RUSSIAN
HISTORY
In the fall of 1991 New Life Christian School in Moscow, Russia, began as a Christian school designed to meet the educational needs of local Christian expat families. It began with nineteen children and three teachers in a classroom rented from a Russian school. An independent study program was largely used because of the diversity of grade levels (grades 1-9).
In the fall of 1992, the school had grown to 32 children and we were able to rent three classrooms from our host Russian school, #1106. We had four full time teachers, one full-time aide, and two part-time aides. With the addition of more teachers and classrooms, we were able to offer a more traditional Christian education curriculum rather than an independent study program.
In the spring and summer of 1993, we responded to the obvious need of a school that could be available to other organizations and opened their doors to the larger Christian worker community. For the 1993-1994 school year, we had an enrollment of 96 - 100 students in grades K - 11. We had 6 classrooms staffed by six full-time teachers plus a library - all located at Russian School #1106. We also rented a three-room apartment which we used for offices and Russian language classes.
During that year, the school began the process of becoming an inter-organization ministry with several Christian organizations participating in recruitment, financial responsibilities and supplying personnel. It was important to change the name of the school to further identify it as an inter-organizational school. Hinkson Christian Academy was chosen in honor of Bud Hinkson, a man of God who had been very heavily involved in ministry to all of the Eastern Bloc countries for two decades. He had also been instrumental in challenging many current workers to go to Eastern Europe and the CIS to explore this avenue of service.
The 1994-1995 school year saw our first graduating class. We added two classrooms at the cultural center as well as additional classroom space in School #1106. We also were granted official registration from the Russian government by the end of the school year. In the 1995-1996 academic year we added some additional space by renting rooms from School ##18, adjacent to #1106. Our primary grades from K through 4 were meeting there. Grades 5 and 6 began the year in the cultural center but had to move into School #1106 when our rental agreement with the center was cancelled. With that change, grades 5 through 12, as well as the library and offices, were in School #1106.
As the 1995-1996 school year came to an end, we were officially notified that Hinkson Christian Academy could no longer rent space from either of the two Russian Schools. That began a building search that would see God miraculously provide our next location. On August 5th of 1996, after nine months of searching and negotiating for a new site, we found ourselves without a building and completely dependent on God to provide for the 1996-1997 academic year.
On September 5th HCA officially began the 1996-1997 academic year in an old Russian kindergarten building that we had first seen only eighteen days earlier. As the school year progressed many upgrades and improvements were made to our facility. We continued to mature into our role as an English language International Christian school. During that school year, we standardized our Russian language program; added Honors classes in English, Russian and Calculus; provided career seminars and evaluation for high school students, and increased our student body to 170 students. A new building had been an increasing need when, in December 1998, we learned that one of the buildings occupied by the Anglo-American school would be available for sale once they moved into their new facility in the summer of 2000.
After months of prayer and preparation, God abundantly blessed capital fund raising efforts and we began the process of purchasing our new facility. The summer of 2000 saw the “big move” – only 3 weeks before school began – but with united effort we began on time.
With the larger facility we have been able to add new programs – ESL, Resource Education and a limited Korean education program for our Korean students. Enrollment grew to a high of over 200 students per year and over 60 full and part-time staff.
In the spring of 2007 HCA completed a two year process and was accredited by the Association of Christian Schools International.
The 2008-2009 school year brought new challenges with a drop in enrollment as a result of the changing demographics in Moscow. Visa laws, rising costs, and the nationalizing of staff brought a reduction in the number of expat Christian workers serving in Russia. HCA broadened its scope to include more of the Christian business and embassy community in Moscow.
These last ten years saw the completion of a new gymnasium that serves not only HCA but other international schools from around Moscow. The Hinkson Huskies host regular basketball, volleyball, and badminton games, and schools from around the city participate in several tournaments throughout the year. We are grateful for our growing partnerships with athletic departments from international and Russia schools throughout Moscow.