Faith-based No Limits Learning Academy opens in West Bradenton

What makes No Limits Learning Academy different could be summed up with one young mother’s words when she dropped her child at the West Bradenton faith-based school and said, “It’s like walking in from the cold and feeling God wrap a warm blanket around your heart.”

The school opened its doors at 2015 75th St. W. for the first time on Aug. 10 with more than 35 enrolled children and is licensed for 119, making it potentially one of the largest schools in the area for children who are six weeks old to school age.

By the end of the first day of school, enrollment was swelling, but with a large and recently renovated facility, No Limits Learning Academy, with a certified and educated staff, is ready to meet your child’s early childhood development needs from physical to mental to spiritual.

The owners are Bishop Steve Erickson of The Church Without Limits and his wife, Pastor JoAnna Erickson. The couple have opened schools for children in poor areas of Africa and India, as well as orphanages. The bishop founded and expanded the Global Impact Bible College & Seminary to 18 countries.

The award-winning curriculum of GBIS was written by Steve Erickson and was named Charisma’s Best Christian Colleges and Universities for the past three consecutive years. His experience in educating the mind, body and soul is vast and ranges in ages. The Erickson’s are now ready for their latest calling from God with the ever present attitude of, “We never say ‘but God, how will we,’ we say ‘Yes God.’ ”

JoAnna Erickson said, “We’ve had all of this international stuff going on since 2007. We have such a passion for children and education, because education is important in setting up children for life. We felt it was time to do the same thing right here in our own community.”

Steve Erickson said the early childhood education center is just the first step in a bigger vision. The couple plan to eventually build an elementary through high school campus on the church grounds where the academy is located.

“The eventual goal is to have grade school, junior high and high school and then provide an opportunity to get a doctorate degree from GBIS all right here on the same property,” he said.

The No Limits Learning Academy is certified through the state of Florida in the WEE curriculum, the only faith-based curriculum approved by the state. The academy is no daycare center and even the six-week old’s have daily school objectives even if it’s just learning how to move their bodies around.

The academy offers the state-approved voluntary pre-kindergarten program, which prepares children for entry into the school system. While the academy continues to expand its math and science programs, God is never far away.

“You can’t separate us from loving the Lord, that’s for sure,” said JoAnna Erickson. “But we adhere to the WEE curriculum that the state has approved and this is first a school and we want everyone to be comfortable in attending.”

God is at the heart of their mission, whether it’s in the classroom or providing the foundations for learning and growth to become successful and to “flourish and thrive within their cultures, families and communities,” as noted on the academy’s website.

“I feel like our goal is pretty simple,” said Steve Erickson. “We want parents to know that their children will be cared for like they were our children.”

The couple have three successful grown children and a growing list of grandchildren. But the proof is in the reaction of the parents who are already being helped. One mother came through the door who the Erickson’s helped get enrolled because she was in a bad situation. She came in, looked around and started crying.

Looking at JoAnna, she said, “I feel like you are my family. I came in here and saw everyone snuggling all the kids. There’s a lot of love here and I can’t tell you just how much I love all of you.”

JoAnna Erickson hopes to provide grants to struggling families like single-parent households and grandparents who suddenly find themselves in the custody of small children due to unforeseen circumstances.

“But there’s only so much state funding to go around,” she said. “We are a not-for-profit so we will start fund raising and hope to get donations to help get that program running.”

The school currently has nine certified teachers who have various backgrounds before each was called to teach at the academy. Those backgrounds include ministerial, a forensic chemist, artists and a mother who knows the challenges of raising autistic children.

Daphne Roman is the academy’s director. She brings a lot of experience to the school having opened four schools before signing on with the No Limits Learning Academy. The school has lofty long-term goals in expanding its facilities for higher education to short-term goals of working on a transportation system for the families. But the ultimate goal remains clear.

“We want to help struggling families so the kids get an education that is going to prepare them for life,” said JoAnna Erickson. “We want to help them, educate them and pour our love into them. It’s what we do.”

For more information, call 941-251-9948 or email info@nolimitslearningacademy.com. Enrollment is open to everyone.

This story was originally published August 19, 2016 at 3:54 PM with the headline "Faith-based No Limits Learning Academy opens in West Bradenton."