A proposed residential education and life-skills program on two acres of the Mountain View Church of the Brethren property in Boise, combining low-cost dorm living, mentoring, coordinated education, trade exposure, community service, and accountability.
Mountain View Church of the Brethren will make its church facility and property available to the Christian SafetyNet Program. It is referred to as the SafetyNet Academy because the program includes over 10,000 online computer training courses, third-party lectures, and trade training along with dorm living. The overall program also includes resources for vehicle maintenance, a laundromat, a coffee shop, and a food and clothing bank.
The focus of the Academy is an educational program that integrates spiritual growth with practical training in a disciplined and supportive culture. Mountain View Church believes that a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is central to lasting growth. Students are not required to be Christians, but they must be willing to learn and participate respectfully in a campus culture shaped by strong Christian values.
The entire program is designed to help participants strengthen their economic and life skills through their own effort.
Each student also completes four hours of community service every week.
Each student develops an individualized plan with the assistance of a counselor, keeps working, and lives in a structured community built around shared goals.
The completed development is expected to have an estimated value of $11 million to $12 million, with direct development and construction costs estimated at $8.5 million. The current plan is to fund $5 million through donations and grants, with financing for the remaining costs.
Once constructed, the program is intended to be self-sustaining through monthly fees. Original building donors will receive annual performance metrics, and donated funds will remain in trust until agreed-upon project milestones are achieved.
Students must be employed and pay their own way. The program does not rely on government or public funds once it is operating.
$650 per month, estimated for 2028-2029
The fee is based on the market rate for a single bedroom in a shared three-bedroom residence in Boise, and includes dormitory rent.
Each student also completes four hours of community service each week. Regular counselor oversight, a supportive peer culture, and the service requirement are intended to keep dorm residents committed to improving their life skills. Students also learn mutual accountability by sharing certain utility costs.
Once the training programs are fully developed and their effectiveness has been demonstrated, the Christian SafetyNet Program could provide a model for other faith communities willing to share their facilities and take on the responsibility of discipling and mentoring people who want to improve their financial, spiritual, and life skills.
Mountain View Church will share lessons learned and information about the program's effectiveness. Other organizations may then adapt the model, or portions of it, to serve men, women, single-parent families, or two-parent families in ways that fit their communities.
Everything behind this overview - due diligence, site plans, admissions controls, campus rules, the security plan, staffing, and the funding structure - is published in full for anyone who wants to read it.
15 sections, 33 pages, updated August 31, 2026