Christian young people are inundated with worldly “callings” to pursue goals that are inadequate and ultimately unsatisfying. They are constantly being lured into counterfeit purposes that fall far short of God’s highest and best: personal happiness (apart from fellowship with God), popularity and acceptance, relationships and sexual activity, success (academic, artistic, athletic, material, social), and the pursuit of their desires to have, do, and believe what they want with no accountability to an absolute standard of truth.
The purpose of the University-Model® is to cooperate with parents who aspire to train their children to live as responsible Kingdom citizens of the world. The UM® school, therefore, emphasizes discipleship instead of evangelization and uses its resources to train young adults who are willing, equipped, and courageous to impact their world in order to glorify God.

The UM® is a five-day academic program with junior and senior high students spending 3 days in the central classroom and 2 days in their “satellite classroom” at home. Both classrooms are under the supervision of the professional educator. The key to success of the concept is the integration of a biblically based, parent-guided, Christian faith and a sound, teacher-directed, academic environment. Parents partner with professional educators in this educational process. Under the supervision of the qualified educator, parents are required to provide oversight responsibilities of their student’s coursework in the satellite classroom. The teachers are in charge of all direct instruction in the central classroom, and they encourage and expect students to learn the material assigned through independent practice and homework.

Educators, parents, and graduates who have been involved in the UM® believe the following about the UM® alternative Model® of education:

• The university schedule eliminates the adjustment to a college schedule.
• Parents in the satellite classroom who partner with the UM® school not only reinforce the direct teaching in the central classroom but they also teach their student study skills and organizational skills which have been shown through research to be highly correlated with good grades in college.
• The emphasis on character development and family ministry in the UM® results in a strong discipleship approach, thus students are much more likely to enter college as Christian students who will not fall away from their faith.

The direct involvement required of parents in the UM® results in a strong relationship between parents and their children.