Vision:

We strive to pass down the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Faith as we have received it from the Holy Apostles AND we will also instill pride and confidence of our religion so that students will be ambassadors of their faith.

Mission:

We will provide an environment where children of the DSKM community can praise God and learn the word of God; we will also build foundational knowledge and instill lifelong devotion to the Ethiopian Orthodox Religion.  We hope to equip students with the necessary tools of spirituality and instill the reverence of God in their lives in order to weave this lifestyle into their lifelong journey.  We will accomplish this by:

1. Leading a dynamic, discussion-based program that will engage students
2. Involving dedicated teachers who will guide the spiritual maturity of students
3. Providing an honest, comfortable yet respectful environment where students can communicate with each other and have fellowship.
4. Providing students with an opportunity to constructively criticize various aspects of the program or curriculum in order to work to continually improve the program.
5. Involving the Senbet Timhirtbet, Education Committee, Parents’ Committee and DSKM administration for a cohesive team of volunteers dedicated to build the next generation of devout Ethiopian Orthodox Christians.
6. Ensure all students succeed by promptly and thoroughly addressing any concerns students may have and following through even after their graduation of the program

Core Curriculum will focus on the following themes:

1. Bible Knowledge (Old + New Testament) [Goal:  Students should be able to indentify major books of the Bible, understand major themes of the Bible, incorporate reading the Bible into their daily lives]
2. Doctrine of the church (dogmatic and sacramental) [Goal:  Students should be able to identify essential elements of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and indentify major points that distinguish our Church from other faiths. ]
• Five Pillar Mysteries
• Seven Holy Sacraments
3. Orthodox Church in Ethiopia [Goal:  Students should be able to understand and appreciate the journey of the EOTC and learn about miracles, saints, and books that exist within our church.]
4. Mezmur/Liturgy  [Goal: Students should be able to follow and participate in the Divine Liturgy as well as worship through songs]
5. Life as a Christian [Goal:  Students will be oriented on how to lead a spiritual life in a secular world.  We will discuss the importance of prayer, fasting and almsgiving as key ways of keeping God first in their lives.