New Hope’s Pence Day of Service

Pence Day of Service is back! Join New Hope Christian Academy on Saturday, April 5, from 9 a.m. to noon, to experience firsthand how their campus community is making an impact in the heart of Frayser.

Details:

● Who: New Hope Christian Academy

● What: Pence Day of Service and Celebration

● When: Saturday, April 5, 2025, from 9 a.m. to noon

● Where: 3000 University St, Memphis, TN 38127

We will conclude the event with a special recognition of the New Hope Class of 2019 (high school Class of 2025).

What IS PENCE DAY OF SERVICE?

Annually, a host of volunteers, including families, staff, alumni, and community stakeholders, work together during Pence Day of Service, as a commitment to beautifying the school’s campus grounds and surrounding spaces, increasing educational exploration for students.

Pence Day of Service is a special time of fellowship, where alumni and their families get a chance to work with current families and students as a commitment and honor towards the continued service and leadership promise of the New Hope Christian Academy’s mission — equipping students to become future servant leaders. This day of service, which began many years ago, was renamed in 2016, in honor of Samantha Pence, former principal and teacher at New Hope Christian Academy. Pence was a servant leader who touched the lives of everyone in the New Hope community in a very special way. 

new hope’s innovative campus

New Hope’s campus grounds encompasses an extraordinary courtyard with an array of adventurous learning spaces, including reading areas, art murals, and a pond filled with a variety of fish, and extends to an Urban Farm and Urban Forest, located directly across from the school.

Students and teachers get a chance to explore curriculum opportunities from gardening and horticulture, to science, reading, math, and even outdoor play. Maintained by New Hope’s horticulturist David Vaughan, the Farm and Forest are utilized as a way for students to promote long-lasting learning through relevant contexts.

Students discover real-world experiences through active observation and reflection. With over 215 plant varieties, the Farm and Forest spaces cultivate an excitement for the outdoors and engage students in hands-on learning experiences.

From building tree houses and reading decks in the Forest, to planting new bulbs for a spring bloom, and even harvesting fruits and veggies to make room for new seeds to grow in the Farm, Pence Day of Service offers an extraordinary insight to what everyday outdoor learning looks like for students at New Hope.

About New Hope Christian Academy

As an educational pillar of the Frayser neighborhood, New Hope has been pivotal in the lives of young people (and their families) for over 25 years and has the data to prove it — $1.4 million in scholarships awarded annually, 98% of New Hope graduates accepted into college, 99% of New Hope students graduate high school, and 69% of graduates have received or are pursuing post-secondary education. With a focus of teaching, learning, and discipleship, New Hope’s classroom communities allow each student to see themselves as being made in the image of God. Almost 90% of the school’s operational budget is donation-funded.

“New Hope believes discipleship is key to impacting students and that there is a greater impact on students when others join in the process,” says Amber Bryan ('07), alumna and board member at New Hope Christian Academy.

While New Hope is an elementary school, enrolling students from PK3 - 6th grade, the Alumni & Scholarship Office (ASO) supports New Hope graduates (after 6th grade) as they transition to middle school, high school, and beyond. ASO seeks to maintain and strengthen relationships with graduates by extending the vision of New Hope - equipping students with the tools necessary to serve as God’s image-bearers, while effectively pursuing high school graduation, college education, and the vocation to which the Lord leads them.

For questions, scheduling, or media access, please contact Dana Johnson, director of marketing and communications, at djohnson@newhopememphis.org.