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Want to know how GCS can help you get involved? Well, this page is for you.
Often we get the question, “What is the GCS Apprenticeship Program all about?” We get this question a lot because people all over the country have been talking for years about what Grace Community School has been doing in Southwest Florida, and people want to learn more.
If you are reading this, then the means that you may have also asked yourself this question too.
Well, to start the term GCS is an acronym that is short for Grace Community School. The first Grace Community School location was founded by Pastor Ellsworth McIntyre and his family in Naples, Florida in 1986. Being a lifelong educator and administrator, he felt that the evangelical open door was ministering to preschool-age children. This is not meant to be a retelling of the founding and history of Grace Community School, so instead, we will refer you to Pastor McIntyre’s book entitled, “How To Become A Millionaire in Christian Education,” for that information and more. You can find information on purchasing either a paperback copy or a digital copy of his book here: https://gcsapprenticeship.com/millionaire-in-education
Grace Community School has grown from one location in 1986, to nine locations throughout Southwest, Florida including Naples, Golden Gate, Bonita Springs, Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Lehigh Acres, North Fort Myers, and Port Charlotte. All of these locations specialize in caring for children as young as six weeks, and as old as 12 years. The schools are open year-round, and they are distinctly Christian in their approach to education and business operation. You can learn more about all the Grace Community School locations by visiting the school’s website here: http://gracecommunityschools.com
Pastor McIntyre began the GCS Apprenticeship program shortly after the founding of the first Grace Community School location. He believed that Christians should be focusing efforts on evangelizing the youngest members of the community rather than attempting to repair years of poor education and theology with older students. It is indeed essential to have ministries that help, aid, and educate older children and teens, but with the fact that no Christian ministries were focusing on younger ages, Pastor McIntyre committed to designing a program to meet this need. Not only were Christian preschools needed they were also profitable for the private Christian owner. Pastor McIntyre also wanted to help others understand this as well. Being a full-time Christian missionary did not mean you had to be poor, nor that you had to live on the goodwill and donations of others to care for the material needs of your family.
The apprenticeship program then is designed to take unskilled and unknowledgeable committed Christians and give them training in becoming professional Christian teachers, and proficient owners and operators of a Christian school. To do this requires time, that is why the GCS Apprenticeship program is designed to take three years to gain the necessary experience to learn the do’s and don’ts of teaching and managing a private Christian school.
Grace Community School has been successfully operating Christian schools in Southwest Florida now for over 30 years; the GCS Apprenticeship program trains its apprentices from the GCS Operations Manual. This manual has been put together to cover all aspects of teaching and managing a Christian school with success. For more information on this manual, you can visit the GCS Apprenticeship’s Operations Manual page here: https://gcsapprenticeship.com/operations-manual.
The GCS Apprenticeship program is specifically designed to train qualified young Christian men and women that feel the call and desire to own/operate their own Christian school.
Apprentices enrolled in the GCS Apprenticeship program are given:
1. Full Salary
2. Free Housing
3. Monthly Bonuses
4. Daily Hand’s On Classroom & Office Training and Management
5. Weekly Theological Training & Studies
6. Licensed To Preach/Ordained to the Ministry
7. Completion of a National CDA (Child Development Associates Credential)
8. Eventual Certification of Completion and Recommendation of Competence in Teaching/Operating a Christian School
Three Year Training Breakdown
First Year:
Classroom Cleanliness and Maintenance
Personal Consistency and Diligence
Classroom Order and Control
Teaching Basic to Advanced Preschool Arithmetic
Teaching Phonics Based Reading Program
Teaching SongsPoems
Game/Learning Activity Proficiency
Child Entertainment and Direction
Health and Safety Knowledge and Maintenance
Child Behavior Management
Bible Instruction
Nap Time Management
Developmental Appropriate Practices
Sickness/Injury Prevention and Reporting
Playground Safety
Second Year:
Classroom Management
Employee Training and Management
Building Management and Maintenance
Employee and Customer Support
Employee Scheduling
Regulation Maintenance
Student and Employee Sickness/Injury
Preschool Curriculum Management and Storage
Pest and Safety Management
Fire and Emergency Procedures and Training
Meal Program Management
Third Year:
Office Management
Phone and Customer Sales
Crisis Management
Business Organization Repairs and Ordering
Customer Retention
Computer and Program Proficiency
Business Safety and Management
Student Admission and Dismissal
Handling Police, DCF, and Attorney Inquiries and investigations
Employee Hiring, Orientation, and Dismissal
Vehicle Safety, Training, and Maintenance
Student Accident, Workman’s Comp, and Liability Insurance
Management:
Accreditation Compliance
Health Department Compliance
Fire Department Compliance
Security System Maintenance
Sprinkler System Maintenance