The years a child spends in school are among the most important of their lives, but unfortunately, traditional schooling often fails to adequately prepare our youth for the rest of their lives. The time that should be spent teaching children how to think, lead, and find their purpose is instead wasted on teaching a rigid curriculum that doesn’t empower them with creative, curious minds.
However, there are some private educational institutions that are breaking the mold, creating environments that allow students to learn at their best. One of those disruptors is The Academy at District Church, a K-12 Christian academy in El Dorado Hills, California (outside of Sacramento) that Head of Academy Justin MacDonald defines as “a learning and leadership academy that creates joyful, confident, and humble young leaders.”
How The Academy at District Church is revolutionizing learning
It’s important to realize that The Academy at District Church is more than just a school. In fact, the Academy was formed with the express purpose of disrupting and revolutionizing the educational system to provide families with an alternative educational experience for their students.
“We’ll be the first to say it: the Academy is not for everyone,” explains MacDonald. “If your family is looking for a traditional school experience, the Academy doesn’t offer that. But if you want your student to learn to think, learn to learn, and learn by doing, and walk away from their education more prepared to lead, the Academy might be the ideal place for your family.”
The Academy at District Church’s curriculum is based on its key philosophy: learners should be practicing the skills that matter. The staff at the Academy is not trying to create booksmart students; they strive to create more resilient, joyful, and driven young people who grow up to become great citizens, hard workers, and strong leaders.
Although this should be the common goal of all educational institutions, it is not what the current status quo of the school system is set up for. This different approach is why the Academy’s approach is so innovative and revolutionary.
“We approach learning more like a great sports coach would: If you want your sports team to get better in the game, then you get intentional with what you train in practice. That’s how we do things at the Academy,” says MacDonald. “If a soccer player needs to be great at dribbling, passing, shooting, and defending, then that’s what they train extensively in practice. We just define what skills successful people need, like critical thinking, entrepreneurial problem solving, and leadership, and train those extensively.”
Redefining success at The Academy at District Church
Because the Academy is not preoccupied with creating kids who excel academically, but rather leaders who excel in life, learners’ success is not measured by typical academic benchmarks, such as grades or test scores (though students perform above average compared to scores across the country, and a third are at least one grade level ahead by spring break each year). Instead, the Academy measures success by attributes of successful people in the real world — qualities like being hungry, happy, healthy, and humble, as these are the qualities that will help them be productive members of society and live fulfilling lives.
The success of this approach has manifested itself in extremely tangible ways for the Academy and its students. In the three years since The Academy at District Church was founded, the program has already had 18 graduates, 45% of whom graduated in just 3 years compared to the typical four-year length of a traditional academic program. And just as exciting, the Academy has grown to a point where it serves 120 (and counting) students, a significant growth since their initial class of eight.
Of course, statistics only paint a partial picture of the Academy’s success and its students’ achievements. The other part of that picture is painted by the experiences of the students and their families, which are detailed extensively in the testimonials on the Academy’s website.
“We notice [our son] is growing a lot this year. He is starting to take more responsibility for his own actions. He is much more grounded and confident. He responds more positively when asked to help or do a challenging task,” says one parent. “My son has grown as a student, a brother and a son since attending the Academy. He really enjoys his time there, and I see him thriving as a person,” adds another.
Lexi Sheridan, an early graduate of the Academy, also said, “The Academy didn’t just teach me academic lessons, it gave me tools to evaluate my goals, build a clear vision for my future, and create steps to achieve it. With the support of my guides, I was even able to graduate early, giving me a head start on my college journey. Looking back at my time at the academy I am so very grateful for how the Academy shaped me into the person I am today and set me up for success in my next chapter.”
Indeed, in an educational system that so often leaves students unprepared for the real world, The Academy at District Church stands out as a shining light, preparing its learners to become leaders. With its student-driven, Christ-centered, and life-ready approach to some of the most formative years in our children’s lives, The Academy at District Church is changing the world — one life at a time.