Abaarso School of Science and Technology (Abaarso School) is a non-profit, co-educational boarding school in Abaarso, located in Maroodi Jeex, Somaliland. Its campus lies 18 km (11 mi) west of the provincial capital of Hargeisa. Abaarso was only a secondary school until 2013, when it first began to run an intermediate school as well. The school now ranges from grades 7–12, with a post-graduate option. There are approximately 120 students in the upper school and 98 in the lower school.
| Abaarso School of Science and Technology | |
|---|---|
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| Address | |
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Abaarso Village Somalia | |
| Information | |
| Type | Independent, Boarding |
| Established | 2009 |
| Founder | Jonathan Starr |
| Chairman | Ahmed Jambir |
| Headmaster | Trudy Hall |
| Grades | 7–12 |
| Enrollment | 272 |
| Color(s) | Red and off-white |
| Athletics | +10 sports |
| Website | abaarsoschool |
In 2014, Abaarso School was awarded Candidacy for Accreditation status from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).
History
editAbaarso School was founded in 2009 by Jonathan Starr, an American former finance executive.[1] After donating half a million dollars of his own money, he gathered an international teaching staff.[2] Within six years, the school has sent over 60 of its students to elite prep schools and colleges, including Amherst, Georgetown, MIT and Harvard.[3]
Academics
editAdmissions are test-based and have become increasingly more selective with each passing year. In the 2015–2016 school year, Abaarso had a competitive 9% acceptance rate for the seventh grade.[citation needed] The school enrolls students from across the country, and occasionally the Somali diaspora.
Abaarso provides six years of practical and culturally relevant education, taught entirely in English, with the exception of the Islamic Studies/Arabic courses and the Somali courses, to meet Somaliland's educational standards. Students at Abaarso School undergo a rigorous 30-hours-per-week schedule mainly focused on mathematics, English, and logical thinking. The curriculum is based on the American system, and is tailored to bring the students up to speed with their most competitive peers around the world, in addition to holding to students to extremely high standards of academics and behavior.[4]
Campus
editThe campus includes a school building, 39 staff boarding units, separate boys' and girls' dormitories, mosque, cafeteria, computer and chemistry laboratories, training center, a large library containing 30,000 books, football field, basketball, volleyball and tennis courts, girls' sports compound with a basketball court and soccer field, and multiple guard towers.
In 2014, Abaarso was awarded a grant from American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (ASHA) that has given the school the opportunity to build new facilities, including classrooms, computer and tablet labs, dorms, and staff housing.
In 2015, ASHA granted Abaarso $879,225 to further expand and update facilities.[5]
Student life
editStudents are assigned work-times, with the aim of creating a sense of responsibility in maintaining the school environment. These assignments are student-led, such as Operation Green, a group tasked with cultivating and managing the school gardens.
Additionally, there is a Student Council, a collection of students spanning multiple grade-levels that seeks to promote student interests on campus.
Extracurricular activities
editAbaarso provides an assortment of extracurricular activities for student participation. Clubs are led by teachers. These comprise computer programming, chess, science, health, public speaking, debate, creative writing, improv and drama. The drama club produces one play per academic term.
Athletics
editA variety of athletic activities are offered at Abaarso. These activities include basketball, football, running, and fitness training.
Community service
editAbaarso School offers a number of community services for the students perform. These programs include tutoring at the Hargeisa Orphanage and an afternoon primary school program.
Orphanage tutoring
editFour days a week, tutors from Abaarso go to the Hargeisa Orphanage Center to teach orphans (ranging from 5-year-olds to 19-year-olds) a series of math, English, and logic classes designed to augment the courses offered by the local schools. Since the program's start, Abaarso School has given full scholarships to nine students directly from the Hargeisa Orphanage.[6]
Primary tutoring
editIn the afternoon, for five days a week, Abaarso accommodates a primary tutoring program. Abaarso students tutor local children in math and English. Since 2013, Abaarso has awarded five students from the village with scholarships.[6]
Notable alumni
editSee also
editReferences
edit- ^ Petroff, Alanna (April 21, 2016). "Somaliland to Ivy League: How one African school gets kids into top U.S. universities". CNNMoney.
- ^ "Somaliland to Harvard: How this student beat the odds". CNN Money. CNN. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
- ^ "From Somaliland to Harvard". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
- ^ "Abaarso Tech; an outstanding Campus of Knowledge & self discipline". The Bridge Magazine. Somaliland edu. Archived from the original on 30 June 2013. Retrieved 16 August 2011.
- ^ "The American People Supporting Facilities Modernization at The Abaarso School in Somaliland". Business Wire. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
- ^ a b "Community Service". Abaarso School of Science and Technology. Abaarso School of Science and Technology. Archived from the original on March 23, 2012. Retrieved May 21, 2013.