 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Teaching students responsible ways to use the internet is more important now than ever.   Today Kolbe’s chief academic officer Megan Lengy...

125 Call the Advisor

19 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Kolbe academic advisors and homeschooling mothers Krysten Pizzurro, Karen Allgood, and Erica Treat are back in this episode to continue the co...

124 In This Together

12 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG. Kolbe academic advisors and homeschooling mothers Krysten Pizzurro, Karen Allgood, and Erica Treat had so much wisdom to share that we turned ou...

123 A Change of the Ages with Msgr. James Shea

05 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Today Msgr. James Shea, President of the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota, joins Bonnie and Steven to discuss the transition to ad...

122 Bridge Year

28 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  The Church recognizes a turning point for young ones around the age of seven as children begin to reason.  In our school structure, age seven...

121 Roots & Wings

21 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG. Voice of experience and mother of eight children ages 12 to 26, Michele Resuta, joins the Kolbecast today to share some of the wisdom she’s de...

120 Substance Matters with CLT’s Jeremy Tate (replay)

14 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG. In this replay of a conversation from April 2021, Jordan and Bonnie visit with Jeremy Tate, president of the Classic Learning Test. He explains ...

119 The Hope Throughout with Tom & Noëlle Crowe

07 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG. While the universality of the Church is beautiful, its immediacy is just as profound. Today Tom and Noëlle Crowe of the American Catholic Histo...

118 Odysseys in Catholicism

31 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Everett Buyarski and Chrissy Almanzar are familiar voices to anyone who’s called Kolbe or listened to the podcast.  Today they share a more...

117 Figureoutable with Dr. Andrew Mullally

24 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG. Science facilitates wholeness and the abundant life God wants for us, but it also prompts a lot of questions—everything from how to teach comp...

116 Things I Would Tell My Students

17 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Jordan Almanzar is familiar to podcast listeners as a voice of experience related to podcast hosting, teaching, and public relations, but toda...

115 The Kolbe Chimera

10 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

AMDG.  Kolbe offers an array of options for types of learning: fully homeschool, fully online, and two in-the-middle offerings called self-paced and ...