Certain they’re Cherished
as God’s beloved image-bearers of measureless worth
About
The Garden Christian Academy nurtures the minds and hearts of students of diverse racial and socioeconomic backgrounds by providing a classical and Christ-centered education that is affordable for all. Located in Cleveland’s Clark-Fulton neighborhood, The Garden Christian Academy partners with families to grow their children with an education which prepares them for the most good—intellectually, emotionally, physically, socially, and spiritually.
Meet our TeamVision
The Garden Christian Academy exists so that every one of its students may be:
Formed
In
Virtue
to embrace all that is true, good, and beautiful and reject what is evil
Cultivated in Wisdom & Eloquence
to thrive as lifelong learners who love, defend, and dispense truth
Deployed as Servant-Leaders
to elevate the welfare of the city and embody seeds of renewal everywhere they go
Mission
The Garden Christian Academy multiplies God’s peace in Cleveland’s inner city by providing youth with a distinguished, Christ-centered education.
1
A distinguished, Christ-centered education…
Second only to family, nothing shapes a child’s life more than education. But then, what should education produce in the life of a student? We believe that education is the process which forms not only a child’s mind, but also her soul. It cultivates not only knowledge, but wisdom; not only morality, but virtue. An education nourishes a child on truth, beauty, and goodness, rightly shaping what she loves and preparing her to be a lifelong learner. These outcomes, in turn, serve education’s ultimate goal and its greatest good: preparedness to love, glorify, and enjoy God forever.
In August, 2019, The Garden Christian Academy launched with grades K–2. Each following year we’re adding one grade level, until we reach grade 12!
Education at GCA is Christ-centered
The person of Jesus of Nazareth is the bedrock of the school’s mission and educational philosophy. Christ-centered education posits that all subject matter fits together into one integrated whole, with the God of the Bible as the central keystone. The Scriptures permeate every area of instruction, equipping students to discover the goodness and glory of God in all of creation and in all of human history and inquiry.
Education at GCA is Distinguished
We utilize an academically rigorous course of study which equips students with the essential tools of learning and which prepares them to deal purposefully and responsibly in a complex and rapidly changing world. The time-tested classical model of education employed by GCA cultivates humanity in our students—to realize their full potential as God’s beloved image-bearers of measureless worth.
2
…for youth in Cleveland’s inner city…
The Garden Christian Academy is modeled after Hope Academy in inner-city Minneapolis, where their educational model has remarkably changed the lives of students and families for nearly twenty years.
Not in spite of, but because The Garden Christian Academy is a Christ-centered school, students and families from all religious traditions and backgrounds are invited to find welcome, belonging, value, and lasting relationships in the life and community of the school.
A Model for Success
The cost of education in Cleveland
Strong and successful schools empower children to flourish. Like so many major American cities, however, Cleveland is a place where too many children are not flourishing. Renowned educational philosopher Robert Maynard Hutchins famously said, “The best education for the best is the best education for us all,” meaning that the kind of education that only the most well-resourced families can afford for their own children is the kind of education that all children should receive. We’re honored to make such an education affordable for anyone.
3
…so that God’s peace will be multiplied.
The Garden Christian Academy is on a mission to multiply “God’s peace” in our city, but what does that mean? What is “God’s peace?” And how can it be multiplied?
When God’s people were exiles in a foreign land, God commanded them to, “seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive.” The “peace” of the city in this Bible passage is not simply the absence of fighting or violence. The word in the original Hebrew language is “shalom.” It can mean: completeness in number; safety; welfare; health; peace, friendship; peace with God; peace from war; and more! The passage continues, “pray to the LORD on the city’s behalf, for in its shalom you will find your shalom.” Thus God’s people share a responsibility in the welfare of the city!
That’s what The Garden Christian Academy is all about. We’re on a mission to multiply shalom—the peace, welfare, and wholeness that only comes from God—here in Cleveland. We know that, for families and children struggling against the impact of poverty, life in the city is often marked by a painful absence of shalom. We know that poverty is fundamentally tied to educational disadvantages. And we know that The Garden Christian Academy, and schools like it, can play a critical role in multiplying shalom in the lives of the families we serve and, ultimately, multiplying the shalom of the whole city.
Partners & Affiliations
Spreading Hope Network
Danielle Piscura, The Garden Christian Academy cofounder and head of school, is a Founder with Spreading Hope Network, a school-planting organization which provides support to teams around the country to found new schools shaped by the pioneering Hope Academy model.
Family Ministry Center
The Family Ministry Center (FMC), a ministry of Bay Presbyterian Church, is a hub for nonprofit partners who collaboratively labor to advance God’s kingdom in Cleveland and beyond. The Garden Christian Academy is privileged to be a partner of the FMC and to call the campus of the FMC “home”.
The Drexel Fund
The Drexel Fund supports entrepreneurs to launch and scale pioneering private schools focused on underserved communities. Danielle Piscura, The Garden Christian Academy cofounder and head of school, is a 2018–2019 Fellow with The Drexel Fund.