What is SFEA?

Solid Foundation Educational Association is a non-profit 501(c)3 volunteer organization located in State College, PA, dedicated to offering support and enrichment for homeschoolers in Centre County. It is directed and operated by homeschooling families.

What is SFEA's philosophy and attitude?

SFEA's basis is Christian and we support a Biblical world-view. However, we welcome anyone who would like to come to our activities, and see our role in the community as providing help and support to all homeschoolers, regardless of religious background. We are friendly and easy to get along with. We welcome you!

What does SFEA do?

SFEA provides the following services:

• Classes for elementary and middle school
• Full-credit courses for high school
• Clubs and field trips
• A large lending library
• A great way to meet other homeschoolers!

Where does SFEA meet?

We have met in various locations over the years. We are in the process of trying to establish a permanent site.  For the 2011-2012 school year, Tuesday classes are meeting at Park Forest Baptist Church and Thursday classes meet primarily at Grace Presbyterian Church. 

Contact persons:

If you have a non-emergency question, please contact us through our email address: mail@sfea.info

Tania Thompson: twt102@hotmail.com, 278-8664

Karen Cattell: kcattell@gmail.com, 237-8839

Educational Philosophy

SFEA embraces the "hands-on" philosophy without discarding all traditional book learning. Good education is both a mastery of a traditional body of knowledge and an individualized process of inquiry, exploration, and creativity. We must learn what those before us have already discovered so we can go beyond, but we must also encourage creativity, exploration, appreciation, and wonder by providing opportunities for students to touch, hear, see, act, and play. We do not give letter grades. We encourage cultural literacy- understanding the ideas that have shaped our culture even if we do not agree with them. We believe that students can listen to other perspectives without having their faith weakened. They can read literature written by unbelievers, for example, and still profit by the experience. We believe that we should take time to listen to viewpoints other than our own and be able to understand both sides of an argument. This does not mean that we are not to be discerning or not have opinions. It simply means that we need to be good listeners and have a humble attitude that allows us to profit by our contacts with those who are different from us. We believe that parents are the primary educators, whether they teach their children themselves or decide to use educational services. Children are entrusted to their parents, not to any school or governement. Parents have a right to know where their child is, what he/she is doing, and what is being taught. Parents are welcome to visit our classes.

Our Instructors

Most of our instructors are homeschool parents who are dedicated to serving the students. For some subjects (such as foreign language) we must hire teachers from the community. When we do so, we make it clear to them that we are a Christian organization. Teachers must agree not to teach against our doctrinal statement.

Doctrinal Statement

We are non-denominational Christian.  We adhere to a basic non-denominational statement of faith:

• We believe that this world and everything in it was created by an all-wise, all powerful God.
• We believe the Bible is the word of God and is an actual written record of His actions throughout history.
• We believe that mankind fell into sin, allowing death to come into a previously perfect world.
• We believe that Jesus is the only Son of God. The Bible records the story of how God sent his only son, Jesus, who was both truly God and truly man, to accomplish salvation for us by his atoning death on the cross.
• We believe that Jesus rose from the dead and is alive, in his body, in heaven.
• We believe that Jesus will come back to Earth to resurrect, then judge, every person who has ever lived.
• We believe that Jesus will recreate the Earth, restoring it to the perfection it had before mankind sinned. Only those persons who love Jesus and confess him as their Lord and Master will be permitted to enter into the new creation. The Bible states that those persons who went their own way and chose not heed the call to salvation will enter into eternal punishment.
• We believe that God is active in history and that he is even now working salvation among the peoples and nations of the world.
• We believe that all human beings are created in the image of God. People of every race and from every nation on Earth are not only equal, but are precious in God's sight. SFEA will not exclude anyone from participation on the basis of race or ethnic identity.

We do not require that persons involved in SFEA agree with our doctrinal statement. We do ask only that they not teach against it.

How does our doctrinal statement affect our classes and activities?

We are not a church.   We do not provide religious instruction.  We believe that religious instruction is the responsibility of the parents and the church.  Our job is to provide an environment that does not tear down that the parents work so hard at building up.

In our science classes, we do not present the theory of evolution as fact.  (We rarely get into "origins," and generally stick to non-controversial topics.)  

In literature classes, we try to stick to classical literature.  We do not read modern "fad writing" that pushes current political, social or religious agendas. 

In our behavioral agreement we expect clean speech and respectful behavior.