The History of NAUMS, Inc.
Two deep passions. One prayerful answer. The story of the University-Model® movement, from a single school in Arlington, Texas, to school communities around the world.
Two Passions, One Family
In 1992, a group of Christian parents felt caught between two of their deepest passions…
On one hand, they yearned to meet the spiritual needs of their sons and daughters. On the other, they aspired to provide for their children's academic development. The older their children grew, the more dismayed these parents became, because the requirements of one passion inherently worked against the practical outworking of the other.
To train their children spiritually, the parents needed consistent and meaningful time with them. To provide for their children academically, they needed a good school. The children's attendance in school, however, drastically reduced their family time together, while it dramatically increased the students' exposure to negative competing influences. These influences stood in direct conflict with the very values the parents were so passionate to impart.
The parents knew that there must be a way to bring the twin passions together as partners instead of adversaries—a way that would blend into one balanced system the best attributes of home with the best attributes of the traditional Christian classroom.
The First University-Model® School
The result of their prayers and efforts is what we know today as the University-Model® approach (UM), a new paradigm in Christian K-12 education and discipleship. The first school, Grace Preparatory Academy (GPA) in Arlington, Texas, opened in 1993. Almost immediately, parents saw positive results in student academic achievement and character development. Both were the direct result of the model's systematic and mandatory partnership with parents.
From One School to a National Association
Word of mouth about the model's logic and effectiveness spread rapidly. By 2002, eleven more schools had opened under the tutelage of Grace Preparatory Academy. Remarkably, these were in various parts of the country—Georgia, California, Ohio, and elsewhere. That same year, the GPA board organized the National Association of University-Model® Schools (NAUMS, Inc.) to provide continuing support for those existing schools and to promote the development of new University-Model® schools. In 2005, NAUMS, Inc. was formally and separately established to serve as the permanent centerpiece of the University-Model® Christian discipleship movement.
A Worldwide Movement
By 2013, NAUMS, Inc. had grown to seventy-one schools in nineteen states, including one in mainland China. By 2016, the number of schools expanded beyond eighty. In 2017, the NAUMS, Inc. school association University-Model® Schools International (UMSI) was established, dedicated to the mission to “build dynamic University-Model® school communities worldwide.”
Today, more than ninety University-Model® schools serve families across twenty-four U.S. states and four countries. The ongoing growth of the University-Model® movement is best summarized with two phrases that capture the essence of innumerable testimonies and experiences shared all over the United States. This remarkable growth has occurred because of word of mouth and the call of God.
Milestones at a Glance
1992
A group of Christian parents begins praying and working toward a way to unite spiritual training and academic excellence.
1993
Grace Preparatory Academy, the first University-Model® school, opens in Arlington, Texas.
2002
Eleven more schools have opened under GPA's tutelage—in Georgia, California, Ohio, and elsewhere. The GPA board organizes the National Association of University-Model® Schools (NAUMS, Inc.).
2005
NAUMS, Inc. is formally and separately established as the permanent centerpiece of the University-Model® Christian discipleship movement.
2013
Seventy-one schools in nineteen states, including one in mainland China.
2016
The number of University-Model® schools grows beyond eighty.
2017
University-Model® Schools International (UMSI) is established, with the mission to “build dynamic University-Model® school communities worldwide.”
Today
90+ University-Model® schools across 24 U.S. states and 4 countries.
Continue the Story
The University-Model® movement grew one family, one school, and one prayer at a time. If God is stirring the same twin passions in your community, we would love to walk with you.