Hillsdale College and Golden Thread Academic to Release Western Civilization Curriculum for Secondary Schools
The first volume of the curriculum, to be released on September 15, is a framework for teachers using The Golden Thread, a two-volume history of Western Civilization from antiquity to the present.
HILLSDALE, Mich. — Hillsdale College and Golden Thread Academic, an educational imprint of Encounter Books, will release the Golden Thread Curriculum, a comprehensive high school curriculum to accompany The Golden Thread: A History of the Western Tradition by Prof. James Hankins and Prof. Allen C. Guelzo. The first volume of the Golden Thread Curriculum will be available on September 15 and can be accessed here. The second volume will be released in October.
“For too long, the study of Western Civilization has been sidelined in our schools,” said Dr. Kathleen O’Toole, associate vice president for K-12 education at Hillsdale College. “The Golden Thread Curriculum has been created by some of the best history teachers in America, and with it, high school teachers and schools across the country can lead students in understanding and perpetuating our cultural inheritance.”
“For too long, the study of Western Civilization has been sidelined in our schools.”
Published by Golden Thread Academic, The Golden Thread tells the story of Western Civilization from the ancient world and Christendom to the Renaissance and the modern day. The two-volume series tells the grand history of the West, accompanied by beautifully printed images, bespoke maps, and carefully selected primary source texts.
“We believe a free and democratic society can only endure when its history, literature, and foundational ideas are passed down with integrity, depth, and intellectual honesty,” said Roger Kimball, president and publisher of Encounter Books and Golden Thread Academic. “The Golden Thread Curriculum was created to help students encounter the great people, debates, achievements, and challenges that have shaped our civilization.”
“The Golden Thread Curriculum was created to help students encounter the great people, debates, achievements, and challenges that have shaped our civilization.”
The Golden Thread Curriculum will offer a storied approach to intellectual formation, emphasizing rigor, coherence, and the pursuit of truth. Developed as part of an exclusive partnership between Hillsdale College and Golden Thread Academic, the adaptable framework will provide a deep historical understanding grounded in the great tradition of the humanities.
Each unit will provide teachers with a suite of resources, including thematic focus areas, essential readings, suggested lessons, and other classroom materials. Supported by extensive pedagogical guidance, the curriculum will empower educators to foster moral clarity and intellectual curiosity, helping students envision themselves within the vast shared legacy of the West.
To learn more about The Golden Thread Curriculum, click here. To learn more about The Golden Thread: A History of the Western Tradition, click here. For photos of Hillsdale College, click here. For a high-resolution copy of the Hillsdale College clocktower logo, click here.
About Hillsdale K-12 Education
The Hillsdale College K-12 Education Office supports school leaders, teachers, and parents with the educational and organizational resources they need to educate the nation’s young students in the liberal arts and sciences, with instruction in moral character and civic virtue. The Barney Charter School Initiative (BCSI), part of the College’s K-12 efforts, promotes the founding of classical charter schools and excellence in their teaching and operations. The K-12 Education Office works with private and public charter schools across the country, providing liberal arts curriculum, teacher training, and support for school boards and school leaders. This work is made possible through leadership support from the Barney Family Foundation and gifts from many other generous friends of Hillsdale College. For more information, visit k12.hillsdale.edu.
About Golden Thread Academic
Golden Thread Academic is an educational imprint of Encounter Books, dedicated to renewing the rigorous standards of the humanities essential to our national and civilizational traditions. By engaging distinguished scholars and experienced teachers to develop authoritative textbooks and curricular resources, the imprint brings students into direct contact with the great ideas and historical forces that have shaped Western Civilization. Through narrative history and the sustained study of foundational texts, Golden Thread Academic seeks to restore the continuity of our cultural inheritance. For more information, visit goldenthreadacademic.com.
DATE: Aug. 28, 2026