Vocational Program

Olive Grove Christian School is preparing youth to live out their faith through honest work, practical skills, and responsible citizenship. Our vocational framework has three connected parts that work together to build Christian character and real-world skill:

1. The Vocational Class Program, a one-day-per-week class providing foundational training after eighth grade;

2. The Co-op Education Program, which partners students with approved local businesses

3. The Volunteer Work Program, which sends student teams to serve families and community members

We are thankful for our forefathers who, in 1955, worked with the state to establish the Amish Vocational Plan (14-year-old school). This allows our children to meet Pennsylvania’s school attendance law through vocational training after eighth grade. We believe it is our duty before God to honor the agreement they made. Olive Grove Christian School will continue under this exemption. All 8th grade graduates must attend at least one day of vocational class per week to meet compulsory attendance and to receive a graduation certificate.

Under Section 1330-3 of the Pennsylvania School Code, students may also meet compulsory attendance in other ways:

● Working full-time on a farm.

● Working in someone else’s home with a valid state work permit. (This does not apply to work in their own home.) Even though the law allows these exemptions, Olive Grove will still require all 8th grade graduates to attend a vocational class to receive a graduation certificate. We believe this honors both the law and the 1955 agreement.

Olive Grove Vocational Class Vision

Olive Grove Christian School is establishing a structured Vocational Class Program to provide every student with practical, faith-based training after eighth grade. This program will operate under its own enrollment and oversight, guided by a small Vocational Class Committee that ensures accountability, safety, and biblical direction. The class will meet one day per week and will be a required part of our educational plan. Its purpose is to give students a steady rhythm of hands-on learning that connects labor, stewardship, and discipleship. Through this program, youth will learn to work diligently, manage responsibility, and view all honest work as service to God. The Vocational Class Program reflects Olive Grove’s conviction that Christian education must unite the heart, the mind, and the hands. It is designed to strengthen character, prepare students for real-life work, and build a foundation for faithful living within their homes, churches, and communities.

Olive Grove Co-op Work Program Vision

This program partners students with trusted Anabaptist employers who agree to uphold Olive Grove’s Statement of Faith and provide a safe, lawful, and spiritually supportive environment. Through the Co-op Work Program, students will:

● Be legal to work in more occupations

● Learn workplace ethics, safety, and craftsmanship in trades and service work.

● Experience mentorship from employers who model faith in daily labor.

● Help fill the need for skilled labor in the workplace The Co-op Work Program stands as a vital bridge between education and vocation. It ensures our youth are legally protected, spiritually grounded, and practically trained, while maintaining the integrity of the 1955 vocational exemption and the long-standing relationship between church, home, and honest work.

Olive Grove Volunteer Work Program Vision

The Volunteer Work Program will give students regular opportunities to live out their faith through work that meets real needs in our community. A Program Administrator will direct the effort—receiving and qualifying requests, scheduling projects, and coordinating volunteers. Most requests will come from families, friends, and neighbors who face financial or physical challenges. Projects will take place at homes or facilities such as Christian Aid Ministries, where students can help assemble aid or assist with other practical tasks. Typical work will include lawn care, cleanup, painting, repairs, and similar service jobs. Some projects will aid those unable to pay; others may come from families who give a voluntary donation to the program. All donations will support future service work. Students will serve in teams of about 10–12, led by trained Team Leaders who are spiritually grounded and have completed mandated reporter training. Each student will take part in at least two missions per month, depending on available leaders and projects. Groups may meet at a central or regional point before going out and returning after their assignments. Every work day will start with a short devotion and prayer, reminding students that service is worship and work is ministry The Volunteer Work Program will stand beside the Vocational Plan and Vocational Tech Program as a third pillar in Olive Grove’s mission to unite faith, work, and community service. Our goal is for these programs to operate side by side.

Olive Grove also encourages local businesses to provide legal, biblically aligned job opportunities for 14–15-year-olds. While we do not place students directly, we assist families in understanding permitted work types and navigating the Pennsylvania work permit process. Because exempt students are no longer subject to school attendance laws, they may lawfully engage in supervised work during regular school hours, provided all child labor regulations are followed.

To obtain a Pennsylvania work permit, families must contact the student’s local public school district office—typically through the high school guidance department. In most districts, the required documents may be submitted electronically by email or uploaded via a web form, but the student must appear in person to pick up the permit and sign it before it becomes valid.

Required documentation includes:

• Proof of age (such as a birth certificate or passport)
• A completed application form (available on the district’s website or at the office)
• A parent or guardian’s signature
• Proof of 8th Grade Graduation from a Private Religious School

Once issued, the permit allows students to begin working legally under the supervision of an approved employer. Olive Grove is available to provide guidance, letters of graduation or enrollment verification, or any additional documentation the district may require to confirm the student’s educational status and exemption.

The Olive Grove Vocational Program is currently in the development and planning stage, and details may be adjusted or refined as we move forward. Olive Grove is committed to bringing this program to completion in a way that best serves our students, families, and community. We welcome and appreciate feedback from OOA leadership, local business leaders, parents, and community members as part of this process. Final decisions will be made with prayerful consideration by the Olive Grove Leadership and Assembly.