Unlock Access to Christian Education
Christians and non-Christians agree - those who shape the education of our young people have a disproportionate influence on our future. We need a strong Christian presence in education.
Outside the family, there is no other institution that has the impact of a Christian school. With 6-8 hours each day and well over 1,200 hours in each school year, the influence of a Christian school is unmatched for faith formation and worldview development.
What would Canada look like if 20,000 more students received a Christian education by 2030?
Cardus Education Surveys repeatedly find that Christian school graduates are more likely to volunteer at, donate to, and be active in a whole range of organizations devoted to the public good. They are more likely to be active in living out their faith. In short, our families, our nation, and our culture needs more Christian education graduates!
Parents see what a Christian education can do for their child. We see what Christian school graduates do for our country. This is clear: every child turned away or left on a waitlist is a missed opportunity.
One of the best things we can do for young people, for our families, and for our country is to open five doors to unlock access to Christian education for 20,000 more students by 2030.
Door #1: Abundant Tuition Assistance
I remember a young single mother who had been sideswiped when her husband left her and their three children. She was desperate to have her children in a Christian school during a time of great upheaval in their lives. Her look of surprise, delight and relief when she heard that donors were making it possible for her children to join our school was quite literally unforgettable.
More tuition assistance for families who deeply desire a Christian education might seem like an obvious way to get more young people into a Christian school, but it is still the biggest obstacle young families face right now.
We have efficient and effective programs for distributing tuition assistance already in place. You could push this to the next level with confidence.
Door #2: Creating More Spaces
A Christian school principal was explaining that they had some children on their wait list and she felt sick about it. Each child not at their school felt like a real missed opportunity – but should they really step out in faith to build? When some donors came forward and assured them they would support an addition to their building, their Board understood this as a message straight from God and they jumped into an expansion project. Could you be delivering a message from God – even to a Christian school some distance away or in a different province? Maybe you’d like to help Christian schools serve students going into the skilled trades – so that they don’t need to switch to a public high school. Maybe you’d like to help schools accept more students with disabilities. Or maybe you just want to see Christian schools, “Build, build, build!” Click here to see how this might work.
Door #3: Starting New Christian Schools
You can see the resolve and the commitment in the eyes of parents who decide to put in the effort that is required to start a new Christian school! Could you help them launch well? Through the Foundation’s “New Christian School Start-up Kit,” you could be the one that comes alongside these families and transform the lives of countless students who will attend that school into the future.
Door #4: Attracting and Retaining Excellent Christian School Teachers
Accommodating 20,000 additional students in Christian schools poses a challenge amid chronic teacher shortages. Your support means schools can attract, train, and retain the brightest and best teachers by improving pay rates, providing access to excellent professional development activities, and supporting essential leadership capacity development.
Excellent staff and visionary leadership are the top factors influencing parental satisfaction in Christian schools. Let’s get right to the heart of the issue and provide access to thoughtful, articulate, thoroughly Christian professional and leadership development to ensure the best educational experience in our schools.
Door #5: Strong Networks and Cooperation between Institutions
Strong schools are connected schools. Robust networks, active industry associations, and rigorous research provide a vital foundation for Christian schools. You can support schools when they face potential regulations or initiatives that threaten school independence and Christian integrity. You can help robust Christian school associations and organizations step into the gap. We need research from strategic organizations like Cardus to give us the data needed to sway government and public opinions. We need Christian curriculum developers to provide tools we can use to craft and articulate Christian worldviews.
Is God nudging you to support the growth of Christian education in Canada in one of these ways?
The Christian School Foundation is Canada’s leader in stewarding Christian education resources, building long-term funds and establishing grant programs for Christian schools. Let’s lean into this opportunity together as we grow Christian schools to the glory of God!
Email Tony to help more students experience a Christian Education.