So what is this BFA place, anyway?
How convenient that you asked! 🙂
BFA is short for Black Forest Academy. It’s a grade 5-12 school located in the Black Forest region of Germany, a short drive away from both France and Switzerland. BFA has been around since 1956, serving the children of international Christian workers and business families whose children do not have other viable educational opportunities. Around 350 students attend BFA, with over 200 in the high school alone. About 50% of BFA’s high schoolers are boarding students; these students represent over 50 different countries! How amazing is that?! The BFA boarding program is a really special place, a home away from home for a remarkably diverse, yet incredibly unified, group of high school students.
So why do students choose to attend BFA? As mentioned before, many students at BFA don’t have other good options in the countries where there parents are serving. I’ll use myself as an example: in 10th grade, my parents lived in Central Asia. Our local international school only offered classes through 9th grade. So when I entered 10th grade, the only options available to my family were to 1) homeschool me, 2) send me to live with extended family in the States, 3) leave the field entirely, or 4) send me to BFA. After a lot of conversations (and many tears on my mom’s part), we chose BFA. It was the right choice for me. I made so many friends and was able to take part in clubs, sports, Student Council, and Advanced Placement classes. For me, BFA was a safe place to have a “normal” high school life, form lifelong friendships, grow deeper in my faith, and experience a deep sense of belonging as I lived alongside other Third Culture Kids. (Oooh, another strange term. That’s a post for another day!)
Living apart from one’s parents is never really ideal. But for hundreds of families every year, BFA is a home away from home for their high school-aged children. Keane and I are so excited to join the staff team that makes it possible for these students to live and learn in a safe, fun, Christ-centered environment, and indirectly support Christian workers around the world.