USA (MNN) ― The mission of Worldwide Christian Schools is to collaborate with a local population to help them develop Christian schools that are sustainable, open to the community and are affordable.
"We do see a difference between what's happening outside the United States and the Christ-centered education movement within the United States. Our goal is to make those two experiences more like each other." That's why Worldwide's Scott Vanderkooy says they're turning their attention to their own backyard: Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The project, called "New School GR", is still in the planning stages of creating an educational model. The group behind the project has a vision of starting a Christ-centered school in a diverse, urban neighborhood.
Large portions of society fall through the cracks of the public school system, and private Christian schooling is beyond the financial means of many American families. WWCS wants to respond by establishing an inner-city school where the student body not only reflects the diversity of the neighborhood, but it also becomes an educational community that nurtures potential, shares responsibility, and equips children with the tools they need to be productive believers.
The goal? To leave a legacy of Christ in the urban areas. "If you look at the existing models within the United States and combine them with some of the success stories outside of the United States, we're extremely optimistic that we'll be able to come up with a model here for Grand Rapids and elsewhere, that makes Christ-centered education more accessible for more children."
The school plans to offer students experiences that equip them to be Christian leaders in the world at large, and prepares them to work with people from all backgrounds and income levels. New School GR hopes to open its doors in 2010. Click here for details.
