The Legacy Talent Show

This past Saturday evening, 23 students from Kindergarten to 12th grade took the stage to dedicate the most sincere, heartfelt productions to some of The Academy’s dearest supporters: our students’ grandparents. From original songs and dances to martial arts and comedy acts, our students left the audience laughing, crying, and rejoicing over what they saw. 

What did they see on the stage? One of our judges and a two-time Dove Music Award winner, Meredith Andrews, said it best: “This is more than a talent show. This is the heart of God on display!” 

At the end of the night, each performer received a superlative award for their act. Sharing this moment of celebration was a highlight of the show!

The show’s theme was “Legacy”, which became a moving and emotion-filled thread throughout the night. Students expressed how their acts were inspired by their parents or grandparents. Others shared how their grandparents passed down a special talent to them that they in turn wanted to share with others. Two of our senior students even wrote a song for the Academy students coming up behind them, reminding them to practice what they learn in God’s Word because there is a world in need waiting for them. Each performer walked off the stage at the end of the night with a superlative in hand; an award given to them by the judges that distinguished their act above all the rest. 

The Legacy Talent Show would not have been possible without the selfless service of our PTO and parent volunteers as well as our tech crew, made up of Academy high school students! In light of our month-long Legacy Campaign, our students have been learning what it means to receive and to leave a legacy. As the campaign highlights the Academy’s scholarship program, our students recognize they are receiving the gift of a Christ-centered education, and in turn are becoming equipped to bear the fruit of good works in the world. This was the inheritance on display during our Legacy Talent Show! 

There’s still time to give towards the Academy’s Legacy Campaign! If you’d like to give the gift of a holistic, biblical education to students in the United States and around the world, we invite you to join us and thank you for your generosity!

The Legacy Campaign

Dearest Grandparents,

I hope this letter finds you well.

The dynamic between a grandparent and a grandchild is fantastic to witness. Though both are on two different ends of the spectrum of life, they possess a beautiful connection that allows them to be very present in their season of living. The smiles on both of their faces show they enjoy the simplicity and pleasures of life, but in different ways. Let me explain...

I believe that no one is more captivated by a child opening a hoped-for gift than their grandparent. Of course the child’s parents are fixed on them, witnessing the wonder in their eyes and the joyful anticipation of their prize. However, the parent’s appreciation of the moment is naturally limited to their experience on the timeline of life. And while for the parent that moment is perfect, I suggest it can also get better, and this is something a grandparent knows.

You see, similar to the parent, the grandparent’s perspective of that gift-opening moment sees their grandchild’s wonder, hope, and joyful anticipation. But simultaneously, they see their own child, now an adult, living out the adventure of parenthood, igniting a string of memories from their past, flooding them with images and feelings welling up in their soul. All of this enriches the moment beyond their own capacity to hold onto it all, resulting in tenderness, the taking of lots of pictures, and a quiet, rewarding smile. 

What a blessing to live long enough to see your children raising their own children, and celebrating life with them. God is so good!

In this 8th year of The Academy’s existence, we wanted to extend an invitation for grandparents to participate in what we are calling “The Legacy Campaign.” This fundraising effort is to help us continue providing scholarships for our students, your grandchildren, ensuring they get a Christ-centered education and an affordable one at that. 

You may not know this, but since our inception we’ve given scholarships to our students that make up the difference between what school tuition costs are and what families can pay. These scholarships are based on a sliding scale related to family income and other factors like number of children enrolled in school. In 2019 alone, we provided just over $170,000 in scholarships for our students. In 2020, almost $20,000 in scholarships were given just to our international students in Uganda and The Philippines. Praise the Lord!

So, up until now, where did this money come from? Some of it has come from the generosity of donative individuals - some of you in fact - and also our parent organization, Global Outreach Developments Int’l. It has also come through the generosity of faculty and staff, many of which have volunteered in their positions. For example, it wasn’t until year 7 that a Principal was actually on payroll, and even now, several key administrators still volunteer their service.

Students from the Academy’s inaugural year, 2013, together on the playground.

8 years ago, we started with less than 20 students, in 4 different grades, in 2 classrooms, and an all-volunteer faculty and staff. Today, we have over 200 students, in kindergarten through 12th, in over 24 classrooms, with over 40 faculty and staff, plus another 20+ routine volunteers! Even though we had such awesome growth, which included purchasing over $1,000,000 in new facilities, we did not pass a proportionate increase onto student tuition, holding to our value of keeping this education affordable for families.

However, in order for us to continue offering the quality education that we have been able to up until now, we need your help. Much of our natural growth comes from multiple child families. When a family has to put 4 kids in school, that affordable tuition (ours is still one of the lowest in the state for a program like ours), at full price can require an additional $15,000 of consideration for a family per year. Our scholarships help keep siblings together in the same school, they help single-parent families overcome their income limitations, they help impoverished families in the developing world and even missionary families get access to a biblically based and innovative model for education. 

We are asking you to help us raise $50,000 this year so that we could continue to help our parents (your children), keep their kids (your grandchildren), in school with a tuition cost they can afford. 

Grandparents and students enjoy the Academy’s annual “Grandparent’s Day” event.

Proverbs 13:22 lets us know that a good person is one who leaves a legacy for their children and their children's children. What a great legacy to give your grandchildren in the form of a Christ-centered, biblical and holistic education that teaches them the word of God, including God’s vision for his Kingdom and how they can use their education to bring about a better world. 

I hope you truly consider giving a tax deductible donation to “The Legacy Campaign.” I sincerely pray that God will bless you and your family and if anything, after reading this letter and thinking about your grandchildren, I hope you will feel that rewarding smile come upon your face.

Serving Jesus our Lord,

Gregg Garner

Founder/Headmaster

The Academy for G.O.D.