American Community School at Beirut
Address
PO Box 8129, Beirut, Lebanon
Tel: (+961) 1 374370
Fax: (+961) 1 366050
headmaster@acs.edu.lb
www.acs.edu.lb
School Summary:
National, IB, curricula.
1000 students, 3-19 yrs.
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Founded in 1905, the American Community School at Beirut is situated
on the Eastern Mediterranean. It is an independent, not-for-profit,
non-sectarian, coeducational institution that was established to serve
the families of the faculty of the Syrian Protestant College (now
the American University of Beirut). Chartered under the New York State
Board of Regents, registered with the Lebanese Ministry of Education
and accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools,
the American Community School offers a nursery through secondary program
for a 1,000 students, serving both the international and Lebanese
communities.
The grounds of American Community School at Beirut (ACS) adjoin
the campus of the American University of Beirut, one block from
the Mediterranean. A compact 16,000 square meter campus houses the
pre-school, elementary, middle and high schools, their libraries
and the administration, as well as an indoor gymnasium and outdoor
playing grounds. The recent post-war period brought with it much
crucial refurbishment, including a campus-wide renovation project.
American-style curricula and teaching methods enrich the international
diploma programs. The core curriculum, taught in English, is American
College Preparatory, with an emphasis on mathematics, science, language
skills (English, Arabic and French), the arts and four-year integrated
world history program. Advanced Placement courses are available
in five subject areas. Additionally, the Lebanese Baccalaureate
and the International Baccalaureate (IB) are offered in the upper-level
high school years. Since 1994, 100% of ACS graduates have been accepted
into colleges and universities in Lebanon, Europe, the United States
and Canada.
While the majority of students at American Community School at
Beirut (ACS) are Lebanese, among the diverse student body there
are representatives of some 48 different nationalities.
The American Community School at Beirut (ACS) faculty consists
of 145 highly-qualified teachers and administrators. Since the US
travel ban was lifted in 1997, the school has hired 43 Americans
to rejoin the already international faculty. In the lower school,
class size ranges from 17 to 24 students; in the upper school, the
average size is 15. Across the entire school, the student teacher
ratio is 7:1.
The American-based Alumni Association has over 2,500 registered
members, offering a world-wide network of ACS graduates. The Beirut
chapter of the Alumni Association is active locally.
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