Strategic Priorities 2024-2028

Des Moines Christian School’s 2024 – 2028 Strategic Plan is designed to position the school as a leader in providing an outstanding education for students in early education - 12th grade. Rooted in a foundation of Christian faith, DMC nurtures students in an engaging school community that focuses on students; prioritizes relationships between staff, students and families; and uniquely equips students to recognize their God-given gifts and talents. 

The plan focuses on deepening learning to maximize each student’s potential; strengthening instructional practices; expanding opportunities to accomplish more together through enrollment and philanthropy; and board and strategic governance.

Deepening Student Learning
Strategic Academic Plan

DMC’s strategic academic plan embraces our vision to support student learning, behavior and social-emotional needs. This comprehensive plan intentionally focuses on four key areas to deepen student learning.

  1. Faculty that know your child and introduce activities that enhance cognitive capacity. Teachers infuse levels of cognitive thinking into lessons and prepare students to infer, analyze, summarize, organize, hypothesize, and describe their thinking. When visiting a DMC classroom, you may see inquiry-based learning, labs and experiments, group discussion, or guided reading.
  2.  Instruction that puts the child first. Teachers know each child and plan for academic, behavioral, and mental health needs in the classroom while also creating an engaging learning environment.
  3. Student achievement is impacted through passionate and inspired teaching. With significant funding for professional development, DMC fosters a love of lifelong learning for teachers who are able to attend state and national conferences in best practices, pursue masters degrees to hone skills as an educator, and lead peers in research-based strategies during teacher in service or through mentoring opportunities. The commitment to learning develops teachers who are credible, competent, prepared, and able to nurture children’s hearts and minds.
  4. Formational learning experiences that engage students in real-world opportunities to impact the world for Christ. At the heart of learning at Des Moines Christian School is the foundation of forming a biblical worldview in children of all ages. Whether learning to be good stewards through recycling, loving neighbors through community service, seeking to make disciples through mission work, or following God’s calling in career and family, children fuel a passion for seeing God’s kingdom spread in our local community and beyond.

Protecting and Providing for the Mission

Governance
Implementing best practices in nonprofit governance ensures the DMC Board of Trustees intentionally protects DMC’s mission to equip minds and nurture hearts to impact the world for Christ, both now and in the future. The board also manages strategic investments in the school, to ensure the mission is provided for through responsible stewardship and fiscal management.

Expanding God’s Kingdom

Enrollment and Philanthropy
DMC’s culture is one of generosity. Our four-year strategic plan establishes goals to achieve our strategic priorities through tuition and philanthropy. Our plans include four giving priorities: Capital (for the current campus and a future campus), Student Experience (Lion Fund), Families (Tuition Assistance), and Future Generations (Endowment).