Beirut Baptist School (BBS), founded in 1954 by missionaries, Dr. Finlay and Julia Graham, is a beacon of light in its community. Located in a densely populated suburb of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, the student body consists of over 1,300 of which 90% are non-Christian. BBS’s mission is to prepare the students in mind, body and spirit to meet the challenges of the world around them. We do this very well and seek to rise even higher in the level of excellence. As an organization under the umbrella of LSESD, BBS welcomes visitors on mission and vision trips who have a passion for what we are doing and are excited to share how we are growing and changing.
Recently, BBS began a music academy that already has 39 students. The academy consists of a choir and a band. The band consists of a piano, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, trombone and percussion. They meet three hours a day and hopefully next year we are looking to begin a drama club. The arts are not as encouraged in schools in Lebanon as they are in the United States so this desire to implement these areas in BBS will be a great asset to the students who choose to participate. Along with the music academy, something that was recently put into place are the extracurricular activities. This is in keeping with the mission statement to make the students well-rounded. There are 178 students participating and the classes offered are Ballet, Zumba, Tae Kwon Do, Gymnastics, Arts/Crafts, Swimming and The Little Engineer Program. The Little Engineer Program, according to their website, “created scientific educational programs for school students of all age groups who have passion towards science and have ambitions to become engineers. [Their] mission is to empower all young minds to reach their full potential through hands-on activities in science and engineering”. BBS has partnered with this program to offer classes to BBS students who show interest and promise in the field of engineering. This program seeks to bridge the gap between schools and universities so students can be more prepared for what they might experience in the university as it relates to engineering.
This year, BBS is also seeking to adopt the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program. This program’s mission statement and strategy is as follows, “The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.
To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment.” This mission and strategy are in line with what BBS is seeking to offer students however, it is costly and BBS has limited resources to devote to it. The program requires certified trainers and the space to hold the classes which is quickly becoming a huge need at BBS. Space is limited and though we are seeking to continue an expansion that began recently, more funds are needed to make that a reality.
BBS is working to educate children for the future and needs prayer and financial support. Please consider coming alongside us to help equip children in Lebanon with a brighter future. Your support and prayers are highly valued and greatly needed.
For more information about how you can give, or if you are interested in visiting on a mission or vision trip, please contact us at [email protected].
Noelle Haddad, Communications Officer