If you attended Kent Academy during the years SIM was in charge, you are invited to participate in a research project titled Exploration of Historic Child Harm to Boarding Students at Kent Academy, Nigeria.
Purpose
For many years, allegations of abuse, neglect, and other types of harm have been brought against Kent Academy during the period when the school was run by SIM. The purpose of this research is to document recollections of adults who attended Kent Academy boarding school during that time, focusing on harm experienced while at the school.
A deeper understanding of childhood experiences that impacted child well-being, the nature of rules and discipline, and the school culture will help to document patterns of harm, risks to children, and broken systems that allowed harm to take place. Findings will be used to support a facilitated restorative process among adult survivors, parents of adult survivors, and SIM — and to advocate for positive change for children in boarding schools and institutional care.
Eligibility
To participate, you need to have attended Kent Academy while SIM was in charge of the school.
Would you like to take part?
Submitting interest does not commit you to participate. If you have questions, or aren’t quite ready to commit, you are welcome to send your questions or to meet with the researcher, Dr. Susan Greener, first. Please contact Dr. Susan Greener at shayesgreener@gmail.com to schedule a Zoom call.
If you are ready to sign up to be screened for the research project, please click here .
About Dr. Susan Greener
Dr. Susan Greener received her doctorate in Human & Community Development from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1998. She has served as a professor of Intercultural Studies and Missions at Wheaton Graduate School, as a seminary dean of students, and as a non-profit program leader and child advocate. Susan has personal and family experience with trauma and has firsthand experience of being harmed by the Church. She welcomes an opportunity to hear your story in a safe space full of compassion and with a trauma-informed perspective.
What kinds of questions will be asked?
- Your feelings about attending Kent Academy
- Your experience of childhood risk and resilience while attending Kent Academy
- Questions specific to Missionary Kids and those not affiliated with a missions agency
- Adult reflections on cultural values at KA and how your experiences have affected you
- An open invitation to share any other related thoughts not covered above
How much time will it take?
If you choose the written survey, you’ll have two weeks — or you can complete it in about 2–3 hours in one sitting. A Zoom interview takes about 2–3 hours, depending on the level of detail you wish to share.
Confidentiality
Your participation is confidential. Your information will not be shared with anyone other than the researcher. Any reports will combine responses so that no one person’s story will be revealed.