A famous quote by Ellen G. White says that a complete education is “the harmonious development of the physical, the mental, and the spiritual powers. It prepares the student for the joy of service in this world and for the higher joy of wider service in the world to come” (Education, p. 13) This quote summarizes Seventh-day Adventist education’s aim and objective.
The Lake Union Conference education department leadership has taken this admonition seriously and has chosen programs to encourage and train students for these outcomes. This report includes a section from each of these areas under “The Head," "The Hand," and "The Heart.” The Lake Union Seventh-day Adventist K–12 education schools are composed of eighty K–8 schools, sixteen junior academies, four day academies (three K–12), and four senior boarding academies. The student population is 3,827, with 402 (348 full time equivalent) staff.
Grand Rapids, formerly a strong junior academy, now offers grades 11 and 12 under the supervision and accreditation of Battle Creek Academy. The constituency is preparing to become a full K–12 senior academy. Broadview Academy is offering a new curriculum, primarily based on competencies instead of assessed academic knowledge from traditional course offerings.
Physical plant changes include Hinsdale Adventist Academy, our most recent approved academy, which added a secondary wing with two classrooms, computer lab and chapel; Wisconsin Academy provided a beautiful cafeteria adjacent to the gym and an awesome computer lab; Hillside Christian School (Wausau, Wis.) has completed a new school plant; Cross Street Christian School (Anderson, Indiana) finished a new school plant containing four classrooms; Peterson-Warren Academy (Inkster, Michigan) renovated the science room, rebuilt the playground with equipment, and placed a fence around the campus.
The Head
The “head” is trained in “reading, writing, and arithmetic” but also with moral values of right and wrong, good and evil, and who, how, and why we were created to serve on this earth. The latest Iowa Test of Basic Skills test scores (see Graph A) indicate that the composite national norm percentiles (1,000,000 students per grade) are from the 76th percentile to the 85th percentile. That is 26 to 35 percent above average.
The Hand
The “hand,” representing physically training the student, is completed first in a K–12 physical education program. This training varies from a more general program in K–8 to a more specific program for life fitness in grades 9–12.
Second, a work-study program is an important part of the secondary curriculum, which provides some, but encourages all, to obtain work experience while attending academy. However, serving others, the most important, combines both physical and spiritual training.
The Heart
Service for others, always a strong Adventist education component, has significantly increased since the implementation of the non-graded Bible Labs service training. We currently see a much higher interest in spiritual things and service to others.
Today, most senior class trips include a service component. For many years, Andrews Academy has had a bi-annual SOW Safari (Service, Outreach, Witness), an international trip overseas during Christmas vacation to serve. Many academies have daily student-led prayer groups. One academy has an organized group whose main objective is to maintain a spiritual atmosphere on campus. For the past 25 years, another academy has had an annual “ leaf rake” in the town park and yards of the elderly or needy. All schools assisted recent flood victims. Some went personally to assist, clean up, and rebuild. Some were there three days after the destruction and some are going again in the future for a first, second, or more times.
In the past two years, Wisconsin Academy and Great Lakes Adventist Academy held a series of student-led evangelistic meetings. Wisconsin Academy also went to Africa to build and evangelize. However, this past September, academy youth were asked to get involved intentionally with evangelism. Sixty youth attended the Lake Union evangelism training session in late August. Indiana Academy had a series in early February; Battle Creek has one scheduled April 7–15; Peterson-Warren Academy is planning an evangelistic crusade in 2006; and Great Lakes had a full five-week series last fall with three to six potential baptisms.
This is a new day. This is another indication to us that the “army of youth rightly trained” may be in preparation. Our first indication of this dedication and intentionality was at the Lake Union Secondary Leadership Conference, held annually for the past 32 years to train young people to lead. Two years ago our union president, Walter Wright, spoke to the youth during what is normally a relaxation time on Sabbath afternoon. We were pleased to see about 50–60 youth respond to his call to do evangelism. Telling others about their faith seems not to frighten today’s young people.
In the next five years, due to a continued reduction in enrollment, a serious study should be made about the organization and operation of the K–12 system. Conferences may need to close ranks and work together to operate boarding schools. Coursework may need to be offered through distance education, possibly from the union level, so that truly “all” Seventh-day Adventist children could receive at least some spiritual training. Other small elementary or junior academies could be assisted in their offerings, also. This probably calls for a re-study of how education is presently funded, not to receive more funds, but to use more efficiently what is already available. This could create a significant paradigm shift in the operation of schools.
In conclusion, the Lake Union education department leadership team will continue leading children to Christ and preparing them in the development of "the head, the hand, and the heart.”
“The life on earth is the beginning of the life in heaven; education on earth is an initiation into the principles of heaven; the lifework here is a training for the lifework there” (Education, p. 30).
Gary Randolph is the Lake Union Conference education director.
