2017 marked an incredible year for the Asian Christian Academy (ACA), one that The Palmier Foundation was proud to be a part of. From expanding its faculty to breaking ground for its new college, growth and change were an echoing theme for the organization, which provides post-graduate theological training and Christian education in India.
The Palmier Foundation helped grow the student population at the ACA’s Asian Christian High School to 3,000 children, which has led to more classrooms and a new parking shed for buses to make room. In addition to the growth in students, the high school’s reputation as an educational leader has grown tremendously and led to the establishment of the ACA College of Arts and Sciences in Bangalore.
The college is expected to open for enrollment later this year and will be the first Christian college of its kind of India. The Palmier Foundation concentrated $100,000 of their $300,000 donation to the construction and opening of this innovative institution. The three-building college has 35,000 square feet of classroom space, and substantial room for laboratories and administrative offices. In honor of the Foundation’s substantial donation, the college’s academic block will be named “The Daniel Palmier Center for Academic Studies.”
In addition to its educational initiatives, the ACA’s on-campus hospital, Agape Hospital, served 40 percent more patients in 2017 than in previous years. The hospital’s mobile client services have expanded to serve 20 villages, maintained an extended pharmacy license for the next five years, and purchased various new technologies to provide more comprehensive and beneficial care to area residents.
In other news, this was the first year for the ACA’s innovative online M.A.in Christian Studies, which allows students from all over the globe to experience the school’s highly regarded curriculum without traveling to the Indian campus.
We’re blessed to have formed such a positive, ongoing partnership with the ACA and look forward to further supporting their incredible mission in 2018.