Lifelong Learning

To grow—to orient ourselves toward something better—we need a reference point. Education provides that orientation: not just the accumulation of knowledge, but a framework for understanding ourselves, others, and the world we’re trying to move through with care and intention.

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The Significance of Sholé

In ancient Greece, scholé referred to leisure, but leisure did not mean idleness or “time off.” It named the space that made contemplation, study, and philosophical inquiry possible—the condition in which learning and reflection could occur. What neuroscience now demonstrates through research on neuroplasticity—that sustained reading, reflection, and critical thought actively shape and strengthen the mind—the ancient Greeks understood almost intuitively. The human soul, they recognized, does not flourish without this kind of engaged, unhurried thinking.

This is a cornerstone of our overall well-being.

Expanding the Framework

It is essential to recognize that philosophical frameworks are not static; they evolve in conversation with their predecessors. Aristotle refines and corrects Plato, Hobbes challenges Aristotelian assumptions, and later thinkers respond in turn—critiquing, revising, and rebuilding. This process is not a flaw in philosophy but its lifeblood. To think seriously is to engage critically: to discard what no longer holds, preserve what still resonates, and carry ideas forward in light of new knowledge and conditions.

Of course, we often romanticize ancient Greece while overlooking its exclusions. Philosophical life was reserved for a narrow few; most academies were inaccessible, and many foundational thinkers were, by definition, racist and misogynistic. I acknowledge this tension. We (scholars) draw from these intellectual frameworks not to uphold the personal views of the philosophers or replicate their limitations, but to rework them—infusing inclusivity and contemporary lived experience into a tradition that once excluded them. In this way, the past becomes our compass.

At Terra Ardor, Scholé is…

FREE

Education is a fundamental right because it is directly tied to our wellbeing as individuals and as a society. Scholé is free so that learning is open to all, without barriers or cost.

SELF-PACED

Learning happens best on your own rhythm. Scholé is self-paced to remove the stress of deadlines, supporting regulated nervous systems and allowing you to move deeply and deliberately, one step at a time.

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REFLECTIVE

We aim to cultivate critical thinkers, not fact bots—while still encouraging you to retain key historical knowledge and give proper credit to the ideas of scholars. Scholé focuses on reflection and insight rather than exams, helping you engage thoughtfully with ideas and yourself—without the pressure of testing.

Inclusive education is not only about who is allowed to enter a classroom; it is about whose knowledge is permitted to shape what happens inside it. Access without representation still leaves the foundations of learning incomplete. A truly inclusive curriculum does more than widen the doors—it widens the canon.

In Scholé, while you will encounter many foundational texts from often white, Western thinkers, these ideas will be intentionally situated rather than treated as universal. They will either be juxtaposed with BIPOC, feminist, and queer philosophies within the same module or explored in later modules that directly center those traditions, depending on the historical timeline and context.

Curriculum Focus

Situated within the liberal arts and sciences

Knowledge that builds

At it’s core: Ethics and Wellbeing — > The Self and Society
Diving deeper - spiritual practices

Critical inquiry about what we engage in and how we do it.

All digital content is available on your schedule—no deadlines, no pressure.
We keep things fresh. New materials are added regularly to keep your experience evolving and valuable.
All of our resources are created by people who know their stuff—so you can trust what you’re learning.

Structure

A new course will be released each quarter, and we do this for several reasons:

REDUCE OVERWHELM. Learning is a lifelong journey, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed if you focus on the entire path at once. Think of it like climbing a mountain: don’t look down at how far you’ve come or up at how far you have to go—stay focused on the step right in front of you. The quarterly pace lets you move deliberately, absorbing each lesson fully before taking the next step.
BUILD KNOWLEDGE INTENTIONALLY. Understanding complex or specific topics requires a solid foundation. Skipping ahead can leave gaps in comprehension, which is why our courses follow a deliberate structure. There’s a method to the sequence, designed to help you get the most from each subject and truly integrate what you learn.
TIME FOR CONTEMPLATION AND PRACTICE. Learning isn’t just about consuming information; it’s about integrating it into your thinking and daily life. The quarterly pace gives you space to reflect, apply new concepts, and let insights settle—deepening understanding and making knowledge your own.

Meet your Instructor

Hi, I’m Nicole Aguilar. I earned a Master’s in Liberal Arts from Johns Hopkins University, where I situated my research through an interdisciplinary lens of philosophy, psychology, and sociology, exploring the relationship between the self and society. My particular intellectual niche lies at the dynamic intersection of ethics and wellbeing, allowing me to examine deeply the systems and practices we engage with as humans and how they impact us—including spirituality in all its facets.

On Knowledge

Education is a fundamental right and, therefore, should be free. Scholé offers a way to advance equity and inclusion by sharing what I’ve learned—structuring it roughly like a traditional class, but intentionally breaking the conventional molds.

On Time

A core principle of Scholé is giving learners space to learn. Space provides the capacity for understanding, but what does that really mean? It means a regulated nervous system—but above all, it means time. Time is not something I can create, and a lack of it—whether real or perceived—cannot be ignored. Even suggesting fifteen minutes a day of study can feel tone-deaf to those in survival mode. The only guidance that seems ethical to provide is this: do what you can, when you can.

Solo Inquiry

Individual learning is a quiet sanctuary—a place where the world’s noise fades and you can meet yourself in stillness. It is the deliberate carving out of “you time,” a space to wander through ideas, linger in curiosity, and let reflection take root. Here, knowledge and self-discovery intertwine, shaping not only what you understand but who you become. In these moments of attentive solitude, learning is both nourishment and compass, guiding you toward clarity, growth, and the gentle unfolding of your own path.

Collective Dialogue

Group learning is a dance of minds, a space where curiosity meets curiosity and ideas spark between you and others who share the same hunger to grow. In dialogue and discovery, perspectives stretch, shift, and intertwine, revealing truths that could not be found alone. Here, learning becomes a living, breathing experience—one that expands not just your understanding, but your sense of connection, empathy, and possibility. Find those who want to learn alongside you—not just for accountability, but because the journey becomes more luminous, more vibrant, and endlessly expansive with friends.

UPCOMING COURSES (2027)

THE PRACTICE
OF LEARNING

Q1: Dust off the cobwebs with our core foundational course—designed to help you relearn how to read with comprehension and critical engagement, cultivate a study practice that supports real retention, and develop the skills needed to question truth through informed, thoughtful, and unbiased research.

HOW DO I KNOW?

Q2: Before we can engage meaningfully with ideas, we need to understand how knowledge itself is formed. This course explores what it means to know, how interpretation shapes understanding, and why objectivity is never neutral. Learners will develop tools to read, analyze, and engage with ideas critically, while recognizing the limits and responsibilities inherent in all acts of knowing.

WHO IS “I”?

Q4: Consciousness is more than awareness—it is lived, embodied, and relational. This course invites learners to explore the nature of the self, the dynamics of relational awareness, and the ethical and historical dimensions of consciousness, including perspectives on double consciousness and social situatedness. Learners will consider not only what it means to experience, but how the experience of self is always entangled with others and the world.

WHAT IS TRUTH?

Q3: If knowledge is shaped by interpretation, what counts as truth? This course examines the relationship between perception, reality, and belief, exploring classical, modern, and ethical perspectives on truth. Learners will consider how truths are disclosed, contested, and experienced—and why clarity, integrity, and ethical awareness matter in both thought and action.

INTRODUCTORY
ASSIGNMENT

Understanding the history of the liberal arts (and sciences) helps orient your journey as a learner seeking to engage enduring humanistic questions, even ones as broad and foundational as “What does it mean to be human?” By exploring what was studied from antiquity to the present—and, just as importantly, who was included and who was excluded—you gain the context needed to challenge inherited assumptions and thoughtfully interrogate the ideas placed before you. This historical grounding invites you to see the liberal arts not as a fixed tradition, but as an evolving one shaped by power, culture, and human values.

This assignment focuses on reading one textbook and note-taking. To get started and access the syllabus, click START NOW.