Ohio Christian Education Network Launches Phone-Free School Covenant
COLUMBUS—The Ohio Christian Education Network (OCEN) today announces the official launch of the OCEN Phone-Free Christian School Covenant, a bold initiative aiming to transform learning environments in K–12 Christian schools by affirming a collective commitment to eliminate student cell phone access during the school day. Twenty-three Christian schools have joined as charter signatories.
Drawing on biblical wisdom and compelling research—including findings from Dr. Jonathan Haidt's The Anxious Generation—these 23 leading schools understand that high levels of cell phone usage pose significant threats to their students' mental health, academic engagement, and spiritual growth.
The covenant provides a framework for Christian schools to take decisive action together, fostering environments that prioritize spiritual awareness, relational connection, and freedom from the distraction of cell phones.
"As Christian educators, we are becoming increasingly aware of the negative effects that the pervasive presence of cell phones has on our students' spiritual, moral, and intellectual development," said Executive Director Troy McIntosh of the Ohio Christian Education Network.
"There has been a shift from a play-based childhood to a screen-based childhood. As a result, we have seen dramatic increases in anxiety, depression, ADHD, and other mental health disorders, all of which affect a student’s ability to develop a fully-formed biblical worldview.
"The charter signatories of this covenant have made a statement that they will act to eliminate this unnecessary and negative influence from their schools.”
Each covenant signer affirms that their students are created in God's image and that it is the school's responsibility to nurture them as image bearers. They also recognize that attempts to manage cell phone usage during the school day through partial measures have largely been ineffective. Dr. Haidt's research indicates that student proximity to a cell phone, even if it is unused, still causes distractibility and other consequences among students.
23 Charter Signatory Schools
Christian Academy – Heath, Ohio
Christian Faith Academy - Ashtabula, Ohio
Christian Star Academy – Mt. Vernon, Ohio
City Hill Servanthood Academy – Columbus, Ohio
Delaware Christian School – Delaware, Ohio
Generations Matter Academy, Madison, Ohio
Granville Christian Academy – Granville, Ohio
Harambee Christian School – Columbus, Ohio
Harvest Preparatory School – Canal Winchester, Ohio
Heritage Christian School – Canton, Ohio
Lake Center Christian School – Hartville, Ohio
Legacy Christian Academy – Xenia, Ohio
Lehman Catholic High School - Sidney, Ohio
Madison Christian School – Groveport, Ohio
Mars Hill Academy – Mason, Ohio
Northside Christian School – Westerville, Ohio
New Beginnings Christian School – Columbus, Ohio
Rhema Academy – Marion, Ohio
Ross County Christian Academy - Chillicothe, Ohio
St. Michael School – Findlay, Ohio
Valley Christian School – Youngstown, Ohio
Westside Christian School – Columbus, Ohio
Worthington Christian School – Worthington, Ohio
"We are finishing our second year with a no-cell phone policy," says Ryan Hyde, Head of School at Calvary Christian School in Bellefontaine, Ohio, one of the charter signatories. "It has been great to see the increase in face-to-face social activity, and the space for students to be engaged in learning has improved significantly."
While this movement originated in Ohio and all charter signatories are Ohio-based, OCEN invites all Christian schools nationwide to join this collective movement. Schools may do so by visiting the covenant page and completing the signatory form. Once approved, the school's name will be added to the list of signatories.
"This covenant is more than a typical school policy," says McIntosh. "It is a collective work of leadership among Christian schools across the country to tackle one of the greatest challenges our schools and students are facing as 21st-century learners and disciples."
The Ohio Christian Education Network (OCEN) is a ministry of Center for Christian Virtue.
Learn more by visiting OCEN.org or CCV.org.
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