Unification Church Related Schools

Bridgeport Hope School (BHS)

Bridgeport Hope School (BHS) was founded in 1996 by four families as a home school collective Kindergarten through Eighth grade. BHS is a non-profit, state approved, private school, operating under its own Board and the guidelines of the CT State Dept. of Education. In addition, BHS is accredited by CAIS: Connecticut Association of Independent Schools and has received SEVP approval by the Federal Government to issue I-20’s.

Our Mission Statement is “Bridgeport Hope School is Dedicated to Academic Excellence and the Cultivation of Heart and Character in a Caring Community.” We believe that children learn best when there is a strong partnership between home, school and community. Our caring social environment encourages students to practice the values that are learned at home and at school. Parents are invited to participate in PTA meetings and visit or volunteer in their children’s classes.

The enriched academic program includes Writing and Spelling Road to Reading and Thinking, Saxon Math, and the Core Knowledge Curriculum of E.D. Hirsch. Our curriculum also includes foreign language, Martial Arts, Art, Physical Education, Drama, Musical Theatre, and character education classes. The heart of the character education program flows from the words of Rev. Sun Myung Moon, “All children are gifted children; all children have an original character; all children are stewards of the world…”

Contact Information:

Bridgeport Hope School 283 Lafayette Street Bridgeport, CT 06604

Phone: (203) 576-6773 Fax: (203) 333-6336 Email: bridgeport.hope.school@gmail.com

Bridgeport International Academy (BIA)

Founded in 1997 with a vision to provide a learning community where students are comfortable practicing spiritual values, Bridgeport International Academy is located adjacent to the seaside campus of the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut.

The Academy is a college preparatory high school committed to a high standard of academic excellence, advancement of cross-cultural and interreligious understanding, and development of character and personal integrity. BIA fulfills its mission by (1) offering a holistic educational experience, emphasizing the study of core academic subjects, oral and written communication skills, character education, community service, technological skills, fine arts, and physical fitness; and (2) seeking to instill in each student a passion for learning while promoting respect for other people and cultures in a safe, nurturing, and positive educational environment. BIA is a diverse global high school community where minds and hearts meet in academic, creative, and character-building pursuits.

In 1997, the Academy received approval from the State of Connecticut to operate as a nonpublic school. On March 15, 2007, BIA was granted accreditation for ten years by the New England Association of Schools

and College. The Academy has approval from the U.S. government to issue I-20 forms in order for international students to obtain F-1 student visas.

BIA offers a well-rounded college preparatory curriculum for grades 9 through 12 where qualified juniors and seniors may take courses either at University of Bridgeport or Housatonic Community College. This is a dual credit system in which a student may receive credit simultaneously from college and from high school. Courses required to graduate include four years of English, three years of social studies, three years of mathematics, three years of science, and two years of a foreign language. Various electives and an ESL program are offered. Since1997, twelve classes consisting of 144 students have graduated from BIA. Recent graduates, as well as the current senior class consisting of 25 students, have been accepted by many different colleges and universities.

Contact Information:

Bridgeport International Academy Hugh and Nora Spurgin 285 Lafayette Street Bridgeport, CT 06604

Phone: (203) 334-3434 or 260-6801 Fax: (203) 334-8651 Email: office@bridgeportacademy.org Website: www. bridgeportacademy.org

The Blessed Teens Academy (BTA)

The Blessed Teens Academy (BTA), founded in 2003 by Steve and Jeri Tamayo, is a high school program created exclusively for Second Generation to provide an immersion experience of Divine Principle applied to daily life. Students study independently with accredited homeschooling curriculums under the supervision of elder students and staff members. Students are encouraged to come for the entire four years of high school in order to have a fully rounded experience. The goal of the Blessed Teens Academy is to provide students the tools they need, both spiritually and academically, to be able to be successful in all areas of their lives.

Contact information:

www.BlessedTeensAcademy.com Contact via phone at 1-970-673-4782 or Skype us at “thebta”.

Jin-A Child Care Center, Inc.

Jin-A Child Care Center, Inc. is a non-profit organization with tax exempt status as described in section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code. Jin-A has served families in the multi-religious, multi-cultural community of Clifton, NJ for over twenty-two years. Programs offered include preschool, daycare, kindergarten, summer programs and enrichment activities, i.e. music, art and computer classes. Jin-A is a New Jersey State licensed facility, striving to meet high quality standards of the national accreditation agencies.

Jin-A Parents Association (JPA) - Parents are expected to be actively involved in supporting Jin-A. JPA is organized by the parents themselves. Officers, class representatives, and committee heads are volunteers from among the parents; meetings are held at least every other month. Parents are encouraged to contribute their suggestions for planning and continuous improvement. (See Guidelines of JPA)

The JPA coordinator becomes an advisor to the administration and the Board of Directors of Jin-A. All parents are invited to help with various fundraisers, classroom enrichments and many other activities to support the education of children.

Jin-A is a religiously oriented school. Our philosophy is based on a multi-religious approach called “Unificationism”, a wonderful blend of basic principles from many religions. This philosophy provides the foundation for each child and each staff member to live and practice, grow and pray in his or her own faith, and in harmony with other faiths. The virtues of love, faith and hope are our unifying goals and are the basis of loving and caring relationships.

Contact Information:

77 Jay Street Clifton, NJ 07013

Phone: 973-279-1203 / 973-279-1203

Fax: 973-279-0126 Email: jinaschool@verizon.net Website: jinaschool.com

New Hope School

In this No Child Left Behind age of emphasis on testing, many schools have returned to the basics of reading, writing and math in efforts to boost students’ test scores while cutting back on such areas as

physical education, music and art. At New Hope School, however, students and staff believe they can have it all. The school has developed its arts program in collaboration with New Jersey Music and Arts, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the artistic creativity of children. The program includes an elective drama class and choir, which stage four public performances each school year. At the same time it has seen its students’ Terra Nova standardized test scores rise for two consecutive years. We attribute the increase to the school’s adoption of a curriculum developed by the Core Knowledge Foundation. New Hope School is an officially recognized “Friend of Core Knowledge School,” the only one of its kind in New Jersey.

This curriculum, developed for grades kindergarten through eighth with the input of hundreds of educators throughout the country, is a comprehensive, sequenced and specific program of study. Whereas state standards tend to be general and sometimes vague, resulting in many interpretations of what to teach, the Core Knowledge program is content specific. It is also sequenced in the sense that each grade’s content builds on the previous years and prepares the student for the next year. Each teacher knows clearly what material students have already covered and will be covering, which is not the case in many schools. The program is also comprehensive in that it exposes students to a wide range of knowledge in the language arts, history and geography, science, math, as well as music and art. Students who have been engaged in the Core Knowledge program are in a strong position to begin high school when they graduate eighth grade. Because New Hope students have already been strongly challenged by this curriculum, most go on to take honors courses in high school.

At the same time New Hope School operates under a philosophy that education is more than about academic knowledge. It seeks to develop children with well-rounded personalities and mature intellects, emotions and wills. It does this with a focus on three tiers of education. The first tier is the education of students’ heart and conscience to help them build their individual character. The second tier is the education in morals and ethics that they may cultivate good manners and caring relationships with others. The third tier is what the school calls education for mastery in knowledge and skills so that, on the foundation of the first two tiers, students may grow to make a positive contribution to the world around them.

This combination of academic excellence, artistic creativity and character building are the three pillars upon which New Hope School is working to raise up the younger generation to become good citizens of our global community. Each year the school accepts a certain number of international students by sponsoring them for F-1 student visas via I-20 applications. In addition, the school offers an enrichment program over the summer in reading, writing, math and study skills, open to both domestic and foreign students.

Contact Information:

New Hope School 780 Clifton Avenue Clifton, NJ 07013

Phone: 973-473-4144 Fax: 973-473-2939 Email: newhope1@optonline.net Website: http://www.newhopeschoolnj.com