The Challenge Foundation—Our Journey

John Bryan liked a challenge and enjoyed challenging others. He built a successful career transforming struggling chemical companies into successful entities, investing the money he made from one corporate makeover into supporting the next. Over the years, he operated a number of chemical plants throughout multiple states, where he often found it difficult to find high school graduates educated to read and write well enough to be successful managers. Then, in the late 1980s, an ambitious John Bryan suffered a heart attack while out for a walk. In a stroke of good fortune, a nurse discovered him, leading to his ultimate recovery. Yet, the incident changed him, inspiring him to sell Gulf Chemical and commit his sizable fortune to advancing education.

Just as he had enjoyed the challenge of transforming chemical companies, John also challenged the status quo of education. He sought innovation and ideas that would advance learning, continually asking “How do we make this better?” His interest in moving education and students forward became the Challenge Foundation.

Building a Foundation

The Challenge Foundation began by finding schools that were doing good work and giving them funds to expand their success. Further, when the charter school movement began, John agreed that parents should be empowered to make decisions about their children’s education. He wanted to advance charter schools and education-based initiatives.

Challenge Foundation Properties

The Challenge Foundation saw that many charter schools were receiving funding for curriculum, yet they were struggling to find or sustain a facility. A division of the Challenge Foundation emerged, Challenge Foundation Properties (CFP), which supported schools in finding properties and building (or renovating) brick-and-mortar schools. Challenge Foundation Properties serves communities—often at the request of community leaders—by building quality schools where children can succeed, supported by a positive administration. Once a school is thriving, both academically and financially, the school buys the brick-and-mortar facility from Challenge Foundation Properties, for actual cost, providing the funding for CFP to build another school. This successful model, not unlike the approach that had led to John Bryan’s triumphs in the chemical industry, has led to a series of schools that continue to thrive throughout Arizona, Indiana, and North Carolina. Each school provides valuable education and sets a positive example, leading to healthy competition and elevating educational standards regionally.

John studied charter schools with interest and determined that they faced hurdles in the areas of curriculum and facilities. When it came to curriculum, he advocated for Thomas Jefferson’s classical model. To reinforce this model, he established Academy Leadership Foundation in Action, later known as Team CFA to develop schools, facilitating curriculum development and school governance. Today our Challenge Foundation Academies division carries on this mission, providing curriculum support and ongoing assistance to CF Academies schools.

Challenge Foundation Choice

Beyond Team CFA and Challenge Foundation Properties, CF Choice is emerging as a new division of the Challenge Foundation. CF Choice advocates for education initiatives and supports education innovation.

The true beneficiaries of the Challenge Foundation and its divisions are the children and communities where schools have sparked learning. John Bryan had a dream of supporting schools, through properties, the curriculum he advanced and the initiatives he advocated. Sadly, John passed away in 2020 at the age of 87. Yet, his legacy lives on in the challenge to advance education. The Challenge Foundation is committed to carrying on this valuable work, one student, one school, and one community at a time.