Is boarding even Biblical?

The Bible is full of stories of teenagers living and being educated away from home. 

Moses, Joseph, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, & Abednego, Samuel, David, Esther ... Can you think of others?

Isn't boarding an unecessary middle step with too much transition?

Many workers in Central Asia live in villages and cities that are worlds apart from their passport countries.  While it may be possible to homeschool through high school, the inevitable transition to the students’ passport country is formidable.  The jump from living and studying at home with Mom and Dad to a university setting with its variety of professors, opinions, residential living and cultural adjustments represents a considerable discrepancy.  In a boarding program, students learn to interface with a variety of teachers and teaching methods, students and interpersonal relationships-- all in a protected environment.  It's a great stepping stone!

My child seems to be well-adjusted in our current situation...I think.  How can I know if they're normal?

Boarding offers a unique opportunity for comparative feedback that worker parents around Central Asia don't usually get.  One parent reported that she did not realize her daughter was a gifted writer until a teacher (who has taught classrooms of students) pointed it out.  In a homeschool or national school situation parents struggle to determine when their children are above or falling below average.  Central Asia Boarding students will benefit from such academic feedback.

What is "Social Capital?"

All around the globe, families in rural areas choose boarding school for their children’s social development.  They recognize that academic knowledge in the real world requires a certain degree of social skill.  The adolescent years are especially crucial for social development as a child’s identity in the family naturally turns outward to having an identity in society.  Expat adolescents homeschooling in isolation run the risk of developing a low "social IQ."  Those with adequate national interaction face a steep learning curve both in cultural adaptation and their own identity once they return to their passport countries.  Boarding gives ample opportunity, both in the classroom and in the boarding house, to develop critical social skills.

My child doesn't get many "normal" teenager experiences.  What can CAB offer in the way of broader opportunties?

Many Central Asia-based expat workers serve in areas with undesirable or limited extra-curricular opportunities for their children.  Boarding students have access to sports, drama, art, music, and community options.  Sports tournaments, school plays, robotics courses and pottery projects just might awaken some latent talent.

My child prefers their own space.  What do you mean by "community life?"

Whether in preparation for university/college residential life, a new job, or simply as a member of the Body of Christ, boarding offers a platform to experience life in community.  Individualistic westerners share rooms and meals with communal easterners.  High school boarding students enjoy a headstart in handling conflict with roommates and housemates in a supportive, nurturing environment  long before they attend college or enter marriage.  Central Asia Boarding will serve as a training ground for students to learn “to live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus” (Rom. 15:5).

My child doesn't have many friends their age in our current situation.  What do relationships look like at CAB?

For Third Culture Kids (TCKs) who may not have deep geographical roots, horizontal roots serve as a stabilizing force.  The amount of time boarding students spend together develops social skills with an international group of peers and cultivates deep, lasting relationships.  Many boarding students go on to treasure and continue investing in these relationships for life.