An Investment Worth Making: Thursday, January 30
Why do our students need a secondary education at Petra Academy? When, where, and how does the investment of my Petra tuition bill pay off? How do I find a good bottle of wine for under $20? On Thursday, January 30th at 7:30 pm we’ll be discussing these and other questions at Black Bull’s brand new Bar 72 restaurant. A trained sommelier will be on hand to teach us the basics of wine selection and food pairing as we discuss the long-term benefits of Christian Classical Education at this interactive Vision event.
Our sommelier’s experience and insight will make your next dinner party a well-planned event or enhance a simple dinner at home. Our presentation and discussion will demonstrate the unique value of Christian Classical Education for developing the character of our children.
The cost for this event will be $15 per person and we ask that you RSVP by e-mailing office@petraacademy.com by Monday, January 27th.
Preview of Our Topic
Just last month, a study commissioned by the Association of Classical Christian Schools (ACCS) was released illustrating life outcomes from alumni of six different educational options. The study was conducted by the University of Notre Dame Sociology Department and Cardus, a Canadian think tank known for their thorough survey of educational outcomes. While there are caveats and cautions that will be available for discussion on the night of this event, the study definitively showed that Classical Christian Education has enormous positive effects on the life outcomes of its graduates.
Join us on January 30th to continue the conversation about how Petra can help affect :
- Character (this will be our primary focus on Jan 30th)
- Social Influence
- Spiritual Life
- Financial Behavior
- Independent Thinking
- Optimism
- College and Career Prep
Detailed charts and underlying data from the study will be available at the event, but here are brief summaries of three of those data points.
Return on Investment for Influence
Data from the Notre Dame/Cardus study suggests that the influence index was the strongest for ACCS graduates. Quoting directly from the study:
“This influence measure is made up of several factors. It measures the connection they have to influential people. A series of questions were asked about knowing CEO’s, politicians, local community leaders, etc. Another measure was volunteering. While ACCS alumni reported more volunteerism in general, they were much more likely to volunteer and lead outside of their church.
Much of the strength was in the unique attitudes and beliefs of ACCS alumni. ACCS alumni believe in public debate and that they have an obligation to address problems in our culture. They also seek jobs that will allow them to influence their communities and culture…”
Return on Investment for Spiritual Life
In the Christian Commitment and the Christian Lifestyle Indices, ACCS graduates scored nearly double their nearest educational alternative group (Evangelical Schools and Homeschool). The Christian Commitment Index reflects a person’s practices in their church and their involvement in church community. Things like church attendance, Bible studies, and volunteering combine with attitudes like their obligations to observe religious practices. The Christian Lifestyle Index indicates that ACCS grads talk about God in their home more, eat together more and pray together more than the other alternatives. 40% more of ACCS alumni accept the authority of the church and believe in an obligation to tithe. ACCS alumni have a lower divorce rate, a lower cohabitation rate and volunteer at a greater rate (with less emphasis on youth programs and more emphasis on programs for the poor/elderly).
Return on Investment for Independent Thinking
As we work together as a community to form strong minds, soft hearts and rich souls, nowhere is this more apparent than in the Independent Thinking Index. Using questions surrounding independent views, reading (both religious and non-religious books), science, willingness to disagree, willingness to accept differences but challenge, ACCS graduates again scored double their nearest alternative. The data shows that relationships do not influence the moral compass of ACCS alumni as they do with other groups. Here’s another quote from the study:
“When it comes to science, ACCS alumni are able to take the good from science without being swayed by scientific arguments which may undercut scripture. Classical education integrates Christ into every area of study, rather than separating religious study.”
Interestingly, other data in this survey show that ACCS alumni took more advanced science in high school and are also most likely to feel an obligation to care for the environment.
Our hope is that this preview generates some curiosity and some questions that we can discuss in a fantastic atmosphere as a community. We hope that it will help you think about the years to come for your students in a different light and that, as a result, you recognize the massive value provided in return for your investment.
We believe this world needs Petra Academy graduates living, working and raising their families here in our cherished Gallatin Valley, across our United States or around our world.
