NORTH AM E

Education N A D Report Card

he North American Division in the image of God?). The NAD is oped elementary programs have just (NAD) Office of Education using this lens to make the Adventist been published— ByDesign Science for embraces four domains worldview visible in student standards grades 1-8 and Kindergarten Stepping through which it seeks to ac - as well as classroom resources. Stones . ByDesign, built on a foundation T complish its goals: Purpose, of inquiry, encourages wonderment, Plan, Practice, and Product. These do - Blueprint Film questioning, collaboration, and explo - mains serve as a framework that guides In addition to making the Adventist ration of multiple resources. Kinder - our philosophy and mission, curricu - worldview visible to students, we seek garten Stepping Stones, based on the be - lum, instruction, and assessment. to share it with constituents and com - lief that kindergarten is a stepping stone munities. The NAD Office of Education between early childhood education and Maintaining our philosophy and collaborated with award-winning inde - the primary grades of school, integrates Mission: An Adventist Worldview pendent film maker Martin Doblmeier a rich array of children’s literature and The Adventist worldview embraces to produce The Blueprint. Released in inquiry-based activities that encourage the Bible as the standard by which 2012, this one-hour film on Adventist exploration and discovery. everything else is measured. Four key education was well received by audi - • Encounter Adventist Bible Cur - concepts (with accompanying essential ences. An estimated 40-60 million peo - riculum . In 2014, a number of NAD questions) emerge from a biblical ple worldwide have had the opportu - classrooms piloted the K-10 Encounter worldview and can be used as a lens for nity to view the documentary on Public curriculum that was developed by Ad - the Adventist curriculum development: Broadcasting Stations. Doblmeier’s vi - ventist Schools Australia, which advo - CREATION (What is God’s intention?); sion and determination to see this film cates a head, heart, and hand approach FALL (How has God’s purpose been succeed has been inspiring. to Bible instruction, rather than a distorted?); REDEMPTION (How does purely content-based approach. Stu - God help us to respond?); and RE- curriculum and instruction dents are provided opportunities to ex - CREATION (How can we be restored initiatives pand their biblical knowledge, develop • ByDesign Science and Kindergarten a personal relationship with God, and Stepping Stones. Two new. NAD-devel -

BY LARRY BLACKMER, CAROL CAMPBELL, ARNE NIELSEN, and DAVENIA LEA

24 The Journal of Adventist Education • April/May 2015 http://jae.adventist.org RICAN DIVISION

be involved in service to others. Ulti - more than 100 faith -integrated, bibli - Higher education mately, the Encounter Bible curriculum cally based lessons and activities. The For more than a century, the North offers an experiential approach to Bible Cobblestones Pre-kindergarten Compan - American Division’s colleges and uni - study using the Bible as the perfect ion is designed to assist teachers of pre- versities have provided quality Seventh- standard of truth. Implementation will kindergarten students (age 4). day Adventist education to hundreds of begin with grade 9 during the 2015- • PhysicalGenesis. The NAD Office thousands of people from throughout 2016 school year, with other grade lev - of Education, in collaboration with the division and beyond. Enrollments els in successive years. Nico Rizzo of have fluctuated somewhat in recent • Early Childhood Curriculum. NAD and Rob Thomas of La Sierra Univer - years because of economic conditions is developing three early childhood sity, is coordinating a division-wide and the continued slide in the number curriculum resources: CREATIONKids, health study called PhysicalGenesis for of NAD academy graduates. During Be Like Jesus Faith-based Companion, Adventist students in grades 5-11, this past quinquennium, the number of and Cobblestones Pre-kindergarten which will focus on identifying health undergraduate students, in general, de - Companion— a companion to the behaviors and fitness levels of children creased slightly, although the total grad - Kindergarten Stepping Stones curricu - and adolescents across the North uate and adult education numbers rose. lum. The CREATIONKids curriculum American Division. PhysicalGenesis There were some notable exceptions, is designed to help young children data will provide valuable insights including and Pa - learn; communicate; adopt a healthy about health habits and lifestyles that cific , which have had all- mind, body, and spirit; and grow secure can be used to inform teaching and time-high enrollments. in the love of Christ and the church. learning practices within the division. NAD colleges and universities have The Be Like Jesus Faith-based Compan - received many fantastic blessings and ion, a Web-based resource, provides accomplished remarkable achieve - ments. Notable happenings include the following: • Adventist University of Health Sci - ences in Orlando, Florida, underwent a name change in 2012 (previously Flo - rida Hospital College of Health Science). In 2014, a new 66,000-square-foot Grad - uate Building was completed. • in Berrien Springs, Michigan, and Griggs Univer - sity (formerly in Silver Spring, Mary - land) merged. A new School of Dis - tance Education was formed, and now more than 3,000 distance students study to obtain Andrews University credits and degrees. Even though Griggs University had merged with An - drews University, it was still named as one of the top distance-education pro - grams in the U.S.A. • Atlantic Union College in South Lancaster, , ceased opera - tions in 2012 but hopes to resume classes in the fall of 2015. • Canadian University College in Lacombe, Alberta, officially changed its name to on May 1, 2015, in honor of its founders, a hus - band-and-wife team, Charles A. and Leona Burman. • in Kettering,

http://jae.adventist.org The Journal of Adventist Education • April/May 2015 25 NORTH AMERICAN

Ohio, experienced record enrollments and recently transitioned from a mostly Associate Degree-granting col - lege to a Bachelor of Arts, Master’s, and doctoral degree-granting institution. In 2015, it began to offer one of the few U.S. direct-to-doctoral occupational- therapy programs. • La Sierra University in Riverside, California, received several awards, in - cluding inclusion on the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll (2015) and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Top: In August 2012, 6,500 educators attended the NAD convention in Nashville, Teaching’s community engagement re- Tennessee. classification (an honor first given to the school in 2008), which recognizes Bottom: Canadian University College in Lacombe, Alberta, officially changed its institutional collaboration with its name to Burman University on May 1, 2015. local, national, and global communi - ties. In 2013, the university hosted a grand opening for its new $16 million, ventist institution. The university is cre - to become the first North American award-winning Vi and Tom Zapara ating an additional campus in nearby Division-sponsored institution of School of Business building. downtown San Bernardino, where it higher education. The university con - • Loma Linda University in Loma will offer a number of certificate train - ducted a series of studies on the spiri - Linda, California, recently launched Vi - ing programs for high school students. tual needs of its students; purchased sion 2020, the largest philanthropic • in Huntsville, two nationally franchised businesses to campaign ever attempted by an Ad - Alabama , transferred, at their request, increase its revenue and support its from a General Conference institution

26 The Journal of Adventist Education • April/May 2015 http://jae.adventist.org DIVISION

mission; earned commendations from physician-shadowing pilot program; Accreditation of Seventh-day Adventist its accrediting body, the Southern As - the Star Project, which supports people Schools document addresses the NAD’s sociation of Schools and Colleges; and recently released from prison; and a commitment to continuous improve - received a gift of $2 million to aid in Master’s degree in media ministry, a ment in the attainment of excellence in constructing a university health and Bachelor’s degree in international busi - student learning. The accreditation wellness center. ness, and a global humanitarian engi - process outlined in this document pro - • in Angwin, neering emphasis. vides North American Division schools California, celebrated its highest enroll - • Washington Adventist University with a robust structure for reflecting ment in 24 years in fall 2013 (1,678 stu - in Takoma Park, Maryland, spearheaded upon programs and practices, raising dents). In fall 2014, the college experi - the translation of the Russian Orthodox quality, achieving excellence, and deliv - enced the largest on-campus enrollment Bible into English; completed the Leroy ering better outcomes for students and in 19 years. PUC is the only Adventist & Lois Peters Music Building and a stu - their families. The Core of Adventist Ed - college or university recognized as a Na - dent-activity center; partnered with the ucation Conceptual Framework organ - tional Liberal Arts College by U.S. News REACH Columbia Union Urban Evan - izes the accreditation standards within & World Report , and has been ranked in gelism School; and rejoiced over more the context of four domains—Purpose, the top tier of its Western regional cate - than 70 baptisms in 2014 alone. Plan, Practice, and Product. i gory for 17 consecutive years. • Southern Adventist University in professional Growth Collegedale, Tennessee, recently gradu - Two NAD system-wide professional Larry Blackmer, ated its first doctoral student (Doctor conferences, the NAD teachers conven - Ed.D., is Vice Presi - of Nursing Practice), and received tion and the Association of Seventh- dent of the North nearly $70,000 in grants for Christian day Adventist School Administrators American Division service and outdoor-education pro - (ASDASA) conference, are scheduled of Seventh-day Ad - grams for at-risk communities in every six years. In August 2012, 6,500 ventists in Silver nearby Chattanooga. educators attended the NAD conven - Spring, Maryland, • Southwestern Adventist University tion in Nashville, Tennessee, and in U.S.A. in Keene, Texas, celebrated its 120th February 2015, ASDASA met in Dallas, year of operation; began training fire - Texas. Educators were inspired and had Carol Campbell, fighters through a new A.A.S. in Fire many opportunities for both profes - Ph.D., is Director of Science; was featured in a dinosaur sional and spiritual renewal. Elementary Educa - documentary for the National Geo - tion for the North graphic Channel; and sent its students technology tools American Division. to build churches, conduct health Two major online portals were devel - screenings, install water purification oped during this quinquennium: Data systems, and teach English in countries Roll-up and eCertification. Data Roll- across the globe. up consolidates classroom data (grades, • Union College in Lincoln, Ne - attendance, demographic information, Arne Nielsen, braska, inaugurated the Krueger Center etc.), into one database. eCertification M.Ed., is Director for Science and Mathematics, which allows educators to review their denom - of Secondary Edu - contains many high-tech laboratories inational certification status online and cation for the North for biomedical science, biology, engi - determine what is needed to move from American Division. neering, and physics, as well as seven basic certification to professional certifi - labs dedicated to student and faculty re - cation. In addition, the newly revised search; added new scholarships and de - NAD Website (adventisteducation.org) gree programs; and added a nursing provides invaluable resources for early early admission track. New students can childhood, elementary, and secondary Davenia Lea, sign up to be matched with a college teachers and administrators, as well as Ph.D., is Director of employee as mentor to help them de - pastors and parents. Early Childhood velop a personal spiritual-growth plan. Education for the • in College product: school improvement North American Place, Washington, initiated several Accreditation Division. new programs: in collaboration with The recently revised Standards for the Walla Valley Medical Society, a

http://jae.adventist.org The Journal of Adventist Education • April/May 2015 27