About Train UP USA Foundation

Train UP USA Foundation is a Christian, family-focused nonprofit created to help parents direct their children’s education with confidence, conviction, and practical support.

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Our Biblical Foundation

Our mission is rooted in Proverbs 22:6: “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” We believe strong families, faithful formation, and educational freedom help children develop wisdom, character, and purpose.

Statement of Faith

  • Deuteronomy 6:4; Genesis 1:1; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; Revelation 4:11

    • There is one God.

    • God created and sustains everything.

    • God is perfect and eternal.

    • God exists as three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

    • God deserves all honor, glory, and praise.

  • John 1:1, 14; Matthew 1:20–23; Colossians 2:9; 1 Corinthians 15:3–4; Hebrews 4:14–16

    • Jesus is the Son of God and the eternal Word. .

    • He became a human being through the Holy Spirit and was born to the virgin Mary.

    • Jesus is God.

    • Jesus is fully God and fully human.

    • He died on the cross to pay for our sins.

    • He physically rose from the dead on the third day.

    • He went to heaven and now serves as our High Priest and Mediator with God.

  • John 14:16–17, 26; John 16:8–14; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 12:4–11; Ephesians 1:13–14

    • The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity.

    • His purpose is to glorify Jesus.

    • He convicts people of sin and draws them toward Jesus.

    • He lives within believers.

    • He gives believers new spiritual life.

    • He gives Christians strength and spiritual gifts to serve God.

    • He teaches and guides believers in truth.

    • He keeps/seals believers until the day of redemption.

  • The Bible - 2 Timothy 3:16–17; 2 Peter 1:20–21; Psalm 119:105; John 5:39

    • The Bible is completely true and comes from God.

    • It contains 66 books in the Old and New Testaments.

    • The Holy Spirit inspired the Bible.

    • The Bible is the highest and final authority for what we believe and how we live.

    • The Bible points us to God’s plan of salvation through Jesus Christ.

  • Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8–9; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 5:1

    • Sin separates people from God and makes us guilty before Him.

    • We cannot save ourselves through our own efforts.

    • Salvation depends completely on God’s grace.

    • God gives Christ’s righteousness to those who trust in Jesus.

    • We are made right with God through faith in Christ

  • Ephesians 2:8–9; Acts 2:38; John 14:6; John 1:12–13; 2 Corinthians 5:17; James 2:17–18

    • Salvation is a free gift from God, not something we earn by doing good works.

    • Salvation includes repentance—turning away from our own sinful way and turning toward God’s way.

    • Salvation comes through personal faith in Jesus Christ alone.

    • Those who receive Jesus are given new life by the Holy Spirit and become children of God.

    • Genuine salvation should produce a changed life.

  • Matthew 16:18; 1 Corinthians 12:12–27; Acts 2:42–47; 2 Timothy 3:16–17; Matthew 18:15–17; Hebrews 10:24–25

    • The true Church is made up of people who have saving faith in Jesus.

    • The Holy Spirit unites believers together as the body of Christ.

    • The Church is expressed through local congregations.

    • Churches should faithfully teach God’s Word.

    • Churches should properly administer the sacraments.

    • Churches should practice biblical discipline.

    • Christians should have loving fellowship with one another.

    • The Church is not yet perfect and looks forward to Jesus’ return.

  • Genesis 1:26–27; Psalm 139:13–16; Matthew 19:4–6

    • We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female.

    • These two distinct and complementary sexes together reflect the image and nature of God. -Genesis 1:26–27

    • We believe that a person’s biological sex is given by God as part of His design and purpose for that person.

    • Therefore, rejecting the biological sex given by God at birth is understood as a rejection of the image of God within that person.

  • Genesis 2:18–25; Matthew 19:4–6; Ephesians 5:31–33

    • We believe that marriage has one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as described in Scripture.

    • Marriage is part of God’s design from creation.

    • A husband and wife are called to a faithful, exclusive covenant relationship.

    • Marriage points beyond itself to the relationship between Christ and His Church.

  • Acts 1:9–11; Matthew 24:30–31; 2 Timothy 4:1; Revelation 22:12, 20

    • Jesus will come back to earth.

    • His return will be personal, visible, and physical.

    • He will judge the living and the dead.

    • His return will complete God’s plan for history and eternity.

    • Christians look forward to His return: “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” - Rev. 22:20

  • Matthew 28:18–20; Mark 16:15; Luke 9:23; Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 2:10

    • Jesus commands His followers to share the Gospel with the world.

    • Christians are called to make disciples of all nations.

    • Following Jesus requires wholehearted commitment.

    • Christians are called to love, serve, and deny themselves for Christ.

    • God created believers to do good works that He prepared for them to do.— Ephesians 2:10

Our Founding Leadership

Together, our board is committed to responsible stewardship, transparency, and service to families.

Headshot of a man with brown hair and a beard, dressed in a dark blue suit, white shirt, and red patterned tie, smiling against a plain white background.

Johan Petterson

President and Chairman

Johan Petterson, PE, CFM is a Founder and Chairman of Train UP USA Foundation. A civil engineer, entrepreneur, husband, and father of four, Johan is passionate about strengthening families and helping parents intentionally educate and develop the next generation.

Together with his wife, Kate, Johan homeschools their children and has experienced firsthand the importance of strong educational resources, supportive communities, and opportunities for families who choose a more active role in their children’s education.

Professionally, Johan has more than 20 years of engineering and leadership experience and is the founder of CIVAR LLC, a Texas civil engineering firm. Through Train UP USA, he is combining his experience in leadership, business, and community building with his commitment to faith, family, education, and developing future leaders.

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Joshua Baker

Vice President and Vice Chair

Joshua Baker is a Founder and Vice Chairman of Train UP USA Foundation. With a degree in Christian Counseling and years of work in recovery ministries, he has a passion for discipleship, and compassion for the lost and broken.

He also has a strong science and technology background, with a degree in Applied Technology, and over 20 years of experience working with electronics and automation. He is a Navy veteran, a husband, and a father of five. He and his wife Chastine homeschool each of their children, one of which they’ve graduated and is currently attending college under multiple academic scholarships.

Together with his passion for helping people, and belief in empowerment through education, his desire is to help parents realize their own potential for raising up the next generation of future leaders, rooted in a strong biblical and academic foundation.

Photo coming soon…

Kate Petterson

Treasurer

Kate Petterson is a Founder and Treasurer of Train UP USA Foundation. She is a wife, mother of four, homeschool educator, licensed Professional Engineer, and licensed Real Estate professional with a heart for serving families and children. After building a professional career, Kate now dedicates much of her time to homeschooling her four children through Classical Conversations and helping her husband operate their small family farm.

Through their farm, Kate and her family offer field trips, educational experiences, and special events designed to give children opportunities to learn, explore, and experience farm life firsthand. At the center of their family’s work is a desire to encourage children in their education while pointing them toward their Creator, God.

As a homeschooling mother herself, Kate understands both the tremendous rewards and the sacrifices that families make when choosing to educate their children at home. She is especially passionate about supporting these families and helping remove some of the financial barriers that can make homeschooling difficult. As a board member, Kate hopes to help expand opportunities for more families to pursue homeschooling and provide meaningful educational experiences, resources, and encouragement to those already on that journey.

Photo coming soon…

Chastine Baker

Executive Director and Secretary

Chastine Baker serves as Executive Director and Secretary of Train UP USA Foundation, bringing extensive experience supporting homeschooling families and serving in the classical education community. She began as a Classical Conversations tutor and has served as a campus director since 2017.

Through her work with families, Chastine has witnessed firsthand how the cost of homeschool curriculum, co ops, college, and career training can limit students’ educational opportunities. This experience motivates her commitment to helping homeschool families access scholarships and financial assistance as they pursue their academic and career goals.

In her role with Train UP USA Foundation, Chastine provides practical leadership and program support while helping advance the organization’s mission. She also serves in her church’s children’s ministry, reflecting her longstanding commitment to encouraging and investing in the next generation.