After many years in the public school system, sister-in-laws Alena Phillips and Jamie Porter began exploring outside opportunities. They loved teaching, but the public school system that they were a part of was not conducive to their lifestyles. After exploring different avenues, Alena and Jamie established HomeGrown Christian Learning Center in March 2023.
They began exploring different ways to implement homeschooling but still utilize their skills as educators. After speaking with other parents in the community, Alena and Jamie realized there was a need for biblically-centered learning.
To further explore their idea, Alena and Jamie met with the pastor of Osceola First Christian Church. Through discussion, the pastor revealed that he had been searching for ways to increase youth engagement within the church. He encouraged them to pursue their idea of opening HomeGrown and supported them wholeheartedly throughout their journey.
As they worked toward opening the learning center, the pair had to āwear a lot of different hats,ā said Alena. They stepped into the roles of business owners and educators at full force. They took care of the marketing all the way down to lesson planning. If a role was to be filled, they stepped in and fulfilled it. Through their efforts, they have worked to embody āthe heart of a family business.ā
Through all of the surprises and challenges, however, Alena and Jamie continually think about the different ways that God is working through them.
HomeGrown Christian Learning Center has been built with a mission to āempower families to develop a love of learning that is rooted in the truth of Godās word.ā Their mission āencourages the HomeGrown community to work together as parents, students, teachers and community members in order to teach future generations the value and the importance of Christian Education through the truth of Godās Word.ā
HomeGrown Christian Learning Center officially opened its doors to students in September 2023. They started the year with 12 students ages 5 to 12 years old. By the end of the year, they had grown to 14 students.
With their group of students, Alena and Jamie have been able to provide a personalized education that is tailored to their individual needs. Alena emphasized how amazing it is to see the small triumphs every day as she works with students and watches them grow in their faith.
At HomeGrown, the community is very important to the program. āWe want our community to get plugged in any way possible. We want our students to be surrounded by positive role models and to see what it looks like to be a productive member of a thriving community.ā Every Friday is devoted to community service, and every Tuesday and Thursday, HomeGrown welcomes members from the community to talk about their jobs and hobbies.
Next year, HomeGrown Christian Learning Center will officially be an accredited learning center. Alena and Jamie are extremely proud of this accomplishment and are looking forward to how their students will benefit from it. In addition to the accreditation, HomeGrown plans to expand by hiring more teachers so they can serve more students.
When reflecting on her experience with the Iowa SBDC, Alena said that they had a very positive experience with Jamie David, South Central Iowa SBDCās Regional Director. She helped Alena and Jamie with financial projections and budgeting, as well as tailoring documents to best fit their needs. Jamie provided great financial knowledge and assistance while applying for grants. With her assistance, Alena and Jamie were able to navigate through uncertainty and prosper.
Alenaās Advice: āPray on it. Make sure that it [starting a business] is really something you want to do. It will take a lot of dedication, but it will be worth it.ā
