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History

What to know about LPI

Lydia Patterson Institute, LPI, is a private faith-based school supported by the United Methodist Church South Central Jurisdiction. It provides an education to students in the El Paso Borderplex areas to include El Paso, TX and Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico. Lydia Patterson Institute currently serves students from 6th to 12th grade. At LPI you will find a unique place where students are immersed in an academic and spiritual environment.

For over 100 years, Lydia Patterson has been dedicated to building bridges between two countries, two cities, and two cultures.

What began in 1913 with Mrs. Lydia Patterson, a Methodist laywoman acting through the Women’s Missionary Society of her church, began to setup schools in the homes of some Mexican Methodist families. Her spirit and vision is still alive today at LPI where young men and women, a majority of whom are from Ciudad Juarez, continue to be educated in a challenging academic environment while being nurtured in Christian values. LPI was one of the first schools in the US to emphasize the teaching of English as a Second Language in 1921 and to then merge students into the appropriate grade level to put them on the path toward graduation from high school. We are committed to forming bilingual and bicultural leaders for society.

Excellence

Excellence and outstanding achievement has been the trademark of LPI students. Graduation rates of students exceed 95% of those entering as freshmen and over 98% of the graduates continue their education at colleges across the U.S. With the support of the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church, LPI is positioned to keep faith with its historic commitment to academic excellence and intentional spiritual nurture. LPI is also extending its horizons to the limitless possibilities of cross-cultural enterprises by which she aspires to serve the general Church. The Staff and Administration see themselves as strategically situated geographically, demographically, and historically to serve as a bridge that will span the social, cultural and spiritual realities of a diverse population. Today’s conditions offer us an exciting and challenging moment in which to serve God as we serve future leaders of America.

A group of senior students smiling for the photo

Two students using their iPads in the classroom

Outstanding

The 6th – 12th grades are positioned to grow young students into productive members of society through mastery of core content while building well-rounded individuals through participation of electives, clubs, sports, and lay ministry. Digital technology has been implemented into all grade levels allowing for more creative, broader extensions of the textbooks. Increasing the use of digital devices and using interactive digital materials is a leap from the infrastructure that was held in the past. We believe that the use of digital technology in the classroom will provide further achievements for more hands-on and deeper understanding of content.