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"Then Jesus said to His host, 'When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.'" -Luke 14:12–14
Jesus’ heart was for the poor, the needy, and those who were considered to be on the margins of society. ACSI’s Student Success Center shares this biblical foundation. It exists to strengthen Christian educators as they seek to address the educational plight of students who are academically disenfranchised, culturally diverse and disesteemed, and/or economically disadvantaged. The heart of this department is to give all children Access to a solid Christian education.
It does this by offering three categories of service:
- Academic Assimilation- For example, assisting schools in effectively assimilating children across the spectrum of abilities, including those with special needs
- Cultural Adaptation- For example, leading trainings for schools that have historically been monocultural and monoracial on how to incorporate diversity into the DNA of the school
- Economic Accommodation- For example, supporting parental choice and educational freedom to remove some of the financial and accessibility barriers
The Student Success Center team offers trainings and resources to member schools complimentary. Both in-person and online trainings led by Dr. Vernard Gant, ACSI Student Success Center Director, are tailored specifically to each school’s needs, and administrators can choose from a menu of options including Board, Administrator, Staff, or Diversity Council sessions.
Afterward, schools will have the tools to create a multi-year Diversity, Unity and Inclusion Plan, to truly adopt learned concepts into its culture and DNA.
The responses from schools who have experienced these trainings have been overwhelmingly positive.
“I just want to thank you for taking the time to meet with our NCA staff to discuss diversity, unity, and inclusion from a biblical perspective. Your message was both thought-provoking and very timely,” said Andre Thomas, Northside Christian Academy administrator. “As a former educator within the public schools system, I've attended several seminars and workshops over the years that focused on these topics, but this was my very first time hearing it from a biblical perspective.”
Gant believes that change is a process that ultimately begins in the heart. The team comes alongside schools in their efforts to transform their cultures.
“Equipping them is not a one and done event,” Gant said. “We say to every one of them, consider us now as part of your remote staff. This department exists for the sole purpose of pulling alongside Christian schools and educators to lend assistance and support—we are 24/7 with this,” he said. “Just like you pick up the phone to call a staff member if something comes up, we are that accessible and that willing to be there to provide any assistance.”
To learn more about the dedicated Student Success Center, you can visit their webpage.