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To provide a Jesus-centered, tailored, mastery-based education that sparks students’ innate love for learning and prepares them to be independent, life-long learners. We are committed to ensuring that every student has the knowledge, tools, and character to thrive in the unique calling God has placed on their life.

To advance the Great Commission by providing accessible Jesus education to the world and equipping students to courageously live out their faith as they meaningfully contribute to God’s plan for the redemption of all creation.

Courage Schools’ adheres to the Bible as the ultimate source of Truth. Our Statement of Beliefs outlines our core beliefs.

Students are not expected to fully lead their educational journey from day one, and we recognize that students’ ability to learn independently will vary. Students will still be given clear expectations, but they will also be given freedom and choice throughout their learning journey.

When a student enrolls in the school, the mentor will work with them, alongside their parents, to create a Tailored Learning Plan (TLP). Mentors will also meet with students regularly to keep them on track and guide them towards becoming an independent learner. The TLP will assist students and mentors in selecting the right curriculum, planning their workload, managing assignments and assessments, and tracking their progress. Through technology and digital tools, students will be able to manage their work and complete assignments independently and at their own pace.

Each student will demonstrate mastery differently according to their learning style and interests. In addition, each competency will have different requirements for mastery. For certain competencies, mastery will be very straightforward (for example: successfully complete the curriculum for Algebra I). Other competencies allow for students to have more freedom in how they demonstrate mastery. Students will either be given different options to choose from or they may even be allowed to come up with their own idea for demonstrating mastery. Either way, our foundational competencies will have guidelines/rubrics for the mentor to use to ensure the student has truly mastered the subject.

Our younger students are gradually guided into independent learning through the assistance of the mentor. We plan to have a lower student-to-mentor ratio for the younger students. In addition, parents, volunteers, or older students can be recruited if the school recognizes a need for more assistance but is unable to hire another mentor.

These students will be given a Tailored Learning Plan to ensure that they learn the foundational concepts necessary to progress. A combination of digital content, one-on-one tutoring, small group projects, and collaborative learning with the entire class allows even the youngest students to learn according to their own learning style and pace. The time it takes for students to learn the foundational concepts is much less than most people are aware. We give the students as much time and assistance as they need to grasp these, and the rest is for exploring, playing, and doing what interests them most.

Courage Schools does not rigidly adhere to a set curriculum. Rather, we have compiled a variety of quality curricular resources, project-based assignments, and online courses that provides students with different options to learn from according to their needs, goals, and learning styles. Our younger students are more limited in their curriculum options since they often are less independent in their learning. However, our mentors will still work with them to customize the assignments and assessments to their learning styles. Our older students, working with their parents and mentors, have a greater influence over what resources they learn from. We are committed to customizing and/or finding a curriculum to meet all our students’ needs if our existing resources do not work for them. Furthermore, we are constantly updating our curriculum to include quality resources, especially as more and more personalized learning resources are created.
We have developed a model of education that allows each students’ learning to be tailored to their strengths, weaknesses, and goals. Students with learning challenges can set their own pace, use accommodations, receive personalized assistance from the mentor, and demonstrate mastery according to their strengths. In fact, this is how all students, challenged or not, learn at Courage Schools. For the gifted student, our model allows them to work faster and challenge themselves to go deeper into each subject and skill.
Each Courage School must follow the state regulations for private schools. Some states require private schools to follow state standards while others have very minimal requirements for private schools. We will assist each school in ensuring that they meet the regulations of their state. Furthermore, our foundational competencies were developed to ensure that our students have the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed post-graduation. Regardless of whether the state requires it, we set high and achievable standards for each of our students with their future goals and success in mind.

Each individual Courage School will determine their application requirements and open applications according to their timeline. As more and more schools are launched, we will update our website so that parents and students can discover and get connected with a Courage School near them.

Please fill out the inquiry form to stay updated on our locations. We’d also love to connect with you and answer any questions you may have.

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Courage Schools is offered as a five-day-a-week program. However, with our tailored model and technological resources, we can also offer a variety of programs to meet each child’s needs if they cannot attend the school five days a week. Individual locations will decide their specific schedule offerings and requirements.

Courage Schools does not divide students into grade levels based on age. We tailor each student’s learning to their needs and goals. Consequently, our model works for students from ages 4 to 18. However, we recognize that some schools may find it more manageable to start with a specific age range. That range will be left to the discretion of the church depending on their community and resources.

Families will have to work with the school and their community to figure out how their students can be involved in certain activities. Students who have commitments within the school day will certainly be given the freedom to pursue those, and we are eager to work with families and students to create opportunities for them to pursue their interests. However, there is so much variability in these activities and in the communities that each school is located in that we will have to approach these needs as they come up. For example, many rec centers offer different art, dance, or sports classes that could provide students with these opportunities.
Each Courage School will set their tuition rate. Our model does limit several major expenses of schools which enables Courage Schools to offer a more affordable rate than most private schools. We are also pursuing opportunities for families to receive tuition assistance through vouchers, educational savings accounts, and tax credit scholarships, but these programs vary by state.
School choice options such as vouchers, educational savings accounts, and tax credit scholarships vary by state. Thankfully, they are growing in popularity as more and more states are beginning the process of offering school choice options. The eligibility criteria for schools and students will vary depending on the state and the program with eligibility likely expanding over the years. We are eager to assist our schools, parents, and students in taking advantage of these opportunities if/when they exist in their state.
Our goal is to provide all students with access to Jesus-centered education. This starts with our commitment to affordable tuition. However, we also realize that some students will need additional funding to afford tuition. While we as an organization do not currently have scholarships available, we highly encourage and support each individual school as they discover scholarship opportunities available to their students. These opportunities can range from collaborating with national organizations (such as ACE Scholarships) to working with the church community to provide funds.

We require each school to offer enough advanced credits that are included in the tuition for the students to meet that requirement. These credits do not have to be complicated (for example: go deeper into a competency already studied), but the school can also offer specialized credits according to the resources and connections available.

However, if a student chooses to pursue activities/passions outside of those offered by the school and the parent is able to provide these, we are eager to give students credit for those pursuits. Activities outside the school that count towards advanced credits will be up to the discretion of the mentor and can range from anything from a job to club sports.

The National School Lunch program allows the highest poverty schools and districts to provide free breakfasts/lunches. Private schools can be a part of this program, so it is an option for us to look into for schools that qualify. However, in general, we are not requiring churches to have the facilities to provide lunch. The amount of money it would cost to provide lunch for each student would require schools to raise the tuition, so for most schools, it will be cheaper for them (and for their students) to require students to bring their lunch or go home for lunch. We are also open to other creative solutions if this is a great need in a certain school. For example, a church that has a kitchen could subsidize the cost for lunch and look to moms or volunteers from their congregation to prepare and serve the food.

Our model drastically reduces the number of faculty to run a school. While the staffing requirements will vary from school to school, we anticipate every school needing to fulfill the following staffing needs:

  • Site director
  • A minimum of 1 mentor per 16 students

Depending on the size of the school, the site director could serve as a full-time or part-time mentor alongside at least one other mentor.

Each Courage School is responsible for hiring their mentors. Some churches may choose to hire people from their congregation while others may choose to hire externally. As more and more schools are launched, we will update our website so that potential mentors can discover and get connected with a Courage School near them.

Please fill out the inquiry form to stay updated on our locations. We’d also love to connect with you and answer any questions you may have.

Let’s Connect

Our mentors do not have to spend their time planning lessons, writing lectures, grading endless assignments, and ensuring they are meeting state standards. Instead, they are free to focus on knowing and serving each student and their goals. Some students will be confident doing the majority of the work on their own while others may need more assistance from the mentor. Regardless, each student will be given one-on-one time with the mentor at least once a week, and the mentor will communicate with them through the Learning Management System to help them manage their work and meet their goals.

Each school and mentor(s) are given freedom to discover what works best for their unique classroom situation. An example of what this could look like is a station approach. In this approach, the classroom is divided into four sections: digital content, tutoring, collaboration, and independent study. Students would rotate between each station, and the work at each station would be personalized according to their TLP. The mentor(s) would mainly work one-on-one with students, but also be available to facilitate small group collaboration or answer any questions the other students have.

Thank you for your interest in Courage Schools! We encourage you to first read through our entire website, including our Statement of Beliefs, to become familiar with our model and beliefs. Next, talk to your church and please reach out to us. We look forward to talking to you!

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While we are excited about partnering with churches, we are also open to partnering with existing schools or educational entrepreneurs who value our model and agree with our beliefs. Please reach out to us to further discuss this opportunity to partner with Courage Schools.

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We expect most Courage Schools launched through churches to be ministries of, or programs of, the local church that is founding the Courage Schools. In that case, the school will take on the corporate identity and governance of the church. In cases where an educational entrepreneur is starting a Courage School then they will need to create a corporate entity in the state where they are located. Courage Schools do not need to be nonprofit organizations; they can be for profit organizations organized as an LLC or other type of entity. There are many options for choice of entity for any particular Courage Schools operations and we are happy to discuss the potential options available.

We recognize the importance of accreditation, and we are confident that our model provides a quality education worthy of accreditation. However, accreditation by nature is also a process. We are currently working towards accrediting our model so that all Courage Schools would be recognized for providing an excellent education without having to accredit each individual school.

Our facility requirements are simple: the school must have access Monday through Friday 7am – 5pm to a room (or rooms) that will comfortably fit the number of students the school enrolls. There may also be some occasional gatherings outside these times. Of course, certain churches/partnerships may be able to offer more than this simple requirement, and our model is adaptable to more elaborate facilities, but at the bare minimum, a space that will fit the number of students the school enrolls is the only facility requirement.

Technology is a key tool in providing tailored education to our students, and it is the technological requirements for Courage Schools that are what allow for our minimal facility requirement. Critical to our technological foundation is sufficient access to high-speed internet. Each student will need to have access to a computer, laptop, or tablet for the duration of the time they are at the school. Each school can decide if they will provide students with these devices or have them bring their own.

Tailored, mastery-based learning prepares students to enrich themselves and benefit society according to their unique gifts, abilities, and passions. We recognize that every student’s life will look different after graduation, which is why we are committed to ensuring each student walks away with the character, confidence, knowledge, and skills to thrive wherever the Lord calls them.

Courage Schools’ graduates will have the foundational competencies required for success in college and the workforce along with the edge of expertise in areas that matter to them. A passion for learning, guidance for future endeavors, fulfilling relationships, and a clear understanding of the gospel are just a few examples of what we strive for every student to walk away from Courage Schools with.

Rather than utilizing a traditional transcript that simply reports a variety of letter grades and a cumulative GPA, Courage Schools provides students with a customizable “Mastery transcript.” The Mastery transcript highlights the student as a whole by including their interests, skills, future goals, and academic capacity. The transcript breaks down the student’s academic achievements into both competencies and courses so that those familiar with traditional courses will see that the student has met all the requirements. Every student will have a wide-ranging portfolio of work and presentations that truly demonstrate their mastery of the content. This is something that no report card or GPA can accurately display.

Courage Schools belongs to an organization called the “Mastery Transcript Consortium.” MTC is a cohort of over 380 (and growing) schools that all use some variation of a mastery transcript. Thousands of students have gone on from these schools to even the most prestigious colleges and universities in the world. Through this, we believe that our graduates will not be at a disadvantage when applying to colleges, but rather, will have a distinct advantage over the traditional applicant because each college will now have a full picture of our students. Furthermore, the transcript can also be used for students to enter directly into the workforce, ministry, or vocational school.

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220 S. Wilcox St. #819
Castle Rock, CO 80104-8777
(720) 861-4950

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