It's true! What began as a small homeschool co-op for three missionary families in 1991 has now grown into Nicaragua Christian Academy Schools, a growing association of what is about to be 3 Christian schools in Nicaragua.
As many of you know, Liam and Jessica both started as teachers at the original Nicaragua Christian Academy campus (now called NCA International), which is how we met. Jessica taught sixth grade for 4 years, and Liam has been working at Nicaragua Christian Academy for over 12 years (4 years as a computer teacher and over 8 years in school administration). NCA International has 288 students and follows a North American curriculum in English (with Spanish classes at all grades).
In 2005, our second school was birthed. It is called NCA Nejapa, and shares the same mission and vision as the original school but is taught primarily in Spanish by Nicaraguan teachers who love God and desire to see His Kingdom grow through Christian education of excellence! NCA Nejapa currently has 366 students (it surpassed the size of the original school in its fourth year of existence)!
We are now very excited to turn our attention to the third NCA school, which is being built in a city in northern Nicaragua called Matagalpa. Set in the mountains, NCA Matagalpa will bring quality Christian Education to a broad geographical region in Nicaragua that has no similar educational opportunities (Christian education of excellence). The preparations for this new school have been taking place for the past 4-5 years, and we are excited to announce that NCA Matagalpa will be opening its doors in February 2013. An Open House for prospective students and families will be held in 2 weeks on October 20. Over the past few months, we have had many people anxiously asking about the progress of the school; some plan to drive over an hour from other neighboring cities and countryside ranches to enroll their children in a school that will partner with them in raising their children with the same Christian values that they are instilling in them at home.
The director of the new school, Carey Franklin, is a former NCA International teacher who brings an excellent set of experiences and background to be able to lead the new school. The hiring of teachers has already begun and we are now starting the enrollment process. The school is being built with a vision of excellence in education, using a primarily Spanish-language curriculum and a strong focus on technology and English language fluency.
