Hope Academy Blog

February 13, 2025

New Volunteer Opportunity: Strategic Game Mentor

The word is out: volunteering is good for you! The benefits are numerous—improved mental and physical health, less stress, a sense of purpose, connection with others, and greater good for the community. But here at Hope Academy, volunteering is also a lot of fun as one of our strategic game mentors.

January 28, 2025

Kindergarten Readiness Part 2: Best Practices

What can you do NOW to ensure a successful transition to kindergarten for your preschooler?

January 14, 2025

Kindergarten Readiness Part 1: Skills

Is my child ready for kindergarten? For parents, this is a crucial question to ask when preparing their preschool child for the next stage of their academic journey.

July 1, 2024

5 Tips for Choosing a Christian School

Choosing a school for your child is one of the 2 or 3 biggest decisions you will make in your lifetime! If you are seeking a Christian school in Minneapolis (or any location!), consider these tips as you evaluate options for both the academic and spiritual growth of your child.

February 21, 2023

The Danger of "Getting Back to Normal"

In many ways, it feels like things have returned to normal after the last few years. But we believe God wants more for us—to reset our lives on a new and better trajectory.

February 8, 2023

Teaching for Transformation at Hope Academy

With the help of Teaching for Transformation, Hope Academy is providing more opportunities for urban youth to experience God’s goodness, truth, and beauty in their lives.

August 15, 2022

Back to School: 3 Strategies to Foster Academic Recovery & Growth

COVID-19 has hit education hard—non-white and low-income students especially. In a national study on pandemic learning loss, Harvard’s Center for Education Policy Research found that …

January 14, 2022

MLK’s Vision Alive at Hope Academy

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. dreamed of a nation where, one day, his children “will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

December 16, 2021

A School Like No Other

We all need community and support, especially during difficult seasons. A few years ago, Mikayla found this at Hope Academy...

November 30, 2021

Finding Hope Again

For DaShawna and her siblings, growing up in Minneapolis wasn’t easy. “All of our life, our mom struggled with drug addiction. The neighborhood we lived in was gang affiliated, and sometimes there would be shootouts. A lot of the things that were happening we just kind of bottled inside, because we didn’t want to look weak.”

October 19, 2021

The Power of a True Education

Remarks adapted from Russ Gregg’s Partner Day address Fall 2021 Learning is rarely easy; it almost always comes at a sacrifice. C.S. Lewis described the challenge of learning during World War II like this: “There are always plenty of rivals to our work…If we let ourselves, we shall always be waiting for some distraction or other to end before we can really get down to our work. The only people who achieve much are those who want knowledge so badly that they seek it while the conditions are still unfavorable. Favorable conditions never come… We must do the best we can.”

September 16, 2021

Technology, the Trades, and More Career Paths for Students

Each year at Hope Academy, urban youth are gaining the knowledge, values, life skills, and opportunities to succeed at a traditional four-year college or university. Through our new HopeTECH initiative, students are also gaining an onramp to explore technology, construction, and other fast-growing trades...

February 15, 2018

The Great Hoax: Christianity is a White Man’s Religion

In the United States, February is the month that we celebrate Black History Month. It is extremely important to remember that Black History did not begin with slavery and the observance of the history is not exclusive to only Blacks, but for all of us. The collective contributions to our world by African Americans is something to acknowledge and celebrate together in this diverse nation with troubling roots.

Four Proven Tactics Fuel COVID Recovery at Hope Academy

You’ve likely heard the saying, “Good things take time.” At Hope Academy, we’ve seen this play out in thousands of lives and families over 23 years.

How Is Your Child Being Influenced at School?

Starting in kindergarten, children spend 1,000+ hours in school each year. This means they often spend more waking hours with their teachers than with any other adults—including their parents! So, here’s an important question: How are they being influenced?

A Private School Other People Pay For?

Every parent wants the very best for their child – a bright future full of opportunity and hope. But for many families, a high-quality education can feel out of reach.