The Myers Park Presbyterian Church Weekday School serves church and community families through two main programs. The Half-Day Program, begun in 1944, educates 246 students ages one through five and employs 43 teachers and staff, while the Full-Day Program, initiated in 2010 as a licensed five-star program, serves 60 students ages six weeks through age five and employs 14 teachers and staff. Additionally, the Weekday Wonders summer camp program provides full-day week-long camps for ages K-5th grade. In each of these programs, the Weekday School is committed to offering the highest quality education available in an environment where children grow into their identity as a child of God, have a sense of belonging, and are nurtured in discipleship as they grow in faith.
While every child has the right to a superior education from an early age, sometimes economic factors can limit access to these opportunities. To address this need and expand the program to even more children, the Weekday School established the Croft Scholarship Fund in 1995. The fund’s namesake honors the late Rev. Tim Croft who served as pastor of MPPC from 1987 to 1995, and his wife, Margaret Croft. This endowed fund exists to provide Weekday School scholarships for families who have demonstrated financial need, as well as promote diversity within the school. In 2018, the fund helped provide partial tuition for two students who would not otherwise be able to attend the Weekday School.
“The scholarship was such a blessing for my family. I was able to have peace of mind knowing my children were in a school that truly cares for them,” says one parent who received the scholarship. They were relieved at the opportunity to keep all of their children in the same school and not have to travel to different schools each day. “I wanted my son to have a chance at early education, and during the time we had some financial hardships,” they continue. “When we learned we could apply for the scholarship we knew it was not only important to us but to the church as well. We cannot thank them enough for that opportunity for our son to get not only closer with God but also to have a head start in his education”.
The Weekday School Board hopes to continue growing the Croft Scholarship Fund to help open the doors of the Weekday School to more of God’s children.