Fountainview Academy
| Motto | Building Character |
|---|---|
| Type | Private |
| Established | 1978 |
| President | Scott Richards |
| Principal | Baird Corrigan |
| Students | 60 |
| Location | , , |
| Campus | Rural |
| Website | www.fountainview.ca |
Fountainview Academy is a small, private academy located in Lillooet, BC, Canada. It currently has approximately 60 students enrolled in grades 9-12.
Fountainview Academy is affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventist church, although it is not directly owned or managed by that organiztion. It is unofficially known as one of the Seventh-day Adventist self supporting institutions.
Educational Philosophy
Fountainview's educational philosophy is considered very extreme as compared to mainstream Seventh-day Adventists schools. Students take limited educational classes and spend up to half of their day working in various industries run by the school. These industries include an organic carrot farm, where most of the students work manually weeding the young carrots. Other work posistions include maintenance, office/secretarial, as well as Fountainview Digital Media.
Criticisms
The school's conservativeness and rabid adherence to the teachings of Ellen White have caused many students complain that it restricts their normal adolescent development. For example, Fountainview Academy bans all competitive sports not even allowing students to engage in informal games in dormatory yards.
Social interaction between students is also strictly limited, especially between members of the opposite sex. Students are strictly forbidden to date each other or even grow too close as friends in intersex relationships. This has brought strong criticism from those who believe that these policies limit the students natural relationship development.
Many of the staff and teachers are former students, many of whom opt to take teaching posistions at Fountainview Academy instead of going on to attend institutions of higher learning.
Through funding and management, the school is controled by the extended members of one family (see Family Connections below) and this tends to limit the executive decisions to one unilateral view.
Family Connections
Fountainview Academy owes much of its support to businessman Stan Smith who funds various religous institutions around the world. Stan Smith himself lives on the grounds of Fountainview Academy. Mr. Smith is married to Kathy Jacobson, daughter of British Columbia lumber tycoon Ott Jacobson.
Fountainview Academy's president is Scott Richards, who is married to Mr. Smiths sister, Diane. Mr. Richards daughter, Elizabeth, is the women's dean and his son, Robert, is assistent boy's dean. Both Robert and Elizabeth attended Fountainview Academy and opted for staff posistions upon graduation in liu of attending university.
Related Institutions
Radiant Living| Witness For Life| Outpost Centers Incorporated|
See also