A private religious educational institution, GVCA is organized for kindergarten through ninth grade. The Academy provides, stated a spokesperson, "high academic standards in a safe and disciplined atmosphere." There are many electives available as well, including Spanish, choir and drama. Students may participate in a variety of sports. The Academy fields teams that compete in the Sacramento-based Parochial Athletic League (PAL). It is a very structured educational environment, with a lot of rules, designed to encourage students to always honor authority, to be polite, productive, prompt and prepared," said the spokesman.