This is, understandably, one of the first questions that we’re asked.  We address it elsewhere on the site, but it makes sense to include a brief overview in the FAQ as well.

Simply stated, our educational model is not limited to classroom learning.  We want our students to experience the fullness of the Church’s liturgical life; to engage with the beauty and the challenges of the natural world; to work cooperatively with one another in building up an authentic Christian community; and to develop the practical skills that will help them to thrive in our modern world.

As stated above, our only purpose is to educate the young in Jesus Christ, but with that — indeed, with Him — as our source, we can realize positive downstream benefits for the life of the Church more broadly.  The students will develop lifelong bonds and connections that will support their families long after they’ve graduated.  God willing, vocations will be fostered, and the Gospel will be preached in new places.  Finally, a physical campus with chapel, grounds, catering, and dormitory spaces can be put at the service of the Church when school is not in session (e.g., youth and family events, assemblies,  conferences, home-schooling supports, etc.).

Specific financial information will be available when we begin accepting applications for student placement. The high costs associated with running a boarding school (housing, meals, salaries, off-campus excursions) are certainly a concern, but our fundraising plan includes tuition supports.  God willing, no otherwise qualified student will be turned away for an inability to pay.

His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon has given the founders his encouragement to proceed with establishing St. Alexander Academy.  Once a final location is chosen, we will ask the local hierarch for his blessing.

The school will be governed by a lay Board of Trustees, which will cooperate with all canonical Eastern Orthodox jurisdictions.

St. Alexander Academy is committed to building up the Church in North America.  However, we will certainly consider applications from Orthodox students outside the United States and Canada.  Specific requirements, including English-language proficiency, will be included in our application materials.

Yes!  We welcome students who share our faith in Christ to apply for admission.  Because our Orthodox Christian identity is central to our mission, Orthodox students will be given precedence in admission consideration.  However, we would be honored by the presence of students from other Christian traditions.

Specific requirements for non-Orthodox student admission will be included in our application materials.

Well, yes and no. The term classical education can apply specifically to the Greek and Latin classics; the liberal arts generally; or anything falling under the definition of traditional pedagogy. We recognize the value in each of these concepts and we will broadly incorporate them into our curriculum. However, our general educational philosophy is to do what works. That is, to take the best of the Western intellectual tradition and marry it to the necessities of modern life. Our students will receive a strong grounding in foundational subjects: Theology, modern languages, Latin, biblical Greek, mathematics, history, the arts and sciences, and English grammar and composition. We will also emphasize individual creativity (music, poetry, art, craftsmanship) and practical skill development.

Our definition of practical skills is rather broad.  It might include milking a cow, wiring an electrical socket, framing a house, and growing and preserving food.  Regardless of whether a student is college bound or not, he will be expected to learn the fundamentals of self-sufficiency and will be encouraged in artistic and creative pursuits.  Every student will, by God’s grace and our efforts, develop his intellectual, spiritual, and physical faculties.  We want to be a place of boundless creativity, full hearts, and dirty hands.

Our goal is to open our first phase in the Fall of 2025.

Our working plan is to accept a Freshman class each autumn until we are at full capacity.   We have an alternate plan that allows for the simultaneous admission of a Freshman and  Sophomore class in the first phase if additional fundraising goals are met.

 

We get this question a lot!  If you are interested in working with us, we encourage you to get involved early.  Staffing a boarding school is very different from staffing a day school.  We are, in a very real sense, building a Christian community.  Skills, talents, personalities, philosophies, and personal commitment all have to be taken into consideration.  It will be much easier to choose teachers and staff if they are already known to us.

We ask that you pray for us and for the success of this mission.  We want to be guided by God’s will and we pray that everything we do will be for the glory of Jesus Christ.  Your spiritual and financial support are critical to our success. We need you!