The Jesuits had a saying: “Give us a child for his first seven years, and he is ours for life.” Recognizing the importance of early events to Christian formation, the American branch of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge has several projects that benefit children and adolescents. For example:

• Each student graduating from Holy Trinity School in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, receives a Creole Bible, which often is the only Bible in the student’s family. SPCK/USA has distributed nearly 2,000 Creole Bibles through this program.
  
  
• African authors have written several Christian storybooks to inspire and educate Swahili-speaking children. SPCK/USA subsidizes publication of these books.
  
  
• SPCK/USA endows a Summer Bible Camp for Cuban children who would not otherwise have this experience. The approximately 80 campers enjoy healthy meals, craft projects, and Bible study.
  
  
• The library at the Lillian Valley Indian School in Idaho is a reality, thanks in part to SPCK/USA. The elders of the Shoshone Bannock tribe established the school to ensure that their children, regardless of their economic status, would be given the opportunity to excel academically in the context of the values of their Christian tradition and their tribal culture.

To learn more about the diverse ministries of SPCK/USA - call (931-598-1103), write (pposan@sewanee.edu) or visit the organization’s website (www.sewanee.edu/spck/).