On Set in Africa

Victor Lubega sits for an interview, reflecting on the insecurities he felt regarding his English language skills when he first began joining Academy classes. He recently went back to look at his homework from 2 years ago, and marveled at how his English has improved since then!

“Rolling in 3-2-1... Action!” This semester, our Academy Remote Learners in Uganda have come together for a film project. Together they are producing a mini-documentary: “Going to School in Nashville from Uganda.” They report that this is the most fun they’ve ever had working on a group project! Each of the six Jr. High and High school students have a role. 9th grader Victor Lubega is serving as Director, and he shared the valuable lessons he is learning on leadership and humility. “It was a challenge to me as director to listen to everyone and then come up with an idea for everyone that I thought was good. But then if it turned out it wasn’t good, they needed to correct me and we had to make changes.”

He has also learned valuable skills on planning for and running an efficient meeting, with an agenda and a clear start and end time. Adding this project onto his course load has taught him how to use his time more efficiently in all areas. “Whereas before maybe I would take my time on all homework assignments, now I set a timer and focus and I work quickly to complete my assignments. Then I can move on to work on the documentary.”

The 15 minute film will show the daily life of these students, from their daily chores caring for the chickens and pigs, to how they Zoom into Academy classes in Nashville every evening. They share the joys and the challenges, and reflect on how they have grown as people through the last several years of being Academy students. Academy Home Education Vice Principal Rebekah Hjälmeby has been guiding them through the process. “I’m not a film expert, but I understand project management and the value of team dynamic. I always remind the students that while I’m super excited about the movie they will produce, they themselves are the real project here.

Ms. Hjälmeby meets weekly with the students over Zoom, and brings in technical experts to advise as needed. Here she is joined by Ms. Sara Davis, who graduated from film school and worked in the film industry in L.A.

They are God’s workmanship, and the practical and social skills they’re learning through this will serve them well in whatever area they are called to work.” The students admit that they have surprised even themselves with what they have been able to accomplish together. “Volleyball has been the main group activity we have done together, but this is teaching us how to be part of a team in a whole new way,” says Favour Kimbugwe. “Yes,” agrees Genesis Ssemakula, “At first I didn’t really expect us to be able to do much. I was mostly motivated by the enthusiasm of my teachers, because they were really excited, and I didn’t want to disappoint them. But once we finished the intro video, I could see for myself the potential of the project. I could see the pieces of the puzzle coming together even more beautifully than we had imagined.”

Genevieve, an 8th grader who is one of two Videographers on the project, has learned much about operating a camera through the experience. Additionally, she has learned to critically think about the audience’s perspective. “As a videographer, you have to use your wisdom and brain to think how to catch the audience’s attention. And make them feel different emotions throughout different scenes.” Sserwada Gideon shared a similar reflection. “I am learning to create a background sound related to the emotions displayed by someone on screen.” Gideon is a talented musician, and he is writing the score and managing audio for the project. He too is learning to think about how to tell a story in a captivating way, and use music to help the audience connect emotionally.

Script writer Rebecca Lubega has the challenging task of creating a narrative that pulls together all of the interviews, B-roll and story angles. She is loving the challenge of learning this new genre of writing. The students have a deadline of the end of May to complete this project. Stay tuned to see the finished project, and join us in praying for and celebrating the work that God is doing in each of these projects of His!

Home Education Exemplary Students

Throughout the school year we acknowledge exemplary students within our Home Education program. So far this year, the Exemplar award has been given to two hard-working students, 11th grader Rebecca Lubega (Uganda) and 7th grader Esme García (Morristown, TN). These young ladies are both full-time remote learners, attending classes virtually through our hybrid classroom setups. 

In the Fall 2023 semester, Rebecca Lubega stood out to her teachers for taking ownership of her education with responsibility and enthusiasm. She had outstanding attendance in her classes and engaged course content with questions. Rebecca contacted her teachers regularly to stay on top of class work. As a Junior she did an outstanding job on her Directed Studies project, exploring the relationship between culture and food and how history has shaped those connections. This project culminated in a meal she prepared and hosted for her church community, organizing volunteers, and sharing with her guests about the things she learned throughout the process. Rebecca has shown great determination to succeed and we are so proud to acknowledge her accomplishments. 

Esme is in her first year with The Academy, and she has demonstrated resilience and faith in adjusting to a completely online school program. This spring in particular, her teachers have noted Esme’s consistent contributions in class, and her diligence to submit timely work. She has shown humility and positivity, persevering in her classes and making new friendships. Esme has truly had to practice faith in the Lord, and trust in her parents and teachers in this season, and we are happy to celebrate her!

Celebrating Home Education Achievements: A First Quarter Update on our Scholarships and Student Ventures

Ugandan students are learning how to play in a worship band together this semester! In this photo, Gideon plays the keyboard and sings back-up vocals.

As we reflect on the accomplishments of the first quarter of the school year, we are thrilled to share the positive impact our scholarship program has had on the lives of online learners in developing countries. Last year, we successfully raised $26,000 in scholarships, and this quarter, we are excited to announce that seven deserving students have been the recipients of these funds.

These students have embarked on a journey of full course loads, immersing themselves in a biblically based, holistic education. Their resilience and gratitude have been palpable, demonstrating a deep appreciation for the opportunity they've been given. Equally heartening is the sincere gratitude expressed by their parents, who commend the quality of education provided and the attentive care exhibited by our dedicated teachers in shaping their children's academic journeys.

Students at our satellite location in EA gather together for class times. They start their day with prayer and time in Scripture, and can access older students and their education proctors for help or tutoring.

A highlight of this quarter has been our 11th graders' exploration in Directed Studies, a course that empowers them to pursue subjects of personal interest and develop projects around them. Among our talented students, one is channeling her artistic skills into designing a series of biblically based artwork to decorate a community center near her home. Another student is delving into the rich history of cuisine in her area, culminating in the creation of a communal meal centered around her research. Both of these projects required developing a timeline, budget, and plan of execution with the guidance of a mentor. 

Across borders, our students in Uganda have formed a worship band, gathering weekly to practice and occasionally leading worship during church services. Music serves as a powerful outlet for collaboration, allowing these students to engage with the Lord through their unique gifts.

7th Grade student, Esme, is a remote learner from Morristown, TN. Esme and her classmate visited the Academy one Friday during the first quarter and had a wonderful experience learning in-person with her teachers and classmates.

In addition to our Ugandan cohort, we are delighted to welcome two new students from Morristown, TN, who have joined us remotely in 7th and 9th grades. Their presence has enriched our student body, and it has been a joy to get to know them as they integrate into our educational community. 

As we celebrate these achievements, we look forward to the continued growth and success of our students. The impact of our scholarship program and the diverse projects undertaken by our students reflect our commitment to providing meaningful and holistic education to learners around the world. We are so grateful to all who have supported us on this journey, and eagerly anticipate the positive developments yet to come.

Academy Sees its First International Graduate

This spring we had the privilege of seeing our first international remote learner graduate from the Academy. 

Tebandeke Barnabas joined the Academy in 2020 through necessity, when Covid-19 shut down his local school in Uganda. In reflection, he shared all the questions he had surrounding how a remote education would work. “Students need teachers around for guidance; now how were teachers going to interact with students with thousands of miles separating them? How about the official documents; will the high school diploma from the U.S. be valid in Uganda? How about student interaction; can you even make friends on video?” I wondered.

In faith, Barnabas stepped forward and began taking Academy classes, first through pre-recorded content and then through live video calls directly into the classroom. 

For the past 3 years, Barnabas has continuously impressed his Academy teachers with his diligence, joy and giftedness. Despite challenges due to local power outages and internet failures, he continued to press on and earn top grades in his classes. His courses required much more interaction and critical thinking than his prior school, and he wouldn't have it any other way. 

“I have met really wonderful people, caring teachers, and realized how big the family of God is, and yet, He takes care of each of us. I have enough time to hang out with my friends, family and also to talk to God. I have come to the conclusion that joining The Academy was the best choice I have ever made and not going against the flow of God’s will is another thing I will never regret.”

Barnabas has always been interested in technology, specifically electronic engineering. During his education at the Academy he completed several classes and student internships related to this field. He demonstrated high aptitude in this area, and hopes to go on to pursue both high biblical education, and greater practical skills in technology. 

At our 2022-23 Academy Graduation ceremony on May 20, Barnabas graduated with high honors! He shared a pre-recorded speech, and his accomplishments were shared and celebrated with an audience of classmates, teachers, and (online) friends and family. 

We are so grateful for the many supporters who have contributed to Barnabas’ (aka ‘Ssubi’) education over the years. From his attendance at primary school to the miraculous way he was able to stay on track and graduate through the Academy Home Education program despite a global pandemic –  thank you to ALL who have invested into him! This young man has a bright future ahead, and is moving into it with faith in the Lord and determination to do well.

Remote Learning: Here's What Students Are Saying

Last week we celebrated the end of the school year with our Remote Learners in Uganda. We are so proud of these 8 students who navigated challenges related to WiFi, technology and time zones to successfully complete this school year! Every time they Zoomed into a class they brought joy, thoughtful contributions and a fresh perspective to their classmates. 

Virtual meetings, like the one in this photo, happen on a regular basis between our administration and education facilitators in our international regions to ensure support is extended and prayers are shared for the work being done in the remote learning program.

Academy administration joined all the students on a Zoom call along with their Education Facilitators in Uganda, Lawrence and Josephine Ssemakula. Each student shared a highlight from the year, and then received a superlative related to a characteristic their teachers had noted in them this year. Students were appreciated for qualities like Joy, Initiative, Faithfulness, and Diligence. 

After the call Lawrence Ssemakula noted how special this celebratory moment was. “This is so encouraging because no school here [in Uganda] would do such a thing that is biblically rooted and also teachers caring so much to know students to this degree. It helps them a lot to feel valued and loved.They were very happy and I asked the parents that we should take them out to have a special moment with them.”

8th grader Victor spoke for all the students when he said, "I thank all the teachers that taught us this semester because when we had some difficulties in our assignments they were able to answer our questions and answer those questions through our live classes although our internet was not stable. But they tried to help us."

Thank you LORD for a blessed school year! We so appreciate the hard work of Academy teachers in integrating remote learners, and for the support of our financial donors that helped ensure these precious students could receive a rich year of learning! 

Please enjoy the student highlights below. 

Barnabas (11th grade) - “I enjoyed the classes, they were very good, and the due dates were easy to meet. Another thing is that all the lessons were rooted in the word of God. It was a good thing to put in our minds when doing those classes. It helps motivate people. 
I did a project about solar (energy) and it took me some time researching and finding a store that had the exact supplies and making calculations and adjustments on those specific materials. My interest in such projects increased and I guess I will be making more of these in the mere future. I think it may be the first step in my future job career.”

Rebecca (9th grade) - “For me this semester was like an adventure exploring many things I didn’t know. I loved Historical Biographies class, especially learning how Martin Luther King had a way of using nonviolence to bring peace. I know that I was not actually violent like hitting people but sometimes in my words I was violent to some people even to my siblings. But I think this class has helped me a lot and is going to change me in some ways.”

Genesis (9th grade) - “My most favorite course was the Biology class because we had to do all those different projects which made us really creative and helped us to not just write notes in our books but also have those notes in our projects. So that helped me be more creative even in my life.”

Gideon (9th grade) -  “The class I prioritized a lot was Wisdom Literature. It helped me know how to read more and how to understand the Bible.”

Favour (8th grade) - “I highlighted the Prophets (Bible class) and Historical Biographies because they had the same point. Both of them tell us to be peacemakers. If Israel had tried to be peacemakers like Nelson Mandela many people wouldn’t die. 

Also I liked the course that helped us take photos and create them properly. And Language Arts, I learned to read things and understand them and it helped me to understand things that are taught in the scripture.” 

Victor (8th grade) - "My highlights were mostly from Bible and Language Arts classes. In Bible class we learned about Eli’s sons and how they did not walk in God’s word. For me I thought that God killed Eli’s sons, but our Bible teacher taught us that God did not kill them; they were killed by the world. They went into battle and didn’t go with God so that’s why they were killed. 

And in Language Arts I highlighted the book The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. Some of the lessons I learned was forgiveness because in our daily lives we don’t usually forgive people. But the book helped me to forgive people"

Genevieve (6th grade) - "My favorite course was STEM. I learned math and we learned science. We learned about the environment and they showed us a picture of a lake which has trash around it, and they showed us a lake which is clean, and they taught us that after we use papers and packages we should put them in the trash."