Support the Launch

Two Rivers Classical Academy partners with Christian parents to train children to love learning truth, to pursue virtue in all of life, and to glorify God in their callings.

Two Rivers Classical Academy is new educational option for the Des Moines Area launching in the Fall of 2019. Our goal is to create a partnership between professional educators and homeschooling families that will create a unique and high-quality education for families in Central Iowa. We will provide an education that is Collaborative, Classical and Christian.

TRCA began as the dream of a small group of local families, who had researched and visited similar schools across the country. During the summer of 2018, these families formed an Iowa nonprofit corporation and began preparations to present the idea of TRCA to the Central Iowa community.

In September of 2018, via a Facebook ad that cost under $100, area families were invited to a series of three informational meetings. Over 70 families came to those first meetings, and those families represented more than 170 children (not including those in the “founding families”). Asked to list each child by age and interest level, on a scale of 0 to 5 (5 being “Absolutely”), the average interest level was 3.6 (90 children were listed as 4 or 5). Many more families have expressed interest and attended additional information meetings held this winter and spring. It quickly became clear that TRCA had struck a vein of pent-up demand for a new education option. Families across Central Iowa are now eagerly awaiting further details about the opening of TRCA in August 2019.

COLLABORATIVE

TRCA brings together the “best of both worlds:” the strengths of homeschooling and the best features of Christian education—teachers. Two or three days per week, children come to traditional classrooms and learn together under the instruction of an excellent teacher. During the remainder of the week, parents guide their children using the same unified, comprehensive curriculum. This structure maintains the presence and influence of parents, while combining the advantages of trained instructors.

CLASSICAL

TRCA’s comprehensive curriculum is classical and based upon the Trivium stages (grammar, logic, and rhetoric). This model of education focuses on equipping students with the tools of learning, rather than focusing on standardized outcomes. Classical education has enjoyed a revival across the country, with a renewed emphasis on the languages, history, and great literature of Western Civilization.

CHRISTIAN

TRCA views children through the lens of orthodox Christian doctrines, namely, that all are sinners in need of both redemption and reformation. Children should not be left to their own desires, rather, their desires must be shaped by their parents and community in the light of Scripture. God has designed the family as the chief instrument for forming children, and He has given the local church to point families to the Gospel and the truth of Scripture. TRCA is designed to support—not replace—these institutions.

FINANCIAL MODEL

TRCA’s model is designed to be operationally lean, functional, and sustainable. Tuition must be affordable to single-income families, and yet it must but enough to cover all the operating costs of the academy. Our initial annual tuition will be under $3,500 per child—roughly half what area private schools charge. Once established, tuition will entirely sustain operations, and we plan to offer need-based scholarships using both our operating budget and donations.

MARKET

TRCA appeals to a variety of parents and families. Homeschooling has become a mainstream educational option, yet many parents shy away from this option by concerns over socialization, curriculum choices, oversight, and so on. TRCA lowers these barriers to entry and makes homeschooling possible for a wider range of families. Similarly, TRCA lowers the barriers to entry into private Christian education, putting quality teachers and educational experiences within the financial reach of more families.

NEEDS

We have projected a three-year start-up plan for TRCA, and once established, TRCA’s tuition will sustain operations. Until we arrive at that point, we are seeking outside funding from financial partners:

Vision (Winter & Spring of 2019 — Complete)

  • Lead Teacher Hired
  • Instructional Plan and Curriculum Development

Launch (Summer of 2019)

  • Teaching Faculty
  • Books & Resource Library
  • Equipment

Scholarships & Development (Fall 2019 thru Spring 2022)

  • Need-based scholarships to children and families
  • Strategic Planning & Path to Classical Accreditation
  • Community Resources
  • Long-term location(s)
 

NEXT STEPS

With funding and commitments in hand, we can proceed with the task of bringing together families, children, and teachers with a quality curriculum in a suitable educational facility.

 

Help Launch TRCA

Will you join us in turning that vision into a viable educational option for our families and our community?

To learn more about contributing to the Launch of TRCA, contact us here.

Contributions can be mailed to: Two Rivers Classical Academy, 521 East Locust Street, Suite 302, Des Moines, IA 50309.

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