The Blessing of Partnership in Christian Education
At Valley Adventist Christian School (VACS), a small school of just 30 students, a meaningful partnership demonstrates how God multiplies blessings. For the past five years, Elissa Kido, Director of the Center for Research on K–12 Adventist Education (CRAE) at La Sierra University, and Martie Parsley, retired speech professor, have volunteered weekly to teach writing and speech. Their mentorship has strengthened academics while building confidence, critical thinking, and communication skills through caring, intergenerational relationships rooted in faith.
Students have also enjoyed enriching field experiences, including a guided tour of the Center for Near Eastern Archaeology and a private tour of the new Loma Linda University Medical Center. These hands-on opportunities brought learning to life and inspired interest in future careers, particularly in healthcare.
Through dedicated coaching, junior high students now deliver polished, confident speeches. This partnership reflects the heart of Christian education—academic excellence grounded in service, mentorship, and a commitment to uplifting the next generation.
By Ester Oyoyo
Purpose-Driven Innovation at MGA
Students at Mesa Grande Academy (MGA) are designing a prosthetic hand that can truly sense and respond, restoring not just movement but dignity to those who have lost a hand. At the same time, another team is developing a redesigned back brace aimed at increasing comfort, mobility, and long-term healing. These aren’t just engineering exercises. Before sketches become schematics and prototypes become products, students pause to pray over their designs—asking for wisdom, compassion, and the ability to create solutions that genuinely serve others.
What makes this story even more powerful is where it begins. MGA’s LEGO Robotics program isn’t just about competitions or coding challenges. It is intentionally built as a foundation. It teaches problem-solving, teamwork, precision, and perseverance—skills that grow into real-world innovation like advanced prosthetics and medical devices. Students who once programmed LEGO robots are now applying those same principles to life-changing technologies.
From a small Seventh-day Adventist school community, big ideas are taking shape. These students are proving that faith and science are not opposing forces. Instead, they are partners on purpose. With hearts grounded in service and minds trained in innovation, the school is working to better humanity, one design at a time.
By Ashley Pettit
kids konnect
The Light in Lily’s Backpack
Lily liked school, but one morning she asked herself why learning was so important. As she packed her backpack, her mom reminded her: “God uses what we learn to help us care for others.”
At school, Lily practiced reading and helped her friend Sam sound out a tricky word. In math, she figured out a problem and explained it to her table. Later, her teacher shared a Bible verse: “Teach me Your ways, Lord.” Lily realized that learning wasn’t just about schoolwork, it was about growing into who God made her to be.
That night, Lily thanked God for her teachers and the chance to learn. She knew that every lesson was preparing her to serve, lead, and show God’s love in simple, everyday ways.
By Jordyn Wright