Our Values

Others, especially children are watching you to see if you act with integrity. When you are presented with something challenging, do you follow the pattern of perceiving your thoughts and feelings, composing yourself, remembering who you are, then acting in integrity? The parents and leaders at American Family Education strive to model living with full integrity. Having this value modeled allows for each individual to own and move through their own frustrations without needing to be controlled by others. When these skills are new, it is helpful to have a guide/teacher/mentor to encourage this pattern.

Students learn to comprehend their potential and their purpose, recognize the potential in others and learn to clearly communicate with others. Part of the mission of American Family Education is to not only help the student’s clarify their intentions for their own purpose and legacy, but first to help the parents clarify what they want for (and from) their children. Yes. This takes practice, but it is achievable when we work together. In every American Family Education environment parents, leaders, and students are respected and honored in their roles.

A parent knows their child the very best and therefore is the one divinely appointed to be the biggest influence in their child’s life. It may take a lot of practice and support, but this is what being a parent is all about. Hence building this relationship and these skills is a big part of all the American Family Education programs for children & families. Parents are the ultimate authority for their child’s education.

American Family Education is an individualized educational program, allowing the parents, then the maturing students, many opportunities to choose their own path. This ensures the establishment of an ownership mentality in each family and student. One of the ways AFE offers choices is in having a customized and consolidated schedule where students can participate in as many or as few learning opportunities as is beneficial to them specifically. Most students opt for a 1/2 day schedule to leave room for more family time, independent work, play and rest.

American Family Education is connecting community leaders, field experts, and parents to share their individual talents and provide learning and mentorship opportunities for the next generation. Together we can develop students who find joy in learning, have the ability to ponder and find answers, a servant leadership mentality, enduring testimonies of faith, an understanding of their individual worth and God-give purpose and excellence in the skills required to live that purpose.

Instead of the common “hero” journey, focused on status and individual accomplishment, American Family Education models a pilgrim journey where progress and growth is a blessing to many along the way, participants work as a community and the glory is given to their creator. Connections are valued over competition.

When students are focused on developing the skills and knowledge base they will need to live out their divinely-appointed purpose they become intrinsically motivated to progress. Connecting families to their personal “why” for education is our specialty.

The coercive tactics of other educational systems (fear of failure, embarrassment, punishment, shallow rewards, manipulation, etc.) are replaced by positive motivators such as recognition, attention, and meaning. You get more of what you focus on, so we shine a light on a student’s potential and mission. We recognize that each individual has been given different strengths, weaknesses, and a divine mission.  Joy is learning to be led by the true light of your creator and living the mission He designed for you to follow. Preparing for a life driven by purpose requires a holistic education and leveraging intrinsic  motivation is a great advantage.

Research has concluded that 85% of job success comes from having well-developed soft skills (people skills), while only 15% of job success comes from technical skills and knowledge.

At American Family Education, students are prepared for much more than just a job. These skills are vital to their success as a purpose driven person. Learning compassion starts with students learning to accept reality as a starting point, then learning to make needed adjustments and to continuously learn from mistakes. Along the way students will that realize we ALL make mistakes and therefore we can empathize and have compassion for each other in our journey.

One of the ways we can help students develop responsibility is by providing a series of developmental levels. We believe children learn best when they associate with peers that are similar in maturity and skill level, but not solely based on their birth date. We take more ownership of situations where we have a choice, our children are the same way. Like the process for learning the value of commitment, owning the consequences for our choices also teaches responsibility.

At American Family Education we educate in the following developmental levels: Foundations, Explorers, Scholars, and Mission Phase (spanning all ages, more details in the Education Revealed mini course). As students progress in their understanding of their personal missions and develop the ability to set their own goals, families can work together to decide what setting is most beneficial.

They referred to these as the “religion of America,” and they felt these fundamentals were so important in providing “good government and the happiness of mankind” that they wanted them taught in the schools along with morality and knowledge:

Recognition and worship of a Creator who made all things.
That the Creator has revealed a moral code of behavior for happy living which distinguishes right from wrong.
That the Creator holds mankind responsible for the way they treat each other.
That all mankind live beyond this life.
That in the next life individuals are judged for their conduct in this one.