Fountainview Academy is located in Lillooet, British Columbia, Canada. 

Fountainview Academy:
Anchoring Students for Life’s Journey

When Izabella Cruz-Froese first arrived at Fountainview Academy as a sophomore, she was hesitant. An introverted teenager, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to leave her familiar life behind to attend a boarding school four hours from her home in Chilliwack. But within days, that uncertainty faded. “The first week that I was there, it really didn’t take me a lot of time to get used to the place, and it just really felt like home,” she recalls.

Fountainview Academy, set on several hundred acres of farmland three hours from Vancouver below the Coast Mountains, offers more than academics. For Cruz-Froese, and for the nearly 80 students who study at Fountainview from around the world, it’s a place of growth, faith, and community. She clearly remembers her early days on the farm, participating in the work program by weeding the fields. “We would do mud fights,” she says with a laugh. “And the conversations were just so uplifting.” More importantly, she found that her spiritual life deepened in ways she hadn’t anticipated. “Fountainview really encourages relationships with God. There are specific times in the day scheduled so that you can have your personal devotions.”

This combination of community, faith, and personal development is the essence of Fountainview Academy. Students don’t just attend classes; they live, work, worship, and learn to anchor themselves spiritually for life’s journey.

A Merged Legacy

The modern Fountainview Academy is the result of a merger between two struggling schools in 1997. Both Fair Haven Academy and the original Fountainview Academy faced challenges, but a team led by Stan Smith, Scott Richards, and Craig Cleveland saw potential in combining their resources.

“At that point, neither school was doing well,” says Richards, now the school’s president. “I called Stan and said, ‘I think we’re wasting our time trying to run two failing schools. Why don’t we join forces and get one of them off the ground?’”

The team chose the Fountainview campus for its facilities and location, merging the schools under one mission-driven vision. Richards explains, “We visited other schools that were seen as good spiritual environments and combined the best of their practices with our ideas.”

The commitment to revitalizing the school didn’t stop there. The team worked tirelessly to ensure that the new Fountainview Academy would not only survive but thrive. Smith recalls the challenges of those early days. “It was a leap of faith. We were working with limited resources, but we had a vision of what the school could be.”

A Wholistic Approach

While Fountainview’s music and media programs have gained international attention, the school’s mission extends far beyond performance. The music program, which began under the direction of Cleveland, was initially a practical solution to budget constraints. “Craig had the idea to film outdoors to save on lighting costs,” Richards recalls. “That decision became one of the defining features of our music videos.”

What started as a way to stretch limited resources blossomed into a key part of Fountainview’s identity. Major projects like Steps to Christ in Song, filmed across North America, brought the school a degree of recognition. “That project really brought attention to what we’re doing here,” Richards notes. “We’ve gone from 30 students in the late 1990s to nearly 80 today, and the music program has been a big part of that growth.”

Smith reflects on how the music program has shaped the students. “It’s more than just performance. It’s about using music as a tool for ministry and personal growth. We’ve seen students who didn’t even know they had a musical gift discover new talents and use them to share their faith.”

“People see the polished music videos and well-dressed kids, but that’s just one piece of what we do,” Richards says. “Inside, it’s about much more—building a positive culture, fostering relationships, and ensuring students leave with a strong sense of who they are and what they believe.”

For Cruz-Froese, the music program became a way to connect with others and express her faith. “The type of music Fountainview encourages shows that you’re not just singing a song, you’re kind of preaching the gospel while you’re singing it,” she explains. “God can even use our mistakes. It’s about doing your best in the moment and trying to make other people’s relationship with God closer.”

Practical Education and Spiritual Growth

Fountainview’s wholistic approach combines academics, music, and a unique work-study program that provides students with life skills and real-world experience. “The students are involved in running the school—cafeteria meals, janitorial work, landscaping, and more,” Richards explains. “They also work in the media department and on the farm, where we grow organic carrots.”

The work-study program instills a sense of responsibility and teamwork. Smith believes this practical education is essential. “The skills they learn—whether it’s cooking, cleaning, or working in the media department—are skills they can take with them.”

This environment of teamwork and responsibility has been transformative for Cruz-Froese, who says, “I feel like Fountainview has really prepared me. And I know that if I’ve had a hard time wherever I am, I can always come back to the people I’ve met here and know they care about me.”

Spiritual growth is embedded into daily life, from morning worships to Friday-evening vespers. One cherished tradition sees students and staff forming a circle to sing “I Want to Go to Heaven” every Friday night. “Even years later, alumni still come together and sing that song,” says Smith. “It’s become part of their identity.”

Investing in Student Life

Fountainview ensures that students receive individual care and mentorship, with four to five deans per dormitory and additional religious volunteers. “We’ve found that the student life department is critical to creating the right culture,” Richards notes. “The deans act as the parents while students are away from home, providing guidance and support.” Richards credits longtime staff members Baird Corrigan, academic principal, and Mary Corrigan, vice president and general manager of student programs, for their instrumental role in fostering this commitment to student life.

This nurturing environment helps students feel a deep sense of belonging, even when they are far from home. “That first year at school, with people from all over the world, we had a sense of, ‘Oh wow, we’re all so different,’” Cruz-Froese reflects. “But then we realized that our values were the same.”

The support doesn’t end at graduation. Alumni often return to reconnect, mentor, and encourage current students. “That connection lasts a lifetime,” Richards says. “Fountainview becomes a second home.”

A Model for Success

Fountainview’s transformation from two struggling schools to a thriving institution offers valuable lessons. “The first step is building the right team,” Richards advises. “You need people who share your vision and are willing to invest in creating a positive culture.”

Smith emphasizes the importance of spiritual anchoring. “If students are connected to the Bible, no matter what challenges they face, they’ll be equipped to handle them.”

For students like Cruz-Froese, Fountainview Academy has been an anchor—a place where faith, community, and personal growth are deeply rooted. “It’s really nice to see all the people coming back for events like alumni weekend,” she says. “That family environment, it’s never really left them, and now I’m a part of that.”

Inside ASI editorial team.