Our Story

At the turn of the twentieth century, educational opportunities were limited. Correspondence education was beginning to grow in the United States, and during this time Frederick Griggs, an Adventist educator, imagined a way to bring learning to people everywhere. His vision became reality in 1909 with the establishment of The Fireside Correspondence School. Its purpose was to offer quality education to individuals who could not attend traditional schools.

Within two years, The Fireside Correspondence School had expanded its offerings to eleven secondary courses and nine college-level courses. The school later became known as Home Study Institute, Home Study International, and eventually Griggs University and Griggs International Academy. By 1916, students were enrolled from nearly every state and province in North America, along with students from ten other countries. Since that time, almost 240,000 learners have studied through Griggs.

A major transition occurred in 2011 when Griggs was adopted by Andrews University and moved from Maryland to Berrien Springs, Michigan. Griggs University became the Andrews University School of Distance Education. Griggs International Academy continued its K–12 mission under this structure. Today, Griggs is a key part of the Andrews University Global Campus and contributes to the university’s worldwide educational outreach.

As part of the Seventh-day Adventist school system, Griggs has played a unique and meaningful role in supporting the educational development of students of all ages around the world. Over the years, Griggs has served international school affiliates (Face-to-Face), partner schools in partnerships with North America Division of SDA (Hybrid), and a large and diverse population of online students (Asynchronous Online).  The online versions of the courses started in the 90s and online classes were complete by 2013.

From its earliest days in a one-room office to its present mission as a global school, Griggs has remained committed to high academic standards and the use of qualified professionals in all areas of its operation. Stakeholders have long appreciated the supportive and flexible nature of curriculum that Griggs offers.  More than one hundred years later, the original vision of Frederick Griggs continues to guide the work of the academy: to make Adventist education accessible, personal, and mission-focused for learners everywhere.