The Satanic Temple is pleased to introduce the Hellion Academy of Independent Learning (HAIL), a program for students that allows them to learn about values such as empathy, compassion, and justice in a fun environment without religious pressure or coercion.
HAIL was created as an alternative to Christian Release Time Religious Instruction (RTRI) programs that have been on the rise in public schools around the US. In RTRI programs, students are taken off-campus during the school day to participate in religious instruction. Their classmates, without parental or guardian permission to attend, are left behind. These religious instruction periods push Bible-based character education on the students, who will return to class with stories of snacks, games, and the excitement of a weekly field trip. These programs have recently expoded in numbers due to the aggressive development by LifeWise Academy and Joy El Bible Adventure Club, which aim to be active in every school district that has adopted an RTRI policy.
Hellion Academy of Independent Learning provides an alternative to these exclusively Christian, exclusionary RTRI offerings. The curriculum has been developed by Ministers of Satan to help students learn about social and ethical principles through educational arts and crafts, games, and community service projects. HAIL will be available to any students who wish to attend, regardless of what religion they ascribe to or what metaphysical beliefs they have. The program models our Satanic values by demonstrating that teaching students about values and fundamental ethical principles is possible without enticing or coercing them into adopting any particular religion.
Following the same strategy used by After School Satan Clubs, the HAIL program is not interested in introducing RTRI to schools where other religious programs are not present. Permission slips are required for students to enroll, and students will be taught locally by vetted and background-checked instructors. The pilot program launched on November 15th in the Northern York County School District in Pennsylvania. Several months ago, this school district refused to permit the operation of TST’s After School Satan Club. They allowed TST to host a Back-To-School fundraiser but refused the money raised for school supplies.
Please click here if you have any questions, want more information about HAIL programs, or are interested in bringing HAIL to a public school with an existing RTRI program.