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Agape at the Lighthouse Academy’s vision is to help develop our boys and girls into men and women who will display integrity, have good morals and are of good characters. Our children will learn to love everyone, experiencing joy and peace. We will teach them how to be patient, show kindness and be good to each other. Our dignitaries will be faithful and gentle, displaying self-control as they enter into different environments to be positive role models to their peers.
We encourage positive social interactions and allow students to develop life skills that are necessary to excel in society. We offer our toddlers sensory experiences, allowing them to make their own brain connection and hold onto what they connect with. Our school aged students will learn how to solve life issues in a positive way respecting themselves, their peers and adults. We believe that a child that has control of their thoughts, words and actions will have a better chance of being successful in their endeavors. AATLA believes that children who are nurtured with love, will freely give love. Our mission is to develop great men and women for tomorrow, one child at a time.
Nathaleen Ward-Hylton is the founder of Agape at the Lighthouse, a primary level academic institution, that will equip children from age 2 to 12 years. Mrs. Ward-Hylton is a wife, a mother of five sons, with the youngest being 16 years of age, and a grandmother of five, three girls and two boys. Her passion has always been the well-being of children. She adores children and has always strived to provide a balance of love and constructive guidance in their lives. One of her core beliefs is that if you’ve never invested quality time or contributed to a child’s upbringing, then you have no right to correct them when they make mistakes and to suggest improvements for success. This principle underscores the importance of devoting time and expressing love and patience while nurturing and inspiring children to become responsible and productive adults. With the focus and guidance of Yahuah, the Creator of all things, Mrs. Ward-Hylton envisioned establishing an academic environment where children can learn and thrive holistically.
Over the last six years, she transformed her vision with the inaugural establishment of Trinity Academy in Conyers, Georgia, USA, which progressed in to Agape Academy Daycare in Snellville, Georgia, USA in 2017. During this time, Mrs. Ward-Hylton molded the lives of countless children, who have now passed through the doors of Agape Academy Daycare and advanced to local elementary schools, showing remarkable growth in academic performance and social behaviors. Testimonials from their parents and elementary teachers affirmed the exceptional knowledge and skill-enhancing foundation provided at the Agape Academy Daycare. Using lessons learnt and a new vision for expansion, the Agape Academy Daycare has transition to Agape at the Lighthouse in 2024 to the Central region of Ghana, Africa.
Agape at the Lighthouse will offer an invigorating, interactive, and creative learning environment for students ages 2-12 years old. Students will receive a well-rounded education that will welcome their curious inquiry and challenge their intellect. They will receive a formal education that will fully equip them with the knowledge and skills for advancing to secondary school but will inform and nurture their faith in the creator of the universe with the support of parents and the community. Students will be taught how to navigate a complex world and how to counteract social norms of prevailing cultures and to remain wholesome despite setbacks and challenges. Parents and caregivers will be kept involved and informed through parent-teacher and staff interactions and connections (e.g., voluntary assignments, meetings, webinars and social events) to ensure mutual reinforcement of positive behaviors and a consistent learning and living environment for students.
Students will be provided opportunities for respectful and trustworthy dialogues, to ask questions, brainstorm new ideas, seeking as well as participating in implementing solutions to ensure a safe, productive and nurturing learning environment. Leaders and staff of Agape at the Lighthouse will embody and model openness and confidence in the principles and values of the school – setting positive examples for students to embrace and follow. The best decision parents can make is choosing the right school for their children. Agape at the Lighthouse is ready to work with parents making that choice. We strongly believe that quality education is not a privilege of the few but rather the undeniable right of every child.
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019-2020, enrollment at Agape Academy Daycare in the U.S. declined significantly resulting in its closure in March of 2021. The children from the daycare have now transitioned into other academic environments and the feasibility of continuing the school in the same location is no longer a viable option. Therefore, the founder of this academic institution is now being led to carry this dream across the Atlantic ocean to Ghana, her ancestral home. This move is aligned with an international quest, supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAID)’s mission, for improving the quality of early education in Ghana to enhance effective citizenship. According to the Statista report in 2023, over 482,000 girls and 513,000 boys were not enrolled in primary school in Ghana in 2021, which is partly due to the lack of adequate infrastructure, particularly in rural areas. Agape at the Lighthouse Academy will be established in the Central Region of Ghana, outside of the major city of Accra, to address this need by providing culturally relevant education at the primary level to students ages 2-12 years old from middle to low income families.
This age group was selected as the founder of this institution believes that the first 12 years of a person’s life lay the foundation for cognitive development and enhancement, skill-building and goal-setting aspirations for future accomplishments across the lifespan. It is well documented that early childhood development sets the foundation for life-long learning, behavior, and health. Positive early childhood experiences will equip children mentally and socially with the knowledge, skills and abilities to respond to lifelong stresses and challenges. Students at Agape at the Lighthouse will be nurtured in a loving interactive environment through social connections, affirmations, and positive reinforcement that will enhance their physical and mental wellbeing. The overarching mission of Agape at the Lighthouse is to ensure that every child who enters through its doors receives the opportunity to fulfill their highest potential. Students will gain the knowledge and skills to be creative thinkers, problem-solvers and productive citizen of their community, country, and the world.
Nathaleen Ward-Hylton
She has over 20 years of experience working with children from being the founder and principal of Agape Academy Daycare to substitute teaching at elementary, middle, and high school in the Gwinnett County school district in Georgia. She started this life-long dream of teaching and molding young minds when she began taking care of children in her home in New Jersey, which continued when she moved to Georgia. Mrs. Ward-Hylton was the youth leader at her local church in Georgia for two years. She holds an Associate Degree in Business Management, a Certificate in Early Childhood Care and Education Basics from Gwinnett Technical College in Lawrenceville, Georgia.
Mrs. Ward-Hylton honed the skills of educating and nurturing by applying practical tools, learning from the life experiences of each child that she encountered. Her commitment to instilling a love for learning, while guiding each child’s wholesome connection with the Creator of the universe, and setting high standards reflects her belief that our youth can thrive in any circumstances. She refer to 1 Corinthians 2:9, which reminds us, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which Yahuah hath prepared for them that love Him.” With faith in the process, she believes and trust that the children who passes through the doors of Agape at the Lighthouse will achieve great things – a strong proclamation, that the best is yet to come
Janet Ward
I’m Janet. A loving caring optimistic mother of one and aunt to many! Middle child of 6 siblings. I enjoy flower gardening, I find it very rewarding, therapeutic and put me in a happy place. I admire my resilience in whatever life brings. Professionally, I sit in the accounting field for over 25 years. I am committed and submitted to the Most High Yah and aim to live a life pleasing to him daily. I believe in the good I want for myself I want for others.
Teanna Barrett
Teanna Barrett is the Social Media and Technology Ambassador for the Agape at the Lighthouse Academy. She is a proud Jamaican American currently living in Seattle, Washington to pursue her PhD in Computer Science at the University of Washington. In her free time she enjoys crocheting, baking, singing and practicing yoga. She has a passion for understanding how technology can be a tool to support Black liberation. She has deeply benefited from the academic support she has received and is honored to contribute to enriching the learning of Black children with the Agape at the Lighthouse Academy!
Mechelle Dixon
God as my anchor, I am a wife and mother of three children, born in Chicago, Illinois, and currently residing in Atlanta, Georgia. With more than two decades of experience as a special education teacher and behavioral therapist. My motivation has always been to assist those in need and offer support to those encountering difficulties. “Everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”
~Martin Luther King, Jr.
Tika Murphy
Tika Murphy is a compassionate and driven individual who graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. Growing up with raising her younger sister and brother, she learned the value of family and connection early on.
With a passion for helping others, Tika found her calling in helping lower income families and children on the spectrum. Her patience, empathy, and understanding make her a natural fit for this challenging yet rewarding field.
In her free time, Tika enjoys hiking, reading, and exploring new cuisines. She believes in living life to the fullest and making a positive impact wherever she goes.
AATLA believes that children who are nurtured with love, will freely give love. Our mission is to develop great men and women for tomorrow, one child at a time.
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