Build Africa School for the Arts - Uganda
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- Our goal is to build the Africa School for the Arts - Mbale (ASAM), a post-primary academy in Namengo, Uganda. Currently, only one in four Ugandan teenagers can attend high school due to a lack of facilities and personnel, but ASAM aims to change that! The Africa School for the Arts will provide not only much-needed infrastructure but also an approach to education that will be unique and transformative in several important ways:
- The school will draw students from seven local distinct cultural communities and employ their elders as mentors, ensuring that these communities' remarkable music, dance and artistic talents are showcased, nurtured, and preserved and that local languages and oral traditions are passed on to the next generation.
- The curriculum will use experiential learning to impart knowledge and develop skills in more effective and engaging ways. Through performance, the visual arts, and hands-on STEM projects such as aquaponic agriculture, robotics, and reforestation, ASAM students will be prepared to shape the future of their communities and the world.
- ASAM will address the nation’s teacher shortage by serving as a practicum center. Each classroom will benefit from the support of 1-2 Teaching Assistants, who will go on to lead Satellite Education Centers throughout Uganda and eventually East Africa. A Khan Academy-style internet-based learning site will supplement & support these Centers.
- The Campus will also serve as a Community Education Center, hosting evening courses for adults in financial literacy, aquaponic farming, micro-lending, and more. ASAM’s Library, Technology & Media Center, and two amphitheaters will be valuable resources for its students and the wider community, including the adjacent elementary school.
- ASAM will provide guest housing for exchange students, visiting educators and guests, and short-term global mentors
Micheal Mpyangu - acclaimed dancer, educator, publisher, and author of “March of the Rumba” – is donating his family's land for the school. He has put together a skilled and dedicated team of Ugandans and international collaborators to lead ASAM’s construction.
HOW YOU CAN HELP :
By donating and sharing this campaign, you will help us continue Phase One of construction in January 2024.
These funds will pour the school’s foundations for four additional classrooms, install its plumbing and electrical infrastructure, purchase materials and equipment, and reserve accommodations for Phase One volunteers.
This summer, ASAM plans to welcome multiple teams of volunteers to work alongside local Ugandan volunteers to complete the school’s first two buildings. These teams will consist of three university teams, three high school teams (paired up with university mentors), and a team of highly-skilled team leaders (architects, project managers, trades professionals, etc).
It is hard to overstate how meaningful this project is for Namengo and the surrounding area. Local access will not only allow more teens to attend high school, but it will allow them to stay connected with their community while doing so. They will be able to use what they learn to help their families, friends and neighbors. They will be able to share their ideas, discoveries, and creations with the world.
With your help, the Africa School for the Arts will welcome its first class of 13-year-olds in January 2025!
Fundraising team: Coordinating Team (3)
Africa School for the Arts - Mbale, Uganda
Organizer
Berkeley, CA
Brianna Janssen Saldivar
Team member
Lauren McLeod
Team member