"The best inheritance you can leave your sons, the richest dowries you can prepare for your daughters, is a truly Christian upbringing."  - Bishop Irenaeus (Orda)
 
These inspired words have never rung more truly in our modern, secular life! Fortunately, there are Orthodox institutions whose mission includes the moral spiritual edification of Orthodox youth - a key area of focus for the FFA. One such beacon is St. John's Academy in San Francisco, who have asked for our support in securing their future, as they are currently facing a financial crisis.
 

Accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), the Saint John of San Francisco Orthodox Academy is a Russian Orthodox Christian, coeducational, non-profit, college-preparatory, full-time day school for grades K-12 -- the only full time ROCOR educational establishment of its kind, and one of the only such institutions in the world! It was founded by concerned parents and clergy who saw the need to provide their children with a spiritually nurturing academic experience, and has grown into an established institution fostering the highest-quality education and a love of the Orthodox Church and life.

The academy provides students of many nationalities with a state accredited K-12 arts and science curriculum, as well as religious instruction that will benefit them for the rest of their lives. Its student body is currently some 55 students across all grades, and it looks to expand its enrollment in the years ahead.
 
The school was founded in 1994, the same year that Bishop St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco was glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, and his legacy of care for children is at the heart of the Academy's work. Students who have graduated from the academy have entered prestigious universities in the U.S. and abroad. You can learn more about the school on their website.

Unfortunately, the economic downturn has impacted many of the families that send their children to this school, which has left some parents struggling to pay and forced some to withdraw, putting the school's financial support at risk. Although the school has made great efforts to manage costs without raising tuition, including tremendous internal fundraising, there continue to be students at the school who require financial support to remain, and the Academy itself requires funds to ensure its future. Please join the FFA in supporting the only K-12 Russian Orthodox school in ROCOR.
 

Donations can be made here or you can send a check made out to the Fund for Assistance, memo “St John’s academy” to