News

“Our new Middle School, celebrated today, was built with students, the environment and 21st century educational practices at the center and brings hope and dignity to our community.”
—Joyce Ajlouny, RFS Director

Ramallah - The school held the inauguration of the Middle School building on Saturday November 12^th. The event was attended by the Consul General of the United States, the Palestinian Minister of Education, the acting director of ASHA-USAID, the General Secretary of the Friends United Meeting, as well as various representatives from UNESCO, heads of schools in the Ramallah Governante, the RFS Board of Trustees, PTA representatives, and last but not least friends and supporters of the school such as our own graduate Farouk Al-Shami.

The inauguration event started in Khalil Totah Auditorium with speeches from our guests, presentations by our director and facilities manager on the school and ongoing projects, as well as a performance by the school’s modern dance group and a singing of the school’s anthem by 8^th grade students. What followed was a guided tour of the new Middle School building with all its innovative facilities and learning spaces, finishing with a reception where all the guests and staff were invited.

The Middle School project was funded by USAID, through its American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (ASHA) offices, where they have invested nearly $3,000,000 during the past six years (in two stages) to build, equip and furnish the building.  The aforementioned ASHA program has supported the school since 1995 and has since provided over $8.5 million towards the school’s facility upgrades.

In her welcome remarks, Ramallah Friends School Director, Joyce Ajlouny, noted: “Our new Middle School, celebrated today, was built with students, the environment and 21st century educational practices at the center and brings hope and dignity to our community.”

Through the internationally designed, environmentally friendly building, the Ramallah Friends School hopes to demonstrate how educational space and collaborative learning communities, including the first Da Vinci studios in Palestine, encourage student-centered, project-based, and interdisciplinary learning.