Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI)
an organization that provides a network of over 20,000 schools around the world with training and resources
About Us
What can have a lasting impact on a community?
This is the question that ultimately drove three pioneering organizations to come together in 2024 to create Spero Learning Society:
Westbow Gives Back (Westbow)
the philanthropic arm of the Westbow group of Companies that has built and funded schools around the world and whose mission is to impact 1,000,000 lives through education
Kelowna Christian Center Society (KCCS)
the church organization that founded Heritage Christian Online School (HCOS) and StudyForge Digital Curriculum (StudyForge)
Considering the history of these organizations, its not surprising that their answer to the question of long-term impact was the same that Christians have given for almost two thousand years:
High-Quality Education
But what does high-quality education look like in the 21st century? Increasingly, there is the conviction that this entails a digital aspect. Digital content can be more engaging than traditional paper-based resources, in addition to being more flexible and easily updated.
Thus, these three organizations resolved to pool their passion, expertise and resources in pursuit of this goal. In order to have a central place to pursue this vision the three organizations founded Spero Learning Society, a non-profit organization headquartered in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. The software platform previously known as StudyForge was transitioned to the Spero Learning Society, and the collaborative investment is enabling the acceleration of the vision of that original platform.
Looking ahead
Our strategic vision:
- 01
Offer the best-in-class digital platform for distributing K-12 content.
- 02
Empower publishers with our platform to create the highest quality content and achieve success.
- 03
Distribute that content to those who need it around the world, at low or no cost when necessary.
Our Board of Directors
Bringing together experience in education, business, and community.
Chair
Jason Siebenga
Jason chairs Spero’s board and previously served as President of BigSteelBox. Alongside his business leadership, he has served as Board Chair at Metro Community in Kelowna as well as Board Chair of Kelowna Christian School. His experience brings together entrepreneurship, organizational leadership, and service to the local community.
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Treasurer
Craig Kwiatkowski
Craig is Chief Operating Officer of Kelowna Christian Center Society, the organization behind HCOS and Flex Academy. He serves as Spero’s Treasurer, bringing the perspective of an organization with deep roots in Christian education and community.
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Director
John Klingstedt
John serves as Chief of Staff at the Association of Christian Schools International. His background spans corporate finance, accounting, and Christian school leadership, including service at Prestonwood Christian Academy. He brings experience in both education and organizational stewardship to Spero’s board.
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Director
Sara Kraushar
Sara is Head of Schools for Heritage Christian Online School and Flex Academy. With a master’s degree in digital, open, and online learning leadership, she helps shape flexible, student-centred education. Her work includes launching Flex Academy and supporting Christian education in Canada and Uganda.
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Director
Nick Westeringh
Nick is CEO of Westbow Capital, with experience in construction, real estate development, and investing. Through Westbow gives back, he has invested in schools and educational programming in many countries including Guatemala, Haiti, and Kenya.
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Director
Brett Henry
Brett serves as Chief Operating Officer at the Association of Christian Schools International. His work has included leadership of educational resources and service as CEO and Head of School of Sevenstar, ACSI’s online education ministry. He brings a background in digital education and educational resources.
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Let’s build a lasting impact.
For those who share the conviction that a high-quality education has the greatest long-term impact on human thriving in a community, consider building your educational content on the cutting-edge Spero Learning Platform, or join in the vision of sharing your content with the world and join the growing network of publishers in the Spero Learning Alliance.