We Are All God's Children
A preschool built for a multicultural future
One of the top ten growing cities in the country, El Paso is, in many ways, a cultural model for what a global city of the future might look like.
With its close proximity to the Mexican and New Mexican borders, large military base, and center for manufacturing, the city boasts an incredibly diverse population. Citizens of El Paso stem from virtually all walks of life. A high number of Mexican immigrant families live and work alongside native Texans as well as transplants from places as diverse as Germany, Korea, the Middle East, and the Netherlands. Income and education level can vary even within the same subdivisions, and though English and Spanish are spoken most frequently, many different languages can be heard being spoken in the factories, in the commerce center, and on the streets.
And the population of one local preschool and daycare center is no different. In fact, “Peace Lutheran” may be the perfect name for a preschool and daycare center that unites children of so many different cultures and backgrounds under one roof. Ranging in age from two weeks old through 11 years (fifth grade), the kids here represent a veritable rainbow of colors and backgrounds. In addition to the theme-based curriculum focusing on language, math, social studies, science and fine arts, the children learn every day how to become good global citizens – celebrating diversity and extending hands and hearts to classmates of all faiths and backgrounds, building close friendships along the way.
With a customized loan from the Mission Investment Fund, Peace Lutheran recently built new facilities that are ideally equipped to handle the unique challenges such a diverse young population presents. Nearly every classroom has a Spanish speaker, and many teachers have basic knowledge of additional languages as well. The six-acre property is situated in a mixed-income subdivision about 15 minutes from downtown El Paso. The central U-shaped building is divided to separate children by age group, comfortably accommodating over 200 students at a time, with colorfully decorated classrooms and an outdoor active-play area in the picturesque central courtyard.
Having been in existence in some format for nearly 30 years, Peace Lutheran Preschool has been an official ministry of the ELCA congregation Peace Lutheran since 1988. For its first several years, the small school had capacity for only 40 students, and was tucked away in a storefront of a shopping plaza, awkwardly situated behind a fire station. In the mid-1990s, the school moved to a slightly larger space, enough to house over 100 students from preschool and the elementary after-school programs. But they were still falling short of fully serving the needs of the community.
In 2000, the congregation participated in a visioning exercise under the leadership of its longtime pastor, the Rev. Wayne Kendrick. Part of the outcome was to renew and redouble efforts to reach out to the young families of the multi-ethnic community, and growing Peace Preschool was a critical piece of this effort. The congregation decided to make the preschool a priority, beginning with finding a new space that would accommodate and attract more children, more teachers, and allow for a stronger curriculum.
Because of Texas state law and licensing regulations, the school’s leaders had very specific needs. Since they wanted to expand their infant childcare services, they required a specially equipped area. They also needed a way to keep each age level separate, while scheduling different times at a common outdoor area. They also needed enough parking to handle several different parent-pickup times, extending childcare beyond preschool hours, from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Pastor Kendrick sought help from the Mission Investment Fund to build a new facility from the ground up. One of his top priorities was to build a school that would meet and exceed functional needs, while meeting the financial requirements to allow for an income-based tuition scale. For Peace Lutheran, this meant working with the MIF to set monthly payments that fit within their budget. Rev. Kendrick, who understands well the ELCA’s commitment to becoming more diverse and multicultural to better respond to an ever-changing world, worked very hard to make the congregation’s vision a success.
Now in its third year in the new space, Peace Lutheran continues its mission, every day, to get children from all backgrounds started on the right path educationally, socially, and spiritually. The pastor himself does his part by spending each Wednesday in fellowship at the school, speaking one-on-one with the children in each classroom and telling them age-appropriate Bible stories.
Though the curriculum is not specifically faith-based, the staff emphasizes Christian values while encouraging young children to “learn while they play and play while they learn.” Says Nena DeArment, director: “Our curriculum focuses on reading, arts and sciences, social skills, and learning how to be around, get along with, and learn from other children. The children learn to treat everyone with respect; we tell them that ‘God made each of us special’ so we need to live together and get along well, which in a community like El Paso is very important.”
The Mission Investment Fund is proud to be a supporter of this amazing ministry of Peace Lutheran, which models the efforts that the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America works toward every day.