About Us
ACSI is a professional organization serving Christian schools worldwide since 1978. From its headquarters in Colorado Springs and through its 28 strategically located offices, ACSI associates and represents more than 23,000 Christian educational centers in one hundred countries, serving a student population of over 5 million worldwide.
The continental office for Latin America (ACSI LATINOAMÉRICA) operates in Guatemala, providing resources, programs and services in Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean.
Our History
Association of Christian Schools International was born in 1978 as a result of the merger of three regional associations of Christian schools in the United States. Its founders are Dr. Roy Lowrie Jr. and Dr. Paul Kienel, who served as the first CEO. From the beginning, the intention was to serve educational centers around the world and that is why the word “international” was included in its name, thanks to the vision of another of the co-founders, Dr. Gene Garrick. ACSI's first headquarters was located in Southern California where there was a high concentration of Christian schools.
Until 1988, the majority of the association's member schools were located in North America, with some international member schools serving the missionary community. It was in 1989 that Dr. Phil Renicks, Director of Missions, met Estuardo Salazar and his wife Sheny through a link from a Christian school in California whose director, George Runner, introduced them. In February 1990, the Salazars were commissioned by the ACSI General Assembly to serve as the first non-US regional directors located outside of North American territory.
The ACSI Latin America office opened its doors in Guatemala City on April 2, 1990, organizing the first National Convention of Evangelical Educators six months later. The first book published was the Encyclopedia of Biblical Truths for School Subjects, followed shortly after by the curricular series Fundamentals of Character. Gilda Patricia Cifuentes was the first secretary to share office space with the Salazar spouses on the tenth level of the El Centro Building, in zone 1 of Guatemala City. The office equipment was an Apple Macintosh SE computer, an Apple ImageWriter II printer, and a Panasonic FAX machine.
From 1990 to 2000 was a decade of accelerated expansion. Stuart visited every country on the continent, organizing conferences and conventions to publicize this ministry. Educational leaders from each country were identified and at the end of that decade they met in Guatemala at a symposium called Summit 2000. A year later, in Foz de Iguazú, a Summit 2001 was reproduced for the Southern Cone and Brazil. strategic objectives that would mark the second decade of ACSILAT
The decade from 2001-2010 was one of strategic growth. Offices were established in Paraguay, Brazil and the Dominican Republic. Technology began to be used more effectively. Conventions, leadership conferences, and more publications attracted high membership numbers. New resources, programs and services were developed and the team of collaborators grew to become the largest ACSI office internationally.
The third decade of ACSI Latin America is characterized by solid consolidation. Signs of organizational maturity appear, such as the establishment of ACSI Educational Resources, the implementation of a healthy functional governance scheme, and the clear definition of roles and responsibilities in the team. New representations, alliances and distributions establish ACSI's presence in key countries. The COVID crisis tests the strength of the organization.
The best is yet to come. A blessed leadership succession process is anticipated. The new decade must be characterized by adaptive innovation. New scenarios point towards a renewed way of formulating and advancing the mission. The global climate of accelerated change forces the necessary adaptability. What does not change is the vision and commitment to transform the future of Latin America through Christian education.