ESM: ENRICHMENT, SERVICE, MINISTRY

purpose

ESM week is designated for our 7-12 grade students to choose and participate in various “ESM” opportunities. The goal of ESM is provide spiritually integrated opportunities for students to “Enrich”, “Serve” or be involved with “Ministry” (ESM) as part of enhancing the student’s exposure to service and following God’s call for them.

Objective

Emmanuel Christian’s mission is “To serve as a Christ-centered learning community that exists to educate students of Christian families and prepare them for God’s calling”. Building opportunities outside of our school building during the course of an academic year gives students a chance to see outside of their own world while reflecting and praying about God’s leading in their lives.

Participants

ESM Week is for students that are enrolled at ECA. Parents of the enrolled student will have the opportunity to sign up as well. Other family members (grandparents, siblings, close relatives) must be approved by the lead teacher and ESM director. Trips are not open to friends or other student age participants that are not enrolled at ECA.

• International students are eligible for ESM activities but must obtain permission/waiver from their guardians or parents.

• Students attending ECA must be involved and participate with ESM week or one ESM option

Options

Each year the offerings for ESM week will be made available by September. Interested participants for International trips and Missions trips will usually meet in the Spring of the year before the trip. Options for ESM will include the following: 

• International trips (subject/class concentrations). These trips will be limited to participants meeting criteria as set by the lead teacher.

  • This option will be determined by ECA administration, teachers and ESM director

  • These trips will require mandatory parent and student meetings.

• Mission Trips: Local, Regional (United States), International

  • Local opportunities

  • Regional opportunities

  • International opportunities through Score International and Lifeline Ministries

  • All regional and international trips will require mandatory parent and student meetings.

• Washington D.C. Trip (8th Grade)

  • 9-12th grade students may request approval for this trip as well

  • Will require mandatory parent and student meetings

• Camp ministry and local service opportunities

  • Camp ministry will including providing clean up and fun activities at a camp ministry in Ohio

  • Local service opportunities may include packaging meals, cleaning up areas as well as other service projects

• Enrichment options: Classes provided that will vary each year

• Individual research, service, volunteer or projects

  • Students that are interested in this option may submit an individual request for the week of ESM. This may include serving, volunteering, job shadowing for the ESM. The proposal must include:

    • Objective

    • Three (3) achievable goals

    • Location/Address

    • Location contact and title with permission email or letter for the project

    • 2 page reflection paper including a summary of what was accomplished

    Note: All individual projects must be pre-approved by the principal or ESM Director.

timeline

• September: Parent/Student letter with ESM Offerings

• September: Meetings for DC, Regional (International Trips will begin meeting at least one year prior to the trip

• October: Interest forms submitted as well as the individual project requests

• November: Final student assignments complete

• November - March: Meetings, deposits due

• ESM: March (see calendar)

ESM Commitment/Disqualification

Once a student has made a commitment to their ESM choice, changes will not be made unless there is a viable reason such as the following: Emergency, health, discipline, academic reason as determined with parent, student and Administration. Students and parents must attend mandatory meetings and participate in pre-trip activities as required. 

Emmanuel Christian Academy reserves the right to remove or change placement in an ESM activity in the event of behavioral or academic issues. In addition, students may be removed from their ESM activity if there is a problem during the week.

cRISIS pROCEDURES

All participating students and or family members should prepare themselves for the risks of traveling. Special attention should be paid to travel outside of Ohio whether for an educational or missional trip by attending all meetings prior to the trip. The following are guidelines for crisis intervention during a trip: 

1. Evacuation: Travel that is in progress when a location becomes High Risk must be reviewed by the Administration and the traveling team officials within a reasonable timeframe to determine if the threat is imminent and if travelers should be recalled or relocated. Individual team members and families have the authority to self-evacuate at any point with notification given to administrators and the traveling team officials.

2. Ransom and Extortion: In the case of kidnapping, hostage-taking or other extortion, no ransom or concession shall be paid or made. Although we are concerned for the well-being of every student, staff member or family member and will labor and pray diligently for the release of any taken hostage, it is our policy to not pay ransom or yield to other extortionary demands.

3. Release: All students, staff and family members participating on the trip must sign a risk release form before being released for a trip.

Travel Advisories

As a general practice, travel inside the United States will be planned to include precautions of areas deemed as unsafe. Travel inside and outside of the USA will be taken in consideration of the following:

1. Regional and international trips are voluntary and parents and students are not required to make these trips as an academic requirement

2. As with all trips, extreme caution must be taken and students must not ever be alone.

3. Students will be assigned to a travel group which will be overseen by a chaperone.

4. Participants will be accounted for before each departure.

5. International trips and/or mission trips may plan and complete a trip for a US Department of State “Level 2” (exercise increased caution).

High Risk Travel Authorization (Level 3 or 4)

1. Administration must provide advance authorization for travel to High Risk areas through the appropriate international travel authorization process.

2. Planned travel that is not yet in progress when a destination becomes High Risk is reviewed by the Administration through the appropriate international travel authorization process. Deposits may or may not be refunded depending on the situation.

3. Travel that is in progress when a location becomes High Risk must be reviewed by Administration within a reasonable timeframe to determine if the threat is imminent and if travelers should be recalled or relocated.

4. Travel that has been approved by the Administration may be subject to additional review if there is a change in circumstances and/or additional review is deemed necessary by the Board or Administration.

5. Travel to countries listed as “Level 4” (Do not travel) will not generally be considered and countries that have a status change to “Level 4” will be carefully reviewed or cancelled.

Obtaining a passport/visa

Participants that are traveling out of the United States will be responsible for obtaining a Passport and/or Visas if required. This is the responsibility of the traveler. Participants who are not able to secure a Passport or Visa will not be able to go and will forfeit their deposits. We recommend beginning the process six months before the trip. There are options for expedited Passports as well.

Immunizations and medications

In order to participate in some mission trips, participants may need to have immunizations updated. These are the responsibility of the participant. Forms and medication forms will need to be updated and turned in before trip approval is granted.

Financial summary

ESM activities will vary in financial responsibility. Individual projects will not carry a fee unless required as a part of your individual project. Washington DC, regional and international trip costs will vary.

1. Financial Support Policy: Participants are responsibility for the cost of their ESM activity. Participants who are involved with a Regional or International Missions trip are permitted to seek fundraising within the ECA fundraising policies and guidelines via: letters, social media, or personal phone calls.

   • Emmanuel Christian Academy will not provide social media access for individual fundraising

   • Emmanuel Christian Academy will allow “group fundraisers” for school sponsored group trips within the ECA fundraising policies and guidelines. Division of the proceeds will be decided by the trip coordinator or ESM Director.

   • Lead teachers or trip coordinators must meet with the business officer to arrange for purchases, trip costs, etc., in advance of the trip

2. Payments:

   • All trip payments that are made through Emmanuel must be made payable to ECA with the ESM activity in the subject line. All payments must be complete by January.

   • Regional and International Trips will have a payment schedule that must be followed.

3. Refunds: There are no refunds unless approved by the ESM Director or trip insurance provider (travel insurance if applicable)

REQUIRED FORMs

• ESM Student Choice and Parental Authorization

• Medication Authorization (if necessary)

• Final Permission and Parental Authorization

• Regional/International Trips will require additional forms

contacts

Superintendent: John Essig - jessig@ecaoh.com
Principal: Dan Moore - dmoore@ecaoh.com
ESM Director: Ryan Bostater - rbostater@ecaoh.com
Business Office: Richard Ford - rford@ecaoh.com