About Us

Two boys leaning over a table, one writing on papers with a pencil and two plates with pretzels on the table.

We advocate for school choice and religious freedom in education and equip Catholic and Evangelical schools to promote a biblical worldview.

The Ohio Christian Education Network (OCEN) protects the religious liberty of Christian schools and ensures every Ohio family has access to a Gospel-centered education.

OCEN, a division of Center for Christian Virtue (CCV), is a coalition of schools and community members who stand for freedom in education and want to support initiatives that prevent the government from intruding on the right of Christian schools to teach Gospel-centered principles.

With a daily presence in the Ohio Statehouse, OCEN is your partner in combatting additional regulations that make it tougher to provide Christian education and maintain Christian schools.

OCEN also endeavors to see Ohio offer “true-choice” to families. This means any initiatives to promote school choice programs come with as few strings attached as possible, ensuring private Christian schools do not have to compromise their operating principles in order to have students enrolled on state-sponsored scholarships or tax credit programs.

Core Principles

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Religious Freedom

Christian schools should have the freedom under law to operate according to their Biblical beliefs.

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Parents’ Rights

Parents have the fundamental right to direct the upbringing and education of their children.

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Education Funding

Ohio should have a “money follows the child” education funding system.

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Regulation

School choice programs should come with “no strings attached.”

What We Do

ENCOURAGE

Encourage Christian school leaders to participate in public dialogue about the most pressing issues in education and build a network of Christian school advocates who come together to work for school choice and freedom of religious education.

Oppose

Oppose any governmental or social intrusion on Christian schools’ right to operate freely.

Advocate

Advocate for religious liberty and educational freedom at the Ohio Statehouse.

STAND

Stand in support of parents’ rights to choose the best education for their children and expand school options for families.

SUPPORT

Support the growth of Christian school access by school planting in areas that are under-served.

FUND

Fund students seeking Christian education with our OCEN SGO scholarship program.

The OCEN Team

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Troy McIntosh
Executive Director

Troy joins OCEN after 27 years in Christian education, serving as a teacher, principal, and most recently as Head of School at Worthington Christian School in Worthington, Ohio. Before his career in education, he worked in the Ohio House of Representatives through the Legislative Services Commission Fellowship program, bringing valuable leadership and policy experience to his work in education.

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Dave Arrell
School Growth & Expansion Director

Dave joins OCEN with more than 37 years of experience in Christian education. Since beginning his teaching and coaching career in Maryland in 1985, he has served as an Athletic Director, Assistant Principal, Principal, and Head of School in Christian institutions across Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Ohio. Most recently, he led Grove City Christian School as Head of School, gaining deep experience in both church-based and independent Christian settings.

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Corrinne Vidales
Legal Counsel

Corrinne, a Northwest Ohio native, holds a B.A. in English from Bowling Green State University, where her passion for education was shaped by her parents’ careers as teachers. Following graduation, she completed a Franciscan service program in Syracuse, New York, directing an after-school program for inner-city youth—a role that deepened her commitment to transforming education. She later returned to Ohio to serve with Catholic Charities at La Posada Family Homeless Shelter in Toledo.

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Lane Hufford
Coordinator

Lane joins OCEN with a lifelong background in Christian education. He attended a K–12 Christian school before earning a Bachelor’s in Political Science with a minor in Business from Ohio Christian University (OCU). While completing his MBA at OCU, he served as Graduate Assistant to the Dean of the School of Business & Government. Lane has interned with the Ohio House of Representatives and LifeWise Academy and now serves as Christian Education Coordinator at CCV, advancing Christian education nationwide.

Become a Member

Join a movement committed to ensuring every Ohio student has access to a biblically-based education.

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