Zion Academy of America was founded in 1988 by a woman who withdrew her daughters from public school in the 1980s due to declining academics. As homeschooling became more popular, she started ZAA to make it easier for families to homeschool and obtain high school diplomas. ZAA began locally in Texas but has since expanded nationwide, graduating hundreds of students who have attended colleges across the country. Both of the founder's daughters benefited from ZAA's curriculum and graduated with honors before taking leadership roles within the organization.

1. The journey for the founder of Zion Academy of America (ZAA) from K-12 homeschooling to distance
learning programs nationwide began in the early 1980s when she noticed the academics of the
American school were declining, and the education of her own children was suffering. There were very
few options available in those days, and private schools were so expensive. After much searching, she
finally found a private church school that she and her husband could afford for their two children.
At that time, her girls were in the 2nd and 6th grades. At the end of their school year, she withdrew
them from the local public school and enrolled them in a private church
school. Home schooling was rare and virtually unknown in the early 1980s, and “homeschool” was not
yet a household word.
Her girls attended the church school for two years. The first year, this concerned mother was an
Assistant Teacher for the private school. The following year she became a Staff Teacher and the
school’s Assistant Administrator. Yet there was more to come.
During that year, the Pastor of the church decided to close the school. This meant she needed to look
again for a school for her children. She knew that she could not send her girls back to public school.
So she did something that was bold and controversial at that time, which was to school her own
children at home. This was in the 1980s, and homeschooling was thought to be illegal. Now, it is
known to be legal in all states in America, although each state has unique guidelines.
Zion Academy of America’s founder is a pioneer for homeschooling.
It was just a matter of time when families started going to her and asking a lot of questions and
wanting her to teach them how to do the same for their children. It was then that she saw the need to
begin an ACADEMY for homeschooling, to make it easy for these children to receive high school
diplomas and to enter into colleges and universities.
Zion Academy of America was officially birthed in 1988. Its humble
beginnings started in Fort Worth, Texas, and operated locally for more than 10 years. It is now a
nationally recognized, accredited distance learning school which has enrolled thousands over the years

2. and graduated hundreds of students, many going on to colleges and universities throughout the
country. Currently located near Seattle, Washington, ZAA is serving families across America and
beyond its borders.
The daughters completed the College Preparatory Honors courses of study offered by ZAA and
graduated with honors from the accredited diploma program. The older daughter became a corporate
executive assistant and later married and gave birth to two beautiful daughters. She now works in
ZAA as the Director of Operations. The younger daughter married and had four children. She is the
Director of Admissions for ZAA. All of the founder’s grandchildren are in THE ACADEMY.
Zion Academy of America provides a high quality standard of academics. The founder can personally
attest to the excellence of the Accelerated Christian Education (A.C.E.) curriculum and its exceptional
format. She has been consistently impressed over the years with the educational results of this
curriculum, which is why ZAA continues to use it even today.
And now the second generation of the founder’s family is reaping the same benefits that her
daughters enjoyed while preparing to lead Zion Academy and to carry on the legacy begun more than
two decades ago.
The staff of Zion Academy is grateful for Rev. Marigene Lindsey’s dedication to the homeschooling
vision that birthed a nationwide service to thousands of families who have been blessed by the
freedoms and opportunities afforded by Zion Academy of America.