Leigh Bortins Recipient of the 2021 Dr. Robert Dreyfus Courageous Christian Leadership Award

NEWS PROVIDED BY
Frontline Ministries, Inc.,
May 5, 2022

COLUMBIA, S.C. May 5, 2022 /Christian Newswire/ — On December 25, 2021, Frontline Ministries, Inc., and the Exodus Mandate Project announced the selection of Leigh Bortins as the recipient of the 2021 Dr. Robert Dreyfus Courageous Christian Leadership Award. Established by Frontline Ministries, Inc., in 2007, this award is presented annually to recognize and honor Christian leaders who have exhibited moral courage through their unique contribution to the Church by advancing Christianity in the culture and life of the nation. This contribution may run counter to the prevailing culture of the Church and society. E. Ray Moore, founder and director of Exodus Mandate, personally presented the award to Leigh on April 28, 2022 in Pinehurst, North Carolina, at her Classical Conversations® headquarters, during their 25th Anniversary Celebration.

Leigh Bortins is a nationally acclaimed educator, perhaps best known for her ability to demystify the fundamental tools of learning. As a teacher, author and commentator, Leigh is credited with helping to launch the “home-centered learning” education movement. Leigh says, “I believe the purpose of education is to know God and to make Him known.”

Leigh is the founder and chief visionary officer of Classical Conversations®(CC), which began in 1997. CC is an organization that models the home-centered learning approach to empower learners of all ages and is one of the largest homeschooling organizations in the world, which emphasizes memorization for its students. Young elementary age students quickly learn math facts, spelling, science, the timeline of history, geography facts and organization, etc. CC provides resources, guidance and a community for a Christian home school curriculum using a classical education model in three developmental stages: grammar, dialectic and rhetoric.

She trains facilitators dedicated to duplicating her methods and is, thereby, transforming education and improving the quality of family and community life. Classical Conversations® is a classical education resource used by homeschoolers in all 50 states and 30 foreign countries. CC now has more than 125,000 students enrolled in its tutoring programs, which are provided by 2,500 CC communities.

After earning a degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Michigan, Leigh worked in the aerospace industry before beginning her work as an educator. She also holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from GordonConwell Theological Seminary in Hamilton, Massachusetts. In teaching study skills for 30 years to children and adults, she has written several books including The Core, The Question and The Conversation, a series which explores the classical trivium from a parent’s perspective. She has also authored complete K-12 curriculum guides for parents and homeschool tutors all across the country.

Chaplain E. Ray Moore, president of Frontline Ministries, Inc., and director of the Exodus Mandate Project noted, “I am honored to present Leigh Bortins with this award. Leigh is one of the Christian education pioneers who paved the way for homeschooling families to choose a classical, Christian perspective curriculum for their children.”

Dr. Robert Dreyfus, for whom this award is named, is a prominent retired Florida dentist and inventor of a device to relieve neuromuscular pain for dental use. He served as president of the Florida Dental Society of Anesthesiology. He has given more than 50 years of volunteer work on behalf of family values and K-12 Christian education in Florida and has served as the Florida state coordinator for the Exodus Mandate Project from November 2004, until his retirement in 2019.

Chaplain Moore noted that the 2021 award is the fifteenth to be awarded. Past recipients include: the late Thomas C. Pinckney, M.A., Brigadier General USAF Ret., and Bruce N. Shortt, J.D., Ph.D. (2007); Brian D. Ray, Ph.D., the National Home Education Research Institute (2008); Gena and Paul Suarez, The Old Schoolhouse magazine (2009); Geri and Bob Boyd, Issues in Education radio ministry (2010); Alice Moore, 1974 WV textbook protester (2011); Joyce and Eric Burges, National Black Home Educators (NBHE) (2012); Dan Smithwick, Nehemiah Institute (2013); Zan Tyler, Apologia Press (2014); Edward Gamble, SBACS (2015); the late Mrs. Bobbie Ames, Emerald Mountain Christian School (2016); Karl Priest, Exodus Mandate WV Representative (2017); Israel Wayne, Family Renewal (2018); Dr. Carole Adams, Foundation for American Christian Education (FACE) (2019); Alex Newman, www.PublicSchoolExit.com (2020).

Contact Information for Leigh Bortins:
www.classicalconversations.com Email: customerservice@classicalconversations.com
Classical Conversations®
255 Air Tool Drive
Southern Pines, NC 28387
+1-910-684-5665

Contact information for Frontline Ministries, Inc.:
Chaplain E. Ray Moore (Lt.Col.), USAR Ret. President of Frontline Ministries, Inc., Director of Exodus Mandate Project, www.exodusmandate.org, Facebook: Exodus Mandate Community.
Chairman, Christian Education Initiative (CEI), www.ChristEdu.org
Chairman, www.PublicSchoolExit.com
PO Box 12072, Columbia, SC 29211
Email: exodusmandate@gmail.com
(803) 714-1744