Our Story

Sycamore Christian Academy began in June 2020 as a conversation between two cycling enthusiasts, Steve Carmichael and Bradley Tamplin, Jr. During their ride, Brad expressed his dissatisfaction with modern, progressive education, prompting Steve to share about classical Christian education. Soon, Brad realized that the classical education model and the wisdom of the Western tradition, taught through a Christian worldview, would enable and equip young people to experience a quality of life like no other. Summer ended, and the cyclists stopped meeting together, but by the providence of God, the seed for a school startup was planted in fertile soil.

Over the next several years, while Brad worked to complete his doctorate, the idea seemed almost dead because nothing happened. There was so much to learn about classical Christian education! Thankfully, a lot of information was circulating online, in podcasts, and in print. Brad toured five schools, asking myriad questions about the neoclassical school movement and how to get started. Eventually, Sam Bankson from Memoria Press Classical Christian Curriculum offered to help. Hamilton, Ohio, was chosen both for its centrality to several key towns and cities and for the lack of a classical Christian academy in the area. Then, in Spring 2025, God caused the seed to germinate through a “chance encounter” with Dale Braun, who was dropping off her grandson at Northstar Classical School in Middletown on the same day as one of Brad’s tours.

The two instantly recognized each other. One of Dale’s boys was in the youth group when Brad was serving as a youth ministry intern at Hamilton First Baptist. As soon as she discovered the reason for his visit, Dale exclaimed, “Are you opening in Hamilton? I’m in!” A few weeks later, they met in her home with her sons’ families. Brad shared the dream God had planted in his heart, and by the end of Spring, a startup committee was formed with Brad, Dale, her son Josh, and one of his teaching colleagues, Beth Hensley. Later that summer, Darlene Hight and Mark Stamates joined the team at Brad’s request, both excited to see how God would grow the Sycamore Christian Academy into a thriving, classical Christian, Jr. K-12 academy!

Since then, God has been on the move, providing contacts, opening doors, and guiding our steps. As the psalmist wrote, we are humbly expectant and blessed, “like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers” (Psalms 1:3). As a group of believers united by faith, calling, and vision, we invite you to partner with us for God’s greater glory as we enable and equip Christian students and their families to experience “Soul formation for a flourishing life.”