UMEI Christian High School in Leamington, Ont., has enthusiastically embarked on a school renewal project. Project Renew began in the spring and is well underway. The project addresses the need for sustainable enrolment numbers at the school and is tackling the issue on many fronts. Project Renew asks for donations totalling $800,000 over the next two years, the largest single request by the school in its history. More than $300,000 has been raised already. The funds are being used to offset the cost of tuition for some students and provide transportation to and from the school, which is out of town. This has positively affected the school’s enrolment this year. The board has moved the recruitment duties to staff members, engaging Chani Wiens as the half-time director of enrolment and community engagement. The administrative duties have been shuffled to allow the principal, Sonja Bedel, more time to work on big-picture initiatives. The school is also planning some renovation and fundraising projects that will be undertaken by volunteers.
—By Barry Bergen / Special to Canadian Mennonite
