About The Guild

The Guild at Loudoun Field Center is an innovative approach to education where Students, Parents, Mentors, and the community are brought together in the cause of a genuine search for Wisdom and Good in the world. In the process, we seek to prepare young people to hit the ground running on that fateful day: when they turn 18.

The Guild @ LFC


Mission

Founded in 2021, the Guild at LFC is designed to:

Escape: … from the draining and twisted hustle and bustle of resume building and “self-image” management.
Equip: Provide what is needed for young adults to thrive in the real-world.
Empower: Ensure students’ acceptance of self-agency — Authority with Responsibility.
Engage: Create and foster opportunities to explore one’s capabilities and leverage failure into expanding abilities.

Vision

We see our young adults intentionally taking on the challenges of the modern world with clear purpose and meaning.

Core Values

  • In a society which defines us by how we make our living, we seek a life well-lived. 
  • In a world dominated by information and “image,” we are on a life-long pursuit of beauty, wisdom, and truth.
  • We develop our entire self — mind, body and spirit — and use our agency responsibly.
  • In order to be connected to the community we engage with it and pursue good within and through it.
  • While striving to be great in our endeavors, we yearn most for what is good, just and meaningful.

The Questions That Drive Us:


When we are trying to choose the best alternatives for school, the questions are not about what classes we should take, what grades we can show in math, what our “extracurricular activities” will look like on a resume or transcript. The questions we should be asking are much more important:

What is the meaning of “success”?

In lieu of fame and fortune, should we be pursuing happiness, meaning… and joy.

How do we find wisdom and truth?

In a world of unlimited information and knowledge, the first step is to seek what is beyond it.

What is considered a “life well lived”?

Are we replacing our virtues with mere images of virtue? What about love and beauty?

Does greatness come from power or virtue?

It’s possible that our power and influence is less important than what we can do to support others.

Meet our team.

The Guild is designed and maintained by a group of people dedicated to improving the communication skills, character, and intellectual acuity of the youth in our community.

Butch Porter

The Guild
Director/Mentor

Developer of MicroSchools through Independent Education (IndED), in Leesburg, VA. He has a Physics Degree from LSU and a passion for Great Ideas education. He is the primary mentor and instructor in Science and Civics.

Karen Mason

Business/Entrepreneurship
Instructor

Karen is a lifelong learner and the owner of The Approachable Accountant, a local main street accounting practice. After a long and varied career doing many other things, she returned to college in 2011 and earned her B.S. in Accounting from Shepherd University at the age of 49. She is currently wrapping up a Masters in Entrepreneurship from American Public University.

Bill Fox

Philosophy
Instructor

Mr. Fox received his BA in Political Theory/Philosophy BYU, and a JD from William and Mary Law School. Mr. Fox has had a wide ranging career from corporate law to K-12 ed. He currently works as an intelligence analyst, and shares his wisdom through Logic and Philosophy.

Remington Restivo

The Arts
Instructor

Having grown up in France surrounded by beautiful art, she’s been creating landscapes and more in the DC Metro for at least 30 years. She pulls from many different styles to share her passion for painting and contributing peace in the world with her students.

Paul Gernhardt

Vocational Sciences
LFC Exec. Dir./Instructor

As the Executive Director, Paul shares a lifetime of curiosity on how to gain success in the world, as well as the hands-on skills and opportunities for our youth to tinker and “learn to fail” through our Vocational Sciences program.

Tammy Stember

CPR/First Aid/AED
Instructor

American Red Cross Instructor, Licensed Training Provider for CPR/First Aid/AED and Babysitter Training Certifications. She has a Psychology Degree from Elon University, with an extensive background in Human Resources and aquatic safety for a Northern Virginia swimming pool management company . She also served as an EMT/Ambulance Officer in Prince William County for many years.


Testimonials

My kids loved the stimulation they received at IndED. Not a regurgitation of information but actually learning how to learn and critically think through a process from beginning to end. Wonderful instruction and great outcomes!

Katherine

IndED Mom

Our daughter’s experience with IndED was wonderful! The small class size meant that she could really engage with the instructors to explore different subjects. Also, we appreciated the ability to tailor her learning experience to cover core subjects important to us (her parents) while allowing her to get more immersive in the areas she was really passionate about. Highly recommended for anyone who wants their child to have a unique and rewarding learning experience!

Eric

IndED Dad


Contact us today

If you want to find out how the Loudoun Field Center can help serve your group or family.


Office

Loudoun Field Center
13951 Freedom Cntr Ln
Leesburg, VA 20176

Guild Schedule

Mid Sept. to Mid May
Tues-Thurs: 8:45am – 3:00pm

Via Email

loudounfieldcenter @ freedomcenter.us

Via Phone

Tel: 703-777-3505