The Learning Factory

Last post I presented some about Liberty School in La Paz. This time I want to present the Santa Cruz Christian Learning Center or SCCLC. SCCLC is a pre-kinder - grade 12 school that is located just down the road from our house. The school was begun twenty some years ago as a place where missionary kids could receive a quality education in English that would allow them to integrate without too much difficulty into the educational system in the US. Today the school has an enrollment of around 190 students that represent a good number of different nationalities including Bolivian, US, Canadian, Korean, Japanese, Chinese and others. Although the school has always kept the education of mk's as a top priority, enrollment is open to others as well. Currently about 50% of the students have parents that are classified as missionaries.

We were first introduced to the school when we moved to Santa Cruz in 1997 and enrolled our three older kids in SCCLC. At SCCLC our children have received a good solid educational foundation from an unashamedly Christian world view.

Not only our children have been involved in the school but Niki and I as well have played some roles in its ministry. Niki is the director of the Discovery Program and works with students with learning disabilities and other challenges. I have served on the school board every year that we have been in Santa Cruz except for one.

Conducting a Christian school run by foreigners in Bolivia has its challenges. Government regulations are changing and we are hard pressed to keep up. Teacher recruitment is also a challenge. Most of the teaching staff are missionaries (both career and voluntary status) from the US. But it is becoming more difficult to find teachers who are willing and able to come and teach. In the past our mission has helped provide teachers (Chad and Emily Jackson, Molly Treiber) but currently has no one at the school except for Niki. There are still openings for the 2010/2011 school year that need to be filled. If you or any one you know might be interested in helping to fill this need please fill free to contact me (goelliott@cotas.com.bo) or the office of Evangelical Church Missions (ecmissions@usfamily.net).  Thank you. YOu can also find more information on SCCLC's website: www.scclc.org