Please find below our proposal for the Mid-South LWML Mission Grant (cited figures updated).
To learn more about The Edison School, visit www.theedisonschool.com.
To Whom It May Concern:
Let me first take the opportunity to praise our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for working such great accomplishments through the hands of our Lutheran Women’s Missionary League. The grants disbursed over the past many decades have wondrously led to the increase of God’s kingdom and the provision of many in need. In addition, the breadth of the various grants speaks to the LWML leaving no stone unturned in order to support missions and serve the Lord with gladness! We at Ascension Lutheran Church give glory to God for the amazing graces fulfilled through the LWML.
The Nashville area is severely lacking educational opportunities for children with learning differences, especially considering the population has grown ~2% per year since 1991 and currently sits at 1.29 million.[1] Learning differences that require specialized education include autism, dyslexia, language-based disabilities, attention deficit, and hyperactivity, among other disorders. Two schools are typically mentioned when Nashville families seek such education: Currey Ingram Academy and Benton Hall Academy, both located 10+ miles south of the city, with annual tuitions of $46,250 and $17,670, respectively.[2] Another private school, Illuminate Academy, is located within the city limits, with an annual tuition of $18,990.[3] For families of children with learning differences living north of downtown, difficult commutes add to the already stressful endeavor of finding suitable education. With this in mind, Ascension Lutheran Church (www.ascensionmadison.com) and The Edison School (www.theedisonschool.com) partnered in June 2020 to offer specialized education to families in need. Our location in Madison TN puts families in the growing cities of Nashville, Hendersonville, Goodlettsville, and Gallatin well within reach. In addition, the annual tuition of $17,000 is relatively affordable in the Nashville area for children with learning differences.[4]
The school facility that Ascension Lutheran Church leases to The Edison School is over 25 years old and had been vacant for 10 years at signing. The square footage currently leased allows for the enrollment of 60 students, which the school hopes to attain, but upgrades are necessary to provide a safe, functional, and welcoming environment. Consultation between the pastor, the Church Council, and the director, faculty, and board of The Edison School, have identified primary safety improvements as new playground fencing and fire alarm system upgrades. The grant request, if selected, would provide for the safety of current and future children with learning differences, directly impacting the lives of up to 60 children and their immediate families.
In addition, the partnership has opened a door of eternal worth: weekly chapel services through the church. To hear the preaching of Christ crucified, to recite the fundamentals of the faith, and to sing hymns of gospel truth are means to everlasting life. Giving these blessings to children in a safe environment that seeks both their worldly and heavenly welfare is something the church and school desire as one. Ascension Lutheran Church did not enter into partnership with The Edison School with the aim of “gaining members” or “making profit”—if school families become members at Ascension, that is a joyful outcome—but we entered into partnership to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and offer a resource (namely, our school facility) for families in need. To provide spiritual Christian encouragement through the gospel and a safe facility is the essence of this grant request.
[1] Nashville Metro Area Population 1950-2020, https://www.macrotrends.net/cities/23077/nashville/population
[2] https://www.curreyingram.org/admission/tuition--financial-aid and https://www.bentonhallacademy.org/tuition
[3] https://www.illuminateacademy.org/tuition-fees
[4] https://www.theedisonschool.com/tuition-fees; all websites last accessed 4/6/22
To learn more about The Edison School, visit www.theedisonschool.com.
To Whom It May Concern:
Let me first take the opportunity to praise our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for working such great accomplishments through the hands of our Lutheran Women’s Missionary League. The grants disbursed over the past many decades have wondrously led to the increase of God’s kingdom and the provision of many in need. In addition, the breadth of the various grants speaks to the LWML leaving no stone unturned in order to support missions and serve the Lord with gladness! We at Ascension Lutheran Church give glory to God for the amazing graces fulfilled through the LWML.
The Nashville area is severely lacking educational opportunities for children with learning differences, especially considering the population has grown ~2% per year since 1991 and currently sits at 1.29 million.[1] Learning differences that require specialized education include autism, dyslexia, language-based disabilities, attention deficit, and hyperactivity, among other disorders. Two schools are typically mentioned when Nashville families seek such education: Currey Ingram Academy and Benton Hall Academy, both located 10+ miles south of the city, with annual tuitions of $46,250 and $17,670, respectively.[2] Another private school, Illuminate Academy, is located within the city limits, with an annual tuition of $18,990.[3] For families of children with learning differences living north of downtown, difficult commutes add to the already stressful endeavor of finding suitable education. With this in mind, Ascension Lutheran Church (www.ascensionmadison.com) and The Edison School (www.theedisonschool.com) partnered in June 2020 to offer specialized education to families in need. Our location in Madison TN puts families in the growing cities of Nashville, Hendersonville, Goodlettsville, and Gallatin well within reach. In addition, the annual tuition of $17,000 is relatively affordable in the Nashville area for children with learning differences.[4]
The school facility that Ascension Lutheran Church leases to The Edison School is over 25 years old and had been vacant for 10 years at signing. The square footage currently leased allows for the enrollment of 60 students, which the school hopes to attain, but upgrades are necessary to provide a safe, functional, and welcoming environment. Consultation between the pastor, the Church Council, and the director, faculty, and board of The Edison School, have identified primary safety improvements as new playground fencing and fire alarm system upgrades. The grant request, if selected, would provide for the safety of current and future children with learning differences, directly impacting the lives of up to 60 children and their immediate families.
In addition, the partnership has opened a door of eternal worth: weekly chapel services through the church. To hear the preaching of Christ crucified, to recite the fundamentals of the faith, and to sing hymns of gospel truth are means to everlasting life. Giving these blessings to children in a safe environment that seeks both their worldly and heavenly welfare is something the church and school desire as one. Ascension Lutheran Church did not enter into partnership with The Edison School with the aim of “gaining members” or “making profit”—if school families become members at Ascension, that is a joyful outcome—but we entered into partnership to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and offer a resource (namely, our school facility) for families in need. To provide spiritual Christian encouragement through the gospel and a safe facility is the essence of this grant request.
[1] Nashville Metro Area Population 1950-2020, https://www.macrotrends.net/cities/23077/nashville/population
[2] https://www.curreyingram.org/admission/tuition--financial-aid and https://www.bentonhallacademy.org/tuition
[3] https://www.illuminateacademy.org/tuition-fees
[4] https://www.theedisonschool.com/tuition-fees; all websites last accessed 4/6/22
A portion of the current outdoor play area fencing
Current officers:
President - Cheri Walker
Vice President - Linda Fritz
Secretary - Cindy Dougherty
Treasurer - Ora Mae Golter
The Ascension LWML meets every second Saturday of the month from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm.
President - Cheri Walker
Vice President - Linda Fritz
Secretary - Cindy Dougherty
Treasurer - Ora Mae Golter
The Ascension LWML meets every second Saturday of the month from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm.
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For more information about the LWML,
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Click here
to read about the local activities of our
Mid-South District of the LWML
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to read about the national activities of the
LWML - Lutheran Women in Mission