Ugandan Home Education Exemplar Testifies to Confidence

Victor Lubega, a 9th grade student in Uganda, was recently awarded Exemplar of the Quarter for the Home Education Program! Victor has been an outstanding student; taking initiative with his teachers, and approaching each class with joy and a strong work ethic. 

 Victor met twice with Academy staff during this process, and emailed back and forth throughout. From class assignments to awards like this project, Academy education incorporates soft skills like problem-solving and communication.

For Exemplar students who are international, we award them an online coaching session in a subject of their choice. Victor let us know that he had been curious to learn about building with cement. He had explored some cement work on his own, but asked for help in learning how to work with cement and create useful and beautiful objects. Academy teacher and parent Joel Olson volunteered to coach Victor through this project!

Over the course of 2 weeks Victor learned to work with a sand mold, and used some of the large, beautiful leaves available to him at home to create a cement caste leaf! Such artistic casted leaves can be both aesthetic and functional in a home garden, serving as a bird bath and attracting pollinators. Victor worked carefully with the leaves, learning the ratios of mixing cement, and making creative repairs along the way when a delicate leaf ripped or part of the cement chipped off. At the end of the project he joined Mr. Olson and AHE Vice Principal Hjalmeby on a call to show off his finished project! 

When asked what he learned through his project Victor said. “Being confident. I didn’t think that I could do this project, but I gained confidence and I did it well. I also learned that building good things can bring joy to others. I did this project and I showed it to my community.” He also shared about resourcefulness, and how it did not require fancy measuring tools to create something. His entire project cost about $7.95 USD. 

Throughout this project Victor displayed the same eagerness and ingenuity that he has shown in all his classes. “Victor impressed me from the very beginning.” said Mr. Olson, “His desire to learn such a practical skill coupled with his ability to implement the instructions really blessed me. This project allowed me to see Victor’s heart. He is going to be a real blessing to his family and his community.”

Sand mold - A sand mold gives structure to the leaf, so the natural shape and veins can be captured in cement. It is an economic way of casting cement and pairs beautifully with natural resources. 

Mixing Cement - Victor learned the 3-2-1 ratio of mixing gravel, sand and cement. This rule of thumb means the mixer doesn't have to have extensive equipment for weighing or measuring, but can use simple cups and scoops readily available to them.  

Finished Leaf - Victor was as proud of his project as we were of him! Victor is already planning his next cement caste and promises to send us pictures soon.

Life Changing Generosity - Thank You, Donors!

The Academy for G.O.D. invites you to participate in the The Legacy Scholarship Program (LSP). The LSP was created to provide national and international students with an affordable education model - one that many experts have described as “the future of education.” The LSP acknowledges student athletes, academic exemplars, as well as families with financial hardship.

The Arts Scholarship is one avenue students can receive financial support, by demonstrating noteworthy skill in the performing arts. Students are able to showcase their skills through opportunities like weely chapels, school assemblies and events.

Last year The Academy for G.O.D. gave over $170K in needs-based scholarships to students around the world. As the pandemic caused schools to close, we were able to offer dozens of students the option of online education. In the midst of a struggling economy, we also also provided scholarships to 110 students from families in need to remain in school here on our Nashville campus. These scholarships were offered thanks to the generosity of many like you, who donated to support K-12 education in our annual Giving Campaign. We THANK you. Families were impacted and blessed in truly life changing ways.

Lawrence Ssemakula , a father and educator in Uganda took the lead in organizing the dozen students in Uganda who enrolled in the Academy Remote Learning Program when local schools closed down due to Covid-19.  His children are still taking a full load of classes online with us, as Ugandan schools have yet to re-open.

“For us it was an answered prayer to our situation in Uganda where schools have been closed for nearly two years. God heard our cry, he intervened when we had no idea of what to do next and responded to our prayer. Our children are getting the best education we'd never thought of.

Secondly, the students have an opportunity to take classes which they can manage unlike in their former schools which had a broad curriculum with many subjects. The content is very adequate and mostly practical which has made them enjoy the learning, it meets their learning abilities.”

As Ssemakula noted, it has been nearly 2 years since the youth of Uganda have been out of school, and now are facing a slew of challenges related to learning gaps and a sharp rise in teenage pregnancy (1). Thankfully, his children and others who received scholarships to the Academy have had continued access to engaging and biblically based education. 

Here in Nashville many families also faced financial hardships, and were able to apply for scholarships. Because of the generosity of our donors, students were able to attend classes, participate in our Phoenix sports program, take part in talent shows and STEM Fairs, and receive 2 nutritious meals a day on campus. What a gift! 

Thank you for your consideration and continued support. We are committed to providing the best education possible to students that would otherwise not have the opportunity. Our prayer is that the Lord provides the means, both spiritually and monetarily, to continue His great work through donors like you!

Left: Educator Lawrence Ssemakula says “We appreciate the (Academy) teachers’ way of teaching. It's not easy to get students engaged in learning virtually. Our children enjoy learning due to the teachers' carefulness demonstrated through meeting the students' individual needs and even following up on individual students to ensure they are enjoying their studies.”

Right: “My family chose to use the Academy online program during a season of life that had many unexpected challenges.” says Deb Nava, of her 1st and 3rd grade students. “The flexibility of the program allowed us to quickly work through some material or spend extra time on the classes my kids loved. Our weekly check-ins with a teacher were helpful to keep them on track or ask questions about certain assignments. I felt really good about the progress they made while at home, and I knew they would confidently be on par with peers in the classroom. It’s an excellent program and I’m so thankful we had a positive experience during a hard season.”

(1) COVID-19: Education replaced by shuttered schools, violence, teenage pregnancy https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/07/1096502