It is a pleasure to introduce ourselves to you. Our names are Jack and Terri Smart, founders of both Little Hearts and Hands Early Learning Center (LH&H) as well as SMART Christian Academy (SCA).
The roots of the SCA journey started as a daycare from our home in 1994. As our daycare family grew, so did the need for more space and teachers. God was telling us to think bigger and we followed his voice by opening the Early Learning Center in 2004. This phase of growth also allowed Jack to quit his management job and focus on training and creating the learning model that has made each school successful today. Serving children and families through connection is at the heart of this model.
The growth of SCA was accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Essential workers and other families turned to us to give their children face-to-face education when it was not possible elsewhere. Because of the influx of students, we were able to open a fully staffed and fully enrolled elementary school in August of 2020.
It is our mission that children from all backgrounds should be able to attend a school where they feel loved, challenged, and safe. Our goal is to provide a family friendly and God-loving environment. We feel we have achieved this through our curriculum and staff.
We encourage teachers to have the freedom to implement their talents and passions. This allows them to create educational opportunities that are engaging, memorable, and preparatory. Each teacher at SCA has a space to be heard, valued, and represented by being involved in decision-making for the future we work for, together.
As God continues to open doors for us, we continue to expand. SCA is on a growth trajectory to eventually serve grades K-8.
We thank God and this community for allowing us the opportunity to serve them. We are excited as God brings in more families who believe in our vision and want to be a part of the SMART Christian Academy Family.
In His service,
Jack and Terri Smart
