The Living Water School was founded in 2015 by Damon and Dr. Anika Prather with a simple prayer:
“Lord, where can our son receive an education that will nurture both his love of learning and the unique gifts You have placed within him?”
As their oldest son prepared to enter kindergarten, Damon and Anika searched for a school that would challenge him academically while also giving him the freedom to grow as the creative, curious learner God had created him to be. Unable to find a school that fully reflected this vision, they sensed God calling them to build one. Anika had spent more than a decade teaching in Classical Christian schools and deeply believed in the wisdom of the Classical Liberal Arts tradition. At the same time, her exploration of self-directed learning inspired her to imagine a school where students could experience both academic rigor and the freedom to pursue their God-given interests and gifts. What began as a school for their own family gradually became something much greater.
Over the past twelve years, The Living Water School has grown into the Lab School for Koinonia Education, where Damon and Anika, together with their faculty, students, and families, continue to explore, refine, and demonstrate what is now known as Koinonia Classical Education—a Christian philosophy of education that applies the Biblical vision of Koinonia to the Classical Liberal Arts tradition while drawing inspiration from Charlotte Mason’s vision of the child and the freedom of self-directed learning. Today, The Living Water School serves students across the United States through its Intentional Online Community, helping students grow in wisdom, faith, character, and purpose while cultivating a lifelong love of learning.
Dr. Anika Prather
Dr. Anika Prather is an author, educator, speaker, and researcher whose work explores the intersection of Christian education, the Classical Liberal Arts, the Black Intellectual Tradition, and the early Church. She serves as Assistant Professor of Elementary Education and Director of the Elementary Education Program at The Catholic University of America, while continuing to lead the educational vision of The Living Water School. She is the author of The Black Intellectual Tradition, published by Classical Academic Press, and has contributed numerous scholarly articles and book chapters on classical education, Christian education, literacy, and the Black Intellectual Tradition. Through her work at The Living Water School, Dr. Prather is developing Koinonia Education and its application to the Classical Liberal Arts tradition through Koinonia Classical Education. Her passion is helping Christian schools cultivate communities where wisdom is pursued together, every person is recognized as bearing the image of God, and students discover the unique gifts and calling God has placed on their lives. Through her books, teaching, speaking, and research, she encourages educators, school leaders, and families to view Christian community not simply as the result of a great education, but as its very foundation. Dr. Prather holds a Bachelor of Arts from Howard University, a Master of Music Education from Howard University, a Master of Arts in Educational Theatre from New York University, a Master of Liberal Arts from St. John’s College, and a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Maryland.
Damon Prather
Damon Prather serves as Co-Founder of The Living Water School and provides leadership for the school’s financial stewardship and spiritual vision. He also teaches upper-level science, combining his love of learning with a desire to help students see the order, creativity, and beauty of God’s creation. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Michigan State University, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and a Master of Science in Computer Engineering from Johns Hopkins University. Together, Damon and Anika continue to lead The Living Water School with the conviction that Christian community is the foundation of a great education and that every child is uniquely created by God to flourish in wisdom, faith, and purpose.
The Prathers live in Maryland with their three children, who continue to remind them why The Living Water School was founded in the first place.