The History of Hand In Hand
It seems like yesterday. . . spring, 1996: I was holding my five-month-old baby, dreaming about my life with my husband, and this child. I remember having a distinct impression from God with three simple words: Home School Academy. What? Where did that come from? Wasn’t that an oxymoron? Did something like that exist? Little did I know those three words would change my thinking, my ideas of the ideal educational experience, and my future.
The journey to find a Home School Academy took me to many places, engaged in many conversations, asking many questions and meeting many interesting parents. I made several formal proposals in hopes of creating the ideal educational environment. The concepts varied from traditional settings with only extra-curricular specialists to one-day a week tutorial training, and finally a one or three days per week, multi-aged, integrated one-room schoolhouse, Christian Montessori-style classroom approach.
Every proposal was clearly Christian and involved Home Schooling part time with an emphasis on Parent Education.
The summer of 1999 was the first implementation of this vision thanks to a local church who welcomed our concept and believed it would enhance their Christian Education offering to parents and their children ages 3-6 and Hand In Hand was born. By the spring of 2002, we expanded our original vision of Hand In Hand to include 6-9 year old children and assist families whose desire was to teach their children intentionally, independently, and at home. Our staff grew with more teachers and assistants as well as offering programming up to 12 year olds. We continued to be fiscally sponsored and grew to ministry capacity for five years.
The summer of 2007 brought another expansion of our Hand In Hand program as we became our own 501c3 non-profit entity. We leased an educational wing of another local church where our Preschool and Elementary classrooms and teachers could accommodate more children and we could continued to grow. We also added a program called “Handle With Care” which allows children, who have been diagnosed with special needs, to attend with the help of a team of specialists. Our staff is now 29 members strong. Each one is vital to this growth and nurturing of young students.
I give God all the glory for the idea of Hand in Hand, the journey, and the fruition of bringing families together. All the while my theme verse has been “Behold, I will do a new thing. . . “ Isaiah 43:19. Tomorrow, or one year, ten years or fifty years from now, I believe we will relish in the memories of our children being together in a place called Hand in Hand—an extension of each of our homes; a place where the motto is “only the best for the smallest.”
In conclusion, I concur with the vow of Dr. Montessori herself and her teachers of 1910 as offering myself as a (sacrifice) to Jesus Christ our Lord, desiring to follow the path of His divine will. E.M. Standings, her close friend and confidant challenged: ‘those who have read this (challenge) and appreciate its contents would join in praying for the intention that almighty God, in His love and wisdom, would raise up some individual or group of individuals, who under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, would found such an Order—which would be in fact… the Children of Light.” We have felt this particular inspiration at Hand In Hand and pray it does serve as a model for others, as well.
Michelle Lee Thompson
Founding Parent and Dean of Hand in Hand
