Choosing the right school is not just about where your child goes—it’s about who they are becoming.
At Charis Academy, we begin differently. Before you explore the school, we take time to understand your child—your hopes, your concerns, and what matters most to your family.
You want more than education—you want formation.
You want your child grounded in faith, strong in character, and prepared for a changing world. You want a school that strengthens what you are building at home.
That is why Charis Academy exists: to partner with families in developing future-ready students who are prepared to live with purpose and act with integrity.
Before you decide anything, let’s understand what matters most to your family.
45 years of history.
A mission just getting started.
Charis Academy has been rooted in the Hazleton community for nearly five decades. Like any school committed to serving real families in a real city, we have experienced seasons that required hard work, renewal, and recommitment.
What emerged was a clearer focus: forming students in faith, character, and life readiness alongside families and community partners. We are not a school with a mission—we are a mission with a school.
STEM Learning
Explore, experiment, and innovate in advanced STEM spaces designed to develop critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills.
Professional Art
Develop creativity and artistic expression through professional instruction and partnerships with local artists and cultural organizations.
City-wide Athletic
Build strength, teamwork, discipline, and confidence through access to city-wide athletic and physical development opportunities.
Food Ecosystem
Benefit from a growing nutrition-focused ecosystem designed to support student wellness, healthy habits, and consistent nourishment.
Entrepreneurship Training
Learn entrepreneurial thinking, leadership, and ownership skills through real-world experiences and college-level faculty engagement.
Digital Fluency & Technology
Develop confidence with technology through hands-on digital learning, innovation tools, and future-focused technology integration.
Workforce-Aligned Learning
Gain relevant knowledge and practical skills through learning experiences connected to regional workforce and industry needs.
Career Readiness & Exposure
Explore career pathways through workplace experiences, professional mentorship, and real-world exposure that prepares students for the future.
City-as-Campus Network of Learning Environments
Today, students engage in a growing, city-as-campus network of learning environments that extend far beyond school walls, including:
Equipping students
Grounded in faith and formed in character, rooted in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ
Real-World Skills
Preparing students with real-world skills such as budgeting, digital literacy, and entrepreneurship
City as an Extended Campus
Using the city as an extended campus for learning
Conversational Learning
Pursuing academic excellence, discussion-based learning, critical thinking, and integrity
Charis Academy is a faith-centered school committed to
We partner with families to develop students who are
Confident & Grounded
Students develop a strong sense of identity, purpose, and personal responsibility.
Prepared for Opportunity
Students graduate with practical experience and skills that translate into future success.
Community Contributors
Students learn to serve, lead, and create positive change within their communities.
Purpose-Driven
Students pursue meaningful lives guided by faith, direction, and a commitment to impact.
Confident & Grounded
Students develop a strong sense of identity, purpose, and personal responsibility.
Prepared for Opportunity
Students graduate with practical experience and skills that translate into future success.
Community Contributors
Students learn to serve, lead, and create positive change within their communities.
Purpose-Driven
Students pursue meaningful lives guided by faith, direction, and a commitment to impact.
We partner with families to develop students who are:
Our History
Charis Academy (CA), formerly known as Immanuel Christian School, was founded in 1979 and has been serving the Greater Hazleton area for over 40 years. CA is a non-denominational, non-public school. We believe that Christian education is much more than chapel and Bible class. We encourage an environment where students can grow in character, wisdom, and discernment to pursue the life God has called each of them to live. We have high academic standards with an emphasis on character development.
Charis Academy is a member of the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) and the Mid-Atlantic Christian Schools Association (MACSA).
Rooted in Grace, Igniting Wonder, Inspiring Creativity
Mission
To provide high-quality, Jesus-centered education that equips students to become lifelong learners, innovators, pioneers, and servants–ready to transform their communities, shape the future, and break cycles of poverty through purpose, integrity, and faith.
Vision
To raise and release a movement of young people who carry both their God-given gifts and the good news of Jesus into their cities and circles.
The Five Initiatives of Charis Academy
Charis Academy operates using five points of focus when making decisions. Each initiative is directed by a foundational team of individuals who gather regularly to discuss the school, its mission, and its vision for the future.
1
High-Quality
Education
Ensuring accessible, quality learning opportunites for all who want it.
2
Grace Culture
Fostering a grace-filled organizational culture.
3
Financial Stability & Generosity
Maintaining financial health while being generous.
4
City Impact
Making a positive difference in our community and encouraging students to do so in their own.
5
Future-Ready
Preparing our school and our students for future challenges and opportunities.