With the help of Teaching for Transformation, Hope Academy is providing more opportunities for urban youth to experience God’s goodness, truth, and beauty in their lives. Teaching for Transformation (TfT) was developed by the Center for the Advancement of Christian Education (CACE) and has been implemented by more than 70 schools across Canada, the United States, Central America, and Africa.

At Hope Academy, Teaching for Transformation is equipping staff with the training, tools, and support to more deeply integrate faith into their teaching and daily interactions with students. From raising chicks to analyzing literary classics, students are learning to see the world through the lens of God’s Word and becoming active participants in His redeeming story.

3rd Grade Students Re-Write the Story of Peter Pan

A core theme at Hope Academy this school year is “identity.” We want our students to know who God is and who He has made them to be. Beginning in kindergarten, each child memorizes and recites our school’s creed, which says: “I am created in the image of God, and He loves me beyond my imagination. God calls me to love and serve the Lord Jesus Christ . . . to love and encourage others and to serve my community. For I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”

With these powerful truths in mind, third grade students look at examples of misplaced identity and hope in Peter Pan. In the story, Peter says, “I want always to be a little boy and to have fun; so I ran away. . . .” He finds himself with other “Lost Boys,” in a fairyland that’s empty of meaning and purpose. Through Peter’s example, students see the danger of placing our ultimate hope in youth, fun, and other temporary circumstances.

After analyzing Peter Pan through the lens of Scripture, students then have the opportunity to write a new ending that’s truly hopeful and redemptive – and to act out this new story!

With support from Teaching for Transformation, children are learning to connect God’s Word to literature, history, and culture and see how they can become part of His work to renew and restore all things.

1st Grade: Raising Chicks in Minneapolis:

Using the TfT framework, teachers are also creating Formational Learning Experiences (FLEx) for their students. These are “opportunities for the learner to engage in ‘real work that meets a real need for real people’—opportunities to practice living the kingdom story.”

Though there aren’t many farms nearby, first grade students raise chicks at Hope Academy! With the help of an incubator, a process called candling, and reading a book on the development of chicks, children watch and learn as chicks grow inside of their eggs.

Through this project, children also develop core habits for engaging in God’s story. TfT provides ten habits or “throughlines” to help further this growth. One of these is Order Discovering: “Learners seek and find God’s fingerprints in the intricate, purposeful design of what he has created.” Hope Academy students learn that God created many different breeds of chicks, and He gave them the ability to hatch from an egg all on their own!

When the eggs hatch, there is a real problem to solve. These chicks are messy. Students take on the responsibility of caring for their new friends—cleaning out the cage, sweeping the floor, and feeding and watering the chicks.

Finally, they have the joy of giving the chicks to a new owner, knowing their work will meet a real need outside the classroom as the chickens produce eggs.

Across K-12, we’re thrilled to provide these and many other activities that help students experience God’s love and engage in His story.

Each year, Partners like you help to make a remarkable, Christ-centered education possible for hundreds of urban youth. Together, your gifts provide for 90% of the cost to educate our students. Click here to learn more about becoming a Hope Academy Partner.

You can also learn more about Teaching for Transformation here.

In the midst of real challenges, the light of Christ is shining at Hope Academy. We think you’ll be encouraged by the fruits of this work, as illustrated in our 2021-2022 Annual Report. Here are a few highlights:

For the Youth of the City

Although the lingering effects of a global pandemic, social isolation, and cultural tensions were very real in Minneapolis, Hope Academy remained focused on a remarkable, classical, Christian education for hundreds of youth in our city—delivered by amazing teachers and supported by faithful partners.

Pressing Forward

While the disruptions of the past few years took a toll on students and staff, we continue to see positive progress indicators and are taking stock of the work yet to be done.

Partnering with Urban Families

Hundreds of families were supported through home visits, conferences, and meaningful connections with staff throughout the year.

Faith & H.O.P.E.

From athletics to mission trips, to our student leadership team and house system, students grew in faith and the H.O.P.E. virtues of Honor for God and others, Optimism for the future, Perseverance in adversity, and Excellence in all things.

Bright Futures for Our Graduates!

Seniors continued to navigate high school in a pandemic and grow in faith, determination, and leadership. “Our class is resilient,” shared Elliot, a 2022 Hope Academy graduate. “We have been ‘more than conquerors through Him that loved us.’” We’re thanking God for:

Generous Partners + Invested Families

Together, 1,043 donors + 354 Hope families provided 587 students with a remarkable, God-centered education at Hope Academy.

 

See more of the impact at Hope Academy in our 2021-2022 Annual Report:

COVID-19 has hit education hard—non-white and low-income students especially.

In a national study on pandemic learning loss, Harvard’s Center for Education Policy Research found that Black and Latino students, as well as students from low-income families suffered the greatest learning loss from 2019 to 2021—and that, in high-poverty school districts, remote learning was a large contributing factor.

“This will probably be the largest increase in educational inequity in a generation,” noted Thomas Kane, an author of the study.

To say there is much work to be done would be an understatement. But there are also proven approaches that, when implemented, can help even the most adversely-affected students move forward. Below are three key strategies that can help students recover and gain ground in the wake of the disruptions of the past few years.

1. Provide Targeted Support & Enrichment

There’s overwhelming evidence that tutoring can help students achieve higher academic growth and achievement. But, not all types are equal. In a review of more than 90 studies, the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) found:

• Tutoring interventions by teachers and paraprofessionals have a stronger impact than those by nonprofessionals and parents.
• Tutoring interventions for students in the earliest grades, during the regular school day, also tend to have stronger positive impacts.

At Hope Academy, hundreds of children K-12 receive this type of support throughout the year. All of our younger students work with teachers and support staff during the regular school day, one-on-one and in small groups. In the upper grades (6-12), students also have the opportunity to visit the Academic Support Center (ASC) for before and after school tutoring. In fact, if students are on academic probation and don’t complete an important assignment, they’re required to visit the ASC after school and to make up their work that same day.

Summer enrichment has also proven to help students—particularly children from low-income families—combat summer learning loss and continue their academic growth. From June to July each year, Hope Academy provides four weeks of support and enriching opportunities to hundreds of students K-11. Across K-5, students read for 45 minutes to an hour each day and enjoy many hands-on activities and field trips throughout this program. Middle school students have math class daily, as well as enriching electives in areas like coding and music production. Through credit recovery classes, teachers help students complete or re-do assignments and stay on track for graduation. Title support is also provided.

Nationwide and at Hope Academy, students’ math and reading scores are not at the levels they were prior to COVID-19. But, there is hope. At Hope Academy, we’ve seen students persevere and continue their growth, despite many significant challenges (and increased disadvantages for low-income, urban youth). In 2021, our students’ average math and reading scores grew from spring to fall—combatting the ‘summer slide.’

Compared to a national sample of more than eight million students who took the NWEA MAP assessment this spring, our students’ average reading scores exceeded the national averages in every grade, 3-8. Across these grades, our students’ average math scores were also higher than those of schools serving a similar population of students.*

In the coming school year, Hope Academy will continue to provide extra support, especially in math, to foster growth and success for more students in need.

2. Focus on Faith Formation

From analyzing a decade of national survey results and hundreds of interviews, one researcher found that “nonaffluent teens who are intensely religious” (that is, who grow up in a strong, Christian community and develop true faith of their own) “complete more years of education than nonaffluent teenagers who are less religious.”

At Hope Academy, we’ve seen the difference hope in God makes for our students. That’s why our teachers read the Bible and pray with their students. Children learn about God and His Creation and store up His Word in their hearts. Through classroom instruction and discipline—and activities like chapel and mentor groups—teachers help students reflect on deeper heart issues and thinking patterns, look to Christ, and pursue an authentic relationship with Him.

Israel shared: “God has made it possible for me to learn in a school that encourages religious growth. He has put people in my life who remind me of the importance of faith, and he has challenged me to continue to pursue Him.”

Israel graduated from Hope Academy in 2021 and is a first-generation college student at the University of Minnesota-Carlson School of Management. Across all classes, a remarkable 96% of our seniors have graduated on time—nearly one in six on a full-tuition college scholarship!

We want every student to see and experience God’s love and to achieve this kind of success. That’s why we’re continuing to invest in deeper faith formation at Hope Academy. Through an initiative called Teaching for Transformation (TfT), teachers are gaining a common language for communicating important biblical themes to students. They’re learning how to connect each subject to the biblical storyline, and to create hands-on activities that help students apply faith to their lives.

Most importantly, Hope Academy teachers are building Christ-centered relationships with students and their families. One parent shared:

“By inviting us into their families, this community has strengthened our family, which has had a tremendous stabilizing impact on our kids…I know that the love for Christ and the lessons my children have learned here, they’ll continue passing on to their children, and hopefully their grandchildren after that.”

3. Build Strong Relationships & Community

The most successful people can often point to mentors who have helped them along the way. And, as one New York Times article articulates: students are more motivated and learn best from those they love. That’s why it’s so important for students to have access to positive, caring role models. This starts with their parents and teachers, but it can extend even further to coaches, older students, and neighbors in our community.

One of our students shared:

“[At Hope Academy], people want what’s in your best interest. I’ve never had that at other schools. Mrs. Pearce is definitely a person that I’ve connected with. I struggled pretty hard last year just outside of school and she went out of her way to make time once a week to check in. We wouldn’t talk about anything school related—simply just how I was doing, what she could do to help. The standards at Hope Academy are definitely a lot higher but not in a bad way. The teachers have always made sure specifically that I’ve had everything I’ve needed to be successful, and that’s definitely improved my grades a lot.”

Teachers and staff also lead student mentor groups from 6-12th grade, coach student athletic teams, and greet students by name in the hallway each morning. Every year, staff take a group of high school students on mission trips to New Orleans and Puerto Rico. These are all great opportunities to connect with students and have conversations around faith, and to help students build character as they work together on teams.

Many volunteers give their time to help children strengthen their academic skills and grow in their love for learning at Hope Academy. Students work with volunteers on anything from math and reading to LEGO robotics and videography throughout the regular school year and during our four-week summer session.

Through our Partner Program, students have yet another caring adult/family to support and encourage them in their education and faith. Hundreds of generous donors sponsor one or more students to attend Hope Academy—helping to keep tuition affordable for our families. Students write two thank you letters to their Partners throughout the school year. Partners often respond with an encouraging note and spend time praying for their students. They also have the opportunity to visit their student(s) in the classroom at two Partner Day events in the fall and spring.

All of these relationships are helping hundreds of urban youth see that they are valued and loved, and that there are many people who want them to succeed. Students are overcoming significant obstacles and pursuing a higher standard at Hope Academy. Despite COVID-19 and other trauma and chaos in Minneapolis, we had fewer students on academic probation in our upper grades (6-12) throughout 2021-2022.

A remarkable 96% of this year’s seniors graduated on time and have amazing opportunities ahead. Several plan to attend the University of Minnesota, University of Northwestern-St. Paul, New York University, and other colleges and universities locally and nationally.

There’s no denying we’re facing serious challenges in education. But, with the right strategies and a faith-filled perspective, we believe God can do great things in the year ahead.

To learn about enrolling your student at Hope Academy, contact our Admissions Team. Or find out more about volunteering, employment, or financially supporting Hope at the links provided.

*In spring 2022, Hope Academy students’ average math scores exceeded the national averages for high-poverty schools (schools with 75% or more students qualifying for free or reduced price lunch (FRL). During the 2021-2022 school year, 70% of Hope Academy students were FRL-eligible.

 

 

When Hope Academy began 22 years ago, we focused on solving the urban education crisis.

These days, the education crisis has spread all over our nation. Accelerated by a cultural shift away from basic concepts of morality, it’s a crisis that threatens our very republic.

Have you ever considered the fragility of our American republic? Most of us never give the future of America’s grand experiment with democracy a second thought.

The founders of our country thought differently. They assumed that our experiment in self-government would require constant vigilance. They knew its continuation would require the education of a special kind of citizen. I want us to consider how critically important a Hope Academy education is to protecting our liberty and sustaining the future of our way of life.

There is a story that upon exiting the Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin was approached by a group of citizens asking what sort of government the delegates had created. His answer was: “A republic, if you can keep it.”

The brevity of that response shouldn’t fool us: democratic republics are not merely founded upon the consent of the people and a piece of paper. They are absolutely dependent upon the active and informed involvement of the governed.

As I look at the state of our country 235 years after the Founders completed their work, there is both cause for satisfaction and reasons for grave concern. We have avoided many of the plagues afflicting so many other societies, but this is hardly cause for complacency.

One could argue that the challenges to national unity are, if anything, far greater today than those confronting our infant nation in 1787. The face of America in 2022 looks very different. We’re no longer a people united by a common language, a common religion, or a common culture; and while our overall material prosperity is staggering by any standard, the widening gulf between rich and poor is perhaps the most serious threat to a common “pursuit of happiness.”

So, Franklin said, “You have a republic, if you can keep it.” I would suggest that most American schools today, both secondary and post-secondary, foster three serious threats to the future of our republic.

American schooling threatens our country with:

1. A destructive view of freedom
2. A dangerous view of truth
3. A devastating view of identity
   

And while this doesn’t necessarily apply to all teachers in our public schools, it is descriptive of the system as a whole.

Let’s look briefly at each of these threats and then how radically different and necessary is a Hope Academy education.

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First, American Schools Suffer from a Destructive View of Freedom
American schools have exalted freedom as an essentially private matter, a liberty conceived only as freedom from all outside interference. Today’s destructive view of freedom assumes that there is no overarching purpose for which we were created. And if there’s no overarching purpose, then there’s no obligation to conform to it and fulfill it.

Freedom today is understood as the freedom to create your own meaning and purpose. Even the Supreme Court enshrined this view into law when it said, “The heart of liberty is to define one’s own concept of existence, of the meaning of the universe.”

The modern mind’s exchange of liberty for license has had a cancerous effect on our society and on our schools. Students are no longer prepared to answer the question, “What is freedom for?”

Without virtue there can be no true, personal freedom.

Imagine a fish who didn’t understand that its freedom must fit with the reality of its God-given nature and capacities. Designed to absorb oxygen from water rather than air, a fish is only free if it is restricted and limited to water. If we put it out on the grass, its freedom to move and even live is not enhanced but destroyed. Similarly, we will not flourish if we do not honor the reality of our God-given natures.

True freedom, then, is not the absence of limitations and constraints, but it is finding the right ones, those that fit our nature and liberate us for something greater.

Second, American Schools Foster a Dangerous View of Truth
In the middle of the 20th century, people like Dorothy Sayers and C.S. Lewis astutely suspected something was horribly wrong in our schools. Schools began to graduate people who were incapable of even basic intellectual skills that all previously educated generations took for granted.

Schools had exchanged a belief in transcendent, objective truth for relative, personal truths, an exchange that will ultimately lead to the destruction of society as we know it.

Schools no longer teach that certain attitudes and beliefs are really true, and others really false, in relation to the essence of the universe.

Do you see the difference between two persons having a disagreement over whether something is actually true or false? Or good or evil? Versus someone arguing that something is true for me, or evil for you?

The distinction is subtle in one sense and monumental in another. I would argue that this is an underlying reason for the educational crisis sweeping our nation. One type of school denies that there is any objective reality that stands outside of a person’s opinion, and the other says that the nature of objective reality allows for us—or should I say demands—that we respectfully discuss and reason with one another to come to some sort of agreement.

Third, American Schools are Beginning to Foster a Devastating View of Identity
The founders of our country chose a powerful motto to inspire its new citizens streaming to our nation. They chose the phrase, E Pluribus Unum—Latin for “out of many, one.” Today, American schools have moved away from honoring any singular, unifying, identity and have instead essentialized secondary identities: political, cultural, racial, and sexual identities. This has led to greater division, greater incivility, and greater polarization than at any other time in our lifetimes.

Have you noticed how this devastating view of identity has infected our everyday speech? Almost everyone now prefaces their remarks with a reference to some personal identity marker. For instance, “As a white, middle-class son of a Wisconsin tavern owner, I feel that it’s inappropriate for me to make any statements about the detrimental effects of alcohol.”

How detrimental is this erroneous view of identity? Recently, the superintendent of the Meade County School District in Kentucky dealt with an unusual situation: a group of high school students attending his school were acting like and dressing as cats. He said these students identify as animals and call themselves “furries,” preferring to crawl in the hallways and hiss at you or scratch at you if they don’t like something you’re doing.

Today, correcting such behavior is frowned upon. Imagine the chaos if our schools go down this road on a massive scale.

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Educating Kingdom Citizens
So, what’s the solution to this chaos? What’s needed is an education that fosters a different kind of citizen. For lack of a better term, we need an education that fosters “kingdom citizens,”—citizens with a radically different view of freedom, truth, and identity. What we need are kingdom schools.

What if a school fostered a view of freedom, not primarily as freedom from all limitations or constraints, but as freedom for—as freedom for serving others? What if freedom was connected to the virtue of love, the virtue that supplies the self-restraint that is the indispensable requirement for liberty?

Let me illustrate this kind of freedom. A couple months ago, our upper school principal, Nathan Ziegler, got a phone call from a parent of a player from the opposing basketball team we played over the weekend. The parent called to single out one of our seniors, Jordan, for something he did during the game. Nathan’s first thought was, “Uh-oh.”

The parent said that his son was a very awkward and uncoordinated boy, and that he was the student manager of the team. That night the coach told his son to suit up because it was Senior Night. In the last few minutes of the game, to wild applause from the hometown fans, the coach put the student manager into the game. The first time he touched the ball he was immediately smothered by our defense and had the ball taken away from him.

Comprehending all that was happening, in a single moment, Jordan, our most ferocious competitor, took action. The next time up the floor, Jordan waved his teammates off, and he guarded this other player himself—making sure to give him plenty of space to attempt a shot. After receiving the ball, the opposing player awkwardly threw up a wild shot and made the only basket of his high school career, after which he was mobbed by all his friends.

The parent called to speak directly with Jordan to thank him personally for the gift he had given his son: a memory that will stay with him for the rest of his life. That’s what freedom is for.

What if truth was less about looking inside yourself to discover what’s true for you, but instead about using reason and the guidance of the Scriptures to discover what is objectively true and good and beautiful for us all?

What if classroom discussions of controversial topics with the guidance of the Scriptures were the most educational acts in which we could engage?

What if our core identity wasn’t something to be achieved, but something to be received from God? And what if students learned to preface their comments with, “As an image-bearer and child of God,…?”

What if education was ultimately about preparing citizens for eternal life? Divorced from its ultimate end, the worship of God, even the best penultimate educational goals will prove meaningless and hollow, won’t they? As Jesus himself said, “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?”

Our school’s vision statement says, “Hope Academy will seek to unleash kingdom citizens who work for justice, economic opportunity, racial harmony, hope for the family, and joy in the community.”

That’s what your partnership makes available for the families in our city who otherwise couldn’t afford it.

Clearly, a Hope Academy education can carry the awesome weight of such a noble and transcendent purpose—to prepare one to truly know and enjoy the glory of God and to love your neighbor as yourself. As Jesus said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Now, that’s liberty indeed!