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LifeWise Academy is an American educational program founded in 2018 as a free program that provides evangelical Bible education for public school students during school hours under released time laws. [1]
LifeWise Academy was founded in 2018 by Joel Penton, a former Ohio State defensive lineman, [2] [3] as a division of his nonprofit ministry Stand for Truth. [4] The organization was inspired by the weekday religious education program in his hometown of Van Wert, Ohio, in 2012. [2] It is a division of a division of Stand for Truth that promotes Christianity in public schools. [5]
The organization is based in Hilliard, Ohio. As of 2023, the organization anticipates operating in 300 schools across 11 states including Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. [2] [6] As of 2024, 30,000 students are enrolled in the program. [5]
LifeWise Academy programs receive funding from local churches, [7] private donors [4] bringing in $6.5 million in fiscal year 2023. [8]
LifeWise Academy operates under released time for religious instruction laws which were upheld in the 1952 US Supreme Court ruling, Zorach v. Clauson. [1] [9] This ruling allowed a school district to allow students to leave school for part of the day to receive religious instruction. [9] However, three requirements needed to be met: classes are off school property; it's privately funded; and students participate with the permission of their parents. [2] Release time programs are traditionally locally run and managed, whereas LifeWise Academy is a franchise model working with local steering committees to advocate for the program in their districts, including running for school board. [8]
Programs are staffed by a director, teachers and volunteers, who help transport students and assist in classrooms as needed, paid by LifeWise Academy. [1]
LifeWise Academy's curriculum is based on The Gospel Project, a Bible study program produced by LifeWay Christian Resources [10] designed for elementary schools as a five-year program covering the full Bible. [1] High school programs offer high school or college credits. In Ohio, the instruction can't take place during a “core curriculum” subject, [1] often meeting at the same time as art or music classes, library periods, or during lunch. [7]
Implementing LifeWise programs have divided communities with parents feeling it was inappropriate for public schools to implement religious studies. [11] [12] Other concerns include children unenrolled in the program would not receive instruction during the time other students attend LifeWise's programs and the program is unequitable for children of other faiths. [13]
In 2021, Catholic leaders expressed concerns with the Protestant-oriented LifeWise Academy urging parishioners not to participate in or financially support the program, fearing the LifeWise curriculum could draw children away from the tenets of their Catholic faith. [14]
In 2023, objection letters were dispatched to around 600 school districts in Ohio by the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), expressing concerns about the endorsement of LifeWise's released-time Bible classes. [15] The organization had been contacted by Ohioans concerned about how large-scale released time religious programs can negatively impact educational goals and that students have a First Amendment right to be free from religious indoctrination. [16] [17] The organization highlighted a LifeWise goal to convert students, and reported a claim that a student not participating in the program was assigned additional homework. [18] Following the objection letters, Ohio Attorney General David Yost released a statement reaffirming his stance of the legality of LifeWise programs as long as they follow Ohio law. [19] [12] [20]
The Ohio State University is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one of the largest universities by enrollment in the United States, with nearly 50,000 undergraduate students and nearly 15,000 graduate students. The university consists of sixteen colleges and offers over 400 degree programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
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The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) is an American nonprofit organization that advocates for atheists, agnostics, and nontheists. Formed in 1976, FFRF promotes the separation of church and state, and challenges the legitimacy of many federal and state programs that are faith-based. It supports groups such as nonreligious students and clergy who want to leave their faith.
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