Classes start Monday and include core subjects like math, reading, writing, and science, as well as electives like languages, coding, art, and physical education and extracurricular activities like dance, music lessons, and theater

The Firmly Planted Homeschool Resource Center (FPHRC) celebrated the grand opening of its new building Wednesday (Sept. 6) evening. Complete with a ribbon cutting and family activities, the event was attended by over 500 people, including some who flew from states as far away as Missouri to be a part of it.

“This model,” said FPHRC founder Heidi St. John, “is being watched around the world.” St. John added that people from all over the country call to get help with starting something similar to the resource center in their area. That’s because, she said, parents are increasingly concerned over what is happening to families and children in our culture.

“The main thing we want people to know is that the Firmly Planted Family is a direct answer to prayer,” said St. John. “It shows that God cares what’s happening to our children. Firmly Planted represents a whole lot of amazing Christian people coming together to address a real crisis in our culture, and that is what’s happening to families.” She said the center is working to encourage and strengthen families through classes offered to students, but also through parenting and marriage workshops. “We are building a light in the community in these ways.”

St. John said that the credit for the new building and the success of FPHRC in general goes to “hundreds of people coming together and giving their gift of time, resources, money, and influence.” She added, “This is 100 percent community driven.”

Fundraisers were held throughout the last year to help the nonprofit raise the millions of dollars needed for the building. St. John said that an extremely generous local businessman played a huge role in the purchase, along with parents from around Clark County and the country. The nonprofit was also the recipient of grant money.

“Firmly Planted, and the grand opening event, are the result of an enormous effort of hundreds of volunteers who come together to make this happen,” St. John said.

The grand opening was emceed by St. John’s son-in-law, Ryan Bates. The event hosted worship led by Jay St. John, Heidi’s husband, and several of their seven children. Board members of the Firmly Planted nonprofit flew in from around the country to celebrate with the St. Johns and the hundreds of families who take advantage of the resources available at FPHRC.

Summer St. John, Jay and Heidi’s daughter, compiled a documentary to show the growth of Firmly Planted since the idea’s inception about 25 years ago. This is when the St. Johns noticed that homeschooling families were lacking community, and they started the homeschooling co-op called First Class Homeschool Ministries in Mount Vernon. When they moved to Vancouver in 2004, they built another co-op that morphed and grew into the FPHRC of today.

Heidi St. John said that when the bathroom policies of the public schools began to change in 2016, mainly that students would be allowed to use whichever gender bathroom they chose, she and Jay recognized that co-ops were not going to be able to fill the needs of the number of families that would be fleeing public education. After much prayer, they found a building in Vancouver that could accommodate the supplemental classes they envisioned for homeschooling families.

Just a few years later, the Firmly Planted community outgrew that building, which led to the purchase of the new East Vancouver location.

Classes at the center start Monday (Sept. 11) and include core subjects like math, reading, writing, and science, as well as electives like languages, coding, art, and physical education and extracurricular activities like dance, music lessons, and theater.