Mount Pleasant Magazine March/April 2020

www.ReadMPM.com | www.BestOfMP.com | www.ILoveMountPleasant.com BEST OF 2020 2020 W W W . B E S T O F M P . C O M A round four years ago, the board and administration at Palmetto Christian Academy realized the school needed both additional .facilities to accommodate future growth and updates to the high school facilities, especially in the area of science and technology. Thus began the idea for the new Student Life Center, which broke ground in November. “They wanted this building to be more than just a new wing and gymnasium, so they adopted the idea of a Student Life Center — a building that would educate for a more well-rounded experience and provide a place where students could hang out and learn to live life according to the Christian worldview they were being taught,” said JD Zubia, headmaster. The 44,000-square-foot center will include a much larger gym for athletes, allowing multiple teams to practice at the same time and providing locker rooms for both home and visiting teams. Students will also have two updated science labs to accommodate multiple science disciplines, as well as a larger technology center with new computers and other technologies. “We will also expand our math and Bible offerings with additional, larger classrooms in this building,” added Zubia, noting the center tentatively is expected to open second semester next school year. “Hopefully, our facilities and furnishings will reflect what studies have shown about what stimulates kids to get excited about learning,” Zubia said. “By providing more space and a building that our high school students will feel is ‘their own’ and geared toward their age group specifically, we hope that it will promote better bonding and therefore an environment that will promote emotional, spiritual and educational growth.” With a 39% increase in enrollment over the past four years, PCA understands the need for this additional space, sooner rather than later, so that they can serve the many families who are seeking a Christian education for their children. “I love the heart and dedication of our administration and teachers,” said Zubia. “We genuinely want to shepherd our students — our mission is to equip them academically to be life-long learners and to find their purpose in life; to prepare them spiritually to pursue Jesus Christ passionately and develop a Biblical worldview and to use this educational and spiritual learning to impact the culture.” It’s PCA’s mission that sets them apart from other schools that concentrate on one or two aspects, but don’t put the concepts together like this. Added Buster Brown, senior pastor, East Cooper Baptist Church, which Palmetto Christian Academy is a ministry of, “The Student Life Center will allow us to have a comprehensive ministry to the generations to come as we impact young people with the good news of Christ.” The Student Life Center has the potential to be a model for how to educate students academically, spiritually and emotionally through the various disciplines that will be taught, the athletic facilities that will promote physical fitness and the design that will encourage students to get to know each other and, said Zubia, “do life together.” BY TERI ERRICO GRIFFIS To learn more about Palmetto Christian Academy, visit palmettochristianacademy.org . Building a Model for Education PalmettoChristianAcademy