Hilton Head Christian Academy

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Hilton Head Christian Academy (HHCA) is a private Christian school for grades Kindergarten through 12th grade, located in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, United States.

[edit] History

HHCA was founded in 1979 from a desire by a local Veterinarian and his wife, George and MaryWinn Lent, to provide a Christ centered education for their children. David Beckman was the Headmaster of 21 students who met in a trailer where the Blessed Hope Baptist Church held its services. A larger building was soon built which also became the meeting place for Hilton Head Community Church, later it moved to a converted bowling alley and then to its current location on the north end of the island with temporary stops at several other locations. HHCA has used several different curricula over the years. While the school was small it used ACE and Alpha/Omega; for several years its kindergarten used a Montessori curriculum. Some of the early history of the school is recorded in the short film "Without a Vision, the People Perish".

HHCA enrolled 460 students for the 2005-2006 academic year. There were 181 students in the Lower School, 130 in the Middle School and 146 in the Upper School. With a 12 to 1 student to teacher ratio, students receive extensive attention preparing them academically for a collegiate career. The deliberately small class size also allows faculty to develop relationships with their students, a goal evidenced by HHCA's mission statement: "In partnership with the Christian family, the students of HHCA will mature in their faith, demonstrate Christian character, identify and develop their God-given talents, be academically and intellectually prepared to engage the world and thereby impact generations to the glory of God."