The Lyceum of Monterey County
The History of the Lyceum
Where does the name Lyceum come from?
A sketch of a proposed architectural structure for the Aristotle Lyceum. Photo source: Hellenic Ministry of Culture.
The Aristotle Lyceum archaeological site. Photo source: Hellenic Ministry of Culture.
The Lyceum of Monterey County takes its name from the school founded by Aristotle in 335 BC. The first Lyceum was situated in the suburbs of ancient Athens in a grove dedicated to Appolo Lyceus, son of Zeus.
This school became known as Aristotle's Garden since most of the classes took places outdoors. The Lyceum contained the first botanical garden, and became a place where scholars studied science, art and philosophy based on the empirical study of nature.
The Lyceum was among the first attempts by a society to bring education and enlightenment to people outside formal settings. Over the next two-and-a-half thousand years, this has inspired communities large and small to come together to learn about each other and the world around them.
Today, the Lyceum of Monterey County keeps this spirit alive by through our classes, camps, and academic programs. In fact, it’s built into our mission: To inspire a lifelong love of learning through enrichment programs that stimulate intellectual promise, awaken individual creativity, and foster academic achievement.
The Lyceum through the Decades
The flamboyant 1960s marked the rise of the Beatles, counterculture, and space exploration. The first program offered by the Lyceum was a tutorial for just one student. Within three years, 850 students attended various Lyceum classes and workshops. In 1963, the Lyceum was incorporated into the Monterey Peninsula Association for Gifted Students.
The decade of economic prosperity and Wall Street helped the Lyceum to finally make the move from rented houses to its current permanent location on Sixth Street, near downtown Monterey. The explosive economic growth of the 1980s brought a 300% increase in enrollment. For the first time, the Lyceum began to expand its programs to include high school students and added new family workshops and language programs. Seminar topics ranged from “He-Man Meets Ulysses”, to “Monterey Bay Aquarium Marine Biology”, to “Animal Care”. The Lyceum started a robust music program which included a choral workshop, a Jazz workshop, and a Bach Festival workshop.
On the eve of Lyceum’s 25th anniversary, the first county-wide Spelling Bee competition was inaugurated by former board member Dr. Adrienne Meckel (deceased) and former Executive Director, Libby Downey (currently a councilwoman in Monterey). Over 70 classes were offered and by this period, Lyceum classes were extended to Marina, Seaside and Salinas.
The 2000s is marked by globalizations and world conflicts. The Lyceum’s goal, as articulated by Wanda Pan-Christiansen, former Executive Director, “is to bring 21st century education to Monterey students today”. As a result, this decade saw an increase in new and innovative programs that are in sync with today’s changing world.
To spearhead this new thinking, the Lyceum launched three Model United Nations workshops in 2009 to assist Monterey students with an understanding of world cultures. This was followed in April 2010 with the first-ever Model United Nations conference, a world-wide program in 35 countries that is a simulation of various United Nations meetings. Participants in Model UN not only gain an understanding of current events, but work together to identify solutions to world problems.
The era of bell bottom pants led the way to more new programs, to include an arts program for under privileged students throughout the county. By 1979, the Lyceum summer program had grown to 43 workshops in the areas of arts, sciences, and humanities. The classes were held at various places, to include the founders’ homes, schools and rented facilities.
The 1990s brought about the proliferation of media news outlets and the rise of the internet. It was during this period that the first History Day academic event was introduced). Former Lyceum Executive Director Forbes Keaton (now with All Saints School) started the county-wide program with just 50 students at the PG Middle School. History Day now averages over 150 students per year.
As program demands continued, the Lyceum was asked by the Monterey Peninsula Unified District to provide after school classes to at risk youths and after school programs within the district. It was during this period that the founders, Vera and Claire died (1995 and 1996 respectively). In 1997, the Lyceum launched Mock Trial, a state-wide program for high school students that simulates a real court trial.
In the late 1990s, Lyceum was featured in a special educational edition of Newsweek magazine, thus achieving national notice. Classes offered during this decade include: “The Internet for Beginners”, “Sign Language” and “Introduction to Hang-Gliding”.
With the new 2010 decade came a new Executive Director - Tom Nelson, and with him came new and more robust programs including Expanding Your Horizons, iLead+Design, High School Model UN, and Cyber Adventure Camp in partnership with Hartnell College and NPS. These programs create more intensive and innovative learning experiences for students, immersing them in a wide variety of subject matter from science and technology, to international studies and design thinking principles.
In this decade the Lyceum looks to create similar "bigger and better" programs for students that create a more robust picture of the many different aspects of a field of study, and exposes them to teachers and mentors within those fields.
The Founders Fund
In 1960, Mrs. Vera Hering, a member of the Monterey Peninsula Volunteer Services, began the Lyceum as a mentor program, matching one motivated high school student with a chemistry professor from the Naval Postgraduate School. As founder and first President of the Board, Mrs. Hering was instrumental in establishing the Lyceum's long-standing relationship with NPS, forging strong links with Peninsula School districts, and developing the Lyceum music camp from which Youth Music Monterey developed. As a life Director, she remained keenly involved with Lyceum programs. In 1991, she involved the Commodore Sloat Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution in Monterey County History Day and an annual award is now given in her memory. Vera passed away in 1995.
Claire M. Kennedy was also a founding member and a major force in establishing the diverse program in the Arts, Sciences and Humanities for which the Lyceum is known. Ms. Kennedy helped procure and refurbish the Lyceum's permanent home on Sixth Street in Monterey. In 1985 she received a commendation for "exemplary service to youth through support of the Lyceum" from California superintendent of Public Instruction, Bill Honig. Concerned that under-served children should have access to Lyceum classes, in 1989, she established the Lyceum's scholarship program which bares her name. Claire passed away in 1996.
In honor of their commitment, visionary guidance, countless volunteer hours and generous financial support, the Lyceum established this fund on our thirty-seventh anniversary. The Community Foundation for Monterey County is a Community Trust established to administer charitable funds for the benefit of the people of Monterey County. For information about the Community Foundation or to contribute to the Lyceum Founders' Fund, please call the Community Foundation at 375-9712.