Rooted in Legacy,
Building for the Future
The story of Learning Without Limits is rooted in the faith-filled legacy of Kelowna Christian Center Society (KCCS), founded in 1982 based on Isaiah 61. This early foundation sparked a decades-long commitment to Christian education, leading to the launch of Heritage Christian School (HCS) in 1986 and Heritage Christian Online School (HCOS) in 2004.
As the needs of students and communities evolved, so did the vision. The pandemic, shifting educational models, and growing demand for personalized learning prompted a bold pivot from the traditional campus model of HCS. In 2023 the traditional campus was closed and Flex Academy was launched under HCOS leadership, blending in-person connection with online flexibility to pioneer Canada’s first K-12 independent hybrid school.
Through this transition, what began as survival became momentum. The hybrid school quickly drew national attention. Now, rising interest is outpacing capacity to support querying schools and opportunities to innovate further. Vision has now grown to create a Nexus where best practices, technology, and faith could converge to shape the future of education.
To meet this moment, HCOS is launching the Learning Without Limits Campaign—a bold initiative to expand our reach, scale our innovation, and empower more learners worldwide.
HIGHLIGHTS
With over two decades of experience, HCOS has become the largest public or private school in Western Canada, serving thousands of students through both online and in-person learning
Today, HCOS and Flex Academy support 7,967 students across the province, including 24 blended community hubs throughout British Columbia—providing access, flexibility, and academic excellence at scale
HCOS has earned a worldwide reputation for its bold, forward-thinking approach to education—recognized for excellence, adaptability, and student-centered design
Academic Success: Since its inception, Heritage Christian School (now HCOS + Flex) has educated over 65,000 students, preparing them for higher education and careers
Cutting-Edge Curriculum: With nearly $10 million invested in curriculum and software development, HCOS and Flex Academy’s proprietary curriculum learning system, StudyForge, provides unmatched academic content, student analytics and personalization
Respected Leadership: Leaders from HCOS are sought-after speakers and serve on multiple Ministry of Education advisory committees
The innovative, warm and purpose focused culture of HCOS is contagious, now employing over 800 staff
Christian Foundation: Every staff member is committed to modeling and fostering authentic, Christ-centered education
Canada’s First Independent Hybrid School
HIGHLIGHTS
In 2023, HCOS launched Flex Academy, the first independent K-12 hybrid school in the country, blending the flexibility of online learning with the community of in-person education
Flex Academy has exceeded projected enrollments, outgrowing its temporary facilities, with waiting lists in multiple grades
Educational leaders from across the country are wanting to come and visit Flex Academy, eager to learn from its innovative model and integrate similar approaches in their own schools
Hybrid education is the future and we’re ready to support other schools to make the shift
Why Hybrid?
The shift from traditional, classroom education to hybrid education with Flex Academy unlocked every barrier our campus school was facing:
Teacher burnout significantly reduced as teachers have more classroom support, more prep time, and less busywork thanks to automation through digital tools
Student supports dramatically increased as budget efficiencies allow high ratios of adult to student care, ensuring every learner is seen and supported
Financial pressures lifted as hybrid learning creates financial efficiencies
With hybrid schooling, more students can be engaging in school as less overall space for students is needed than what is required in traditional school models.
Student mental health improves as relationship, in-person connection, mentoring, and experiential education take centerstage in this model
Student academic achievement recovers as students are able to engage with content that is accessible to them and that can be completed at a pace that supports their learning
Student confidence grows as they experience success in managing their own learning endeavours and have agency over how they learn, when they learn, and where they learn and have a community that learns alongside them
Education for every learner is possible as digital tools diversify each student’s experience. Those who want to race ahead can, while those who need to slow down and master the fundamentals can do so as well.
The Future of Online Education
HCOS’s infrastructure supports some of the most unique students and families in the province - from athletes and travellers to families navigating complex learning needs, school based trauma, or significant barriers to education.
We are ready to unlock things in the online space so that:
We can share what we have learned about personalizing student programs to help each student reach their potential, while not creating work overload for teachers
We can be a partner to other schools looking to expand course offerings through online platforms
We can partner with other schools to help them get their students university-ready by taking an online course prior to graduation
We can educate other school leaders on how to build meaningful, inclusive education systems to serve students with complex educational profiles so that they can experience academic success
We can ensure every student can have a school experience that connects them to others and to the world – even those experiencing difficulties like mental health crisis, family trauma, or who are navigating a terminal illness
We can expand resources, infrastructure, and education into at-risk communities globally through StudyForge and Spero, helping to reduce education barriers and break cycles of poverty through the power of accessible, high quality education