Academics

One way to think about a school like this one is that it’s a place where we can grow and get better at being human. It’s so that we gain wisdom, like through the study of moral philosophy; where we glimpse purity in the study of mathematics. It’s why we sit in circles and discuss great ideas from great books; it’s why we discipline our bodies through athletics. It’s why we write, out of our own intelligence. I think you’d agree that Providence is a very human experience; a place where relationships really matter. …

Artificial intelligence will never be at home in a truly formative educational experience, at least not in the core work of training the mind, body, heart, and soul. Not just because it could be used for dishonorable purposes, but because it just wouldn’t make sense. True education is not an artificial process: it is organic growth, symbolized by schools everywhere as an apple on a tree.”

-Bret Billman, Head of School
Providence Commencement 2023; listen to the full address here