“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord… “plans to give you a future and a hope.” —Jeremiah 29:11
Jeremiah’s words, spoken over 2,600 years ago, still speak powerfully today. As each new generation navigates the transition to adulthood, we recognize that for some, the journey carries a heavier weight. In many parts of the world, “marginalized” isn’t just a label. It’s the lived experience of limited options and unseen potential; a chasm between reality and opportunity.
That is why we exist. Our mission is to bridge the gap between what is and what could be. We want to give children access to real choices and to the kind of power that transforms lives.
From here to anywhere! Adelyn and Carol are stepping into a future where they can choose where to live, study, and serve God.
You can be part of that change. Whether you choose to join a group effort to underwrite a child’s education or to personally cover tuition for one of these students, you will, by doing so, be stepping into something deeper than traditional sponsorship programs. While many of these meet urgent needs, ours is about the reshaping of a child’s future. It is about moving that child from mere survival to flourishing, and from distant dreams to real, tangible hope.
Join us. Help bridge the gap. Let’s rewrite stories and build new realities filled with purpose and promise.
We provide children from marginalized communities with access to a high-quality education designed to create disciples for Christ and open doors to a brighter future. Through our sponsorship program, supporters step into a child and their family’s story, playing an active role in ensuring that child has the opportunities, resources, and hope they need to thrive. More than meeting immediate needs, we are building lasting change and equipping each student to rise above limitations and live out their God-given potential.
Montebello Academy was founded with a clear purpose: to offer students the opportunity for real choices. Sponsorship through It’s About Kids is fundamentally different from other programs. Our goal is not only to meet today’s needs, but to invest in a “hope and a future” that is sustainable at the individual level.
With 15 graduating classes to date, the results speak for themselves through the lives and testimonies of our alumni. What began as an experiment (see History of the Mission) has become a proven model. We created a hybrid learning methodology, inspired by some of the highest-performing education systems in the world, and made it accessible to our students.
Montebello is more than a path out of poverty. When our graduates receive university scholarships around the globe, they are not just advancing academically. They are carrying the message of Christ into universities, professions, and places once thought unreachable. They go not only as learners, but also as image-bearers and proclaimers of the Gospel.
From the very beginning, our model of organizational development was built on a simple idea. If we could offer an education so compelling that it attracted students from privileged families, their tuition could also help fund scholarships for children from underserved communities.
The two young women pictured at the top of this section, from our 2024 graduating class, are a beautiful example of that mission in motion. They love God and are ready to serve Him wherever He may lead. The scholarships they received will allow them to step boldly into their callings. Their stories, along with many others, show how far this mission can reach.
Until now, Montebello’s growth has allowed us to provide scholarships to the most vulnerable students without outside sponsorship. However, we have reached a critical point in which we are at the limits of our internal budget, 90% of which is dedicated directly to educational costs, the majority of which involves paying effective teachers. Attracting and retaining excellent teachers is essential to everything we do. Their dedication helps us continue offering this incredible opportunity to the children who need it most. In order to continue expanding our mission of providing high quality education to marginalized children, we are now inviting others to join us by becoming partners who are willing to invest in the future of a child.
The cost of a Montebello Academy education is $4,800 per year. Whether you choose to join a group sponsoring a specific student or to cover the full tuition for one child, this opportunity is now available for those who desire to be used by God to move beyond temporary solutions and become part of lasting change. Together, we can help write futures shaped by hope and filled with purpose.
If you have made it to where you are reading these words, consider how that may be the result of our praying for those who will come alongside one of these who have been chosen to have you as their sponsor.
To make a gift, go to the “Donate” page and follow the format depending on:
Sponsorship of a child as part of a group of sponsors who will make up the amount needed, whether monthly or annually, that together represents the $4800 needed for the one-year tuition cost. Or:
Sponsorship of a child as an individual donor, either by the gift of $400 monthly or the $4800 annual amount in one donation per year.
Once your gift has been made, we will select a child, or if you prefer, you can select from among different profiles we can provide. Either way, once selected, the specific details regarding the child chosen will be provided to you.
And, of course, if information about a child waiting for a sponsor is desired before deciding to sponsor, we would be happy to respond to your request for more information if you send us your questions on this specific subject, or any other aspect of the mission of which you would be interested, through our “Contact” portal.
Yes, you may indicate a specific gift and whether it is “one-time” or recurrent. (checks or bank transfer may be preferred for larger amounts)
For monthly contributions we are asking for a commitment of a minimum one (1) year, after which you may choose to renew for another year. However, donors may terminate monthly gifts at anytime by request from the donation page.
Yes! Email, Sponsor / Student text, voice and video platform will be provided…and for some, there is even the possibility of a personal visit (which are most often in conjunction with tourism plans)
Our Student Services Coordinator will be constantly monitoring student wellbeing, providing necessary interventions on an ongoing basis. All relevant information regarding how the sponsored student is thriving at school and progressing in their personal lives, physically and spiritually, will be shared with sponsors regularly.
The opportunity to offer a child an education at Montebello Academy through sponsorship is initiated through a few different channels. Once a candidate is identified, Montebello has a series of processes by which the student can be qualified for the opportunity that we are offering through sponsorship. Once the qualification process is concluded, a search begins for sponsorship. Sponsorship may be accomplished by a single sponsor or multiple sponsors
Except in certain cases where circumstances produce a need among existing Montebello students, this program is offered specifically for new students qualified to enter Montebello for the first time. However, in the case of a sponsored student losing their sponsor, the opportunity for having a new sponsor would then be reopened.
The cost of a Montebello Academy education is approximately $5000 per year. This equates to $416 monthly. While this amount will be within reach for some individual sponsorships, others are accomplished through a team effort.
100% of your support goes to the child’s education expenses. (tuition and materials)
