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The American School Foundation of Guadalajara (ASFG) is a school of 1482 students in pre-school through twelfth grade. It is a US accredited school in Guadalajara. The school was founded in 1908, and has been a non-profit organization since 1956. ASFG offers accredited US and Mexican diploma programs, and graduates go on to attend prestigious universities in the United States, Mexico, and around the world. Bilingual instruction carried out by native English and native Spanish-speaking faculty, recruited both locally and internationally. David McGrath serves as Director General of ASFG since 2013. ASFG has the second largest collection of books published in English among the private schools in Mexico. The school publishes the award winning ''Sin Fronteras'' literary magazine. In addition it has a very competitive Model United Nations team (attending UNITESO, CACMUN, BEIMUN, SMUNC, and IMMUNS). In recent years, ASFG has received international recognition at Destination ImagiNation in Tennessee, and at the INFOMATRIX competition . ==History== The American School was founded in 1908 by Delia A. Walsh. There were only 50 students, half of whom were children of US railroad workers in Guadalajara. Classes were taught exclusively in English at a house downtown. The school was moved to its current Colomos campus in 1959. About 90 years after it began, with Robert Trent (director 1996-2001) at the helm, technology became a priority. Trent encouraged corporate donations which helped provide more than 100 new computers for faculty and student labs. The emphasis on academic excellence continued as the Advanced Placement program grew and test scores improved. An agreement was reached with Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) that allowed for more flexibility in course selection, uniting the Mexican and US high school programs. Students obtained both a Mexican Bachillerato and a US high school diploma upon graduation. Highly qualified teachers were recruited internationally, and more students gained acceptance to top-level universities. In 2001, with Janet Heinze as director, new land was acquired. Heinze worked to structure school resources, streamlining processes, operational procedures, maintenance, and purchasing. Heinze established a philosophy of one united school rather than four separate schools. This facilitated the implementation of a school improvement process that encouraged school-wide academic initiatives. One of the most significant new developments under Heinze was the creation of the Educational Scholarship Foundation (ESF) to assist deserving students with financial need in attending or continuing to study at ASFG. Parents of these children agree to provide their time and services to the school by volunteering for a variety of activities. Another significant initiative was the admission of siblings of ASFG students with special needs to the school. Today The American School Foundation in Guadalajara (ASFG) is a dual immersion English/Spanish bilingual school currently led by director David McGrath. ASFG enrolls 1482 students. There are 171 faculty members, 50% of whom are international (mainly from the US, Canada, and Britain). 90% of the faculty has at least one graduate degree. The maximum class size at ASFG is 25 students. The campus is seven acres and houses 108 classrooms, an auditorium, two libraries/media centers (30,000 volumes and over 20 online subscriptions to digital resources such as databases, research tools, ebooks, and digital magazines), six science labs, computer labs, an infirmary, two cafeterias, a solar heated swimming pool, a soccer field, track, basketball and volleyball courts, and a multipurpose gymnasium. Student activities include art, publications, filmmaking, extracurricular clubs, and obligatory service learning, which fosters leadership and social responsibility. An affiliated language institute and a study abroad program support internationalization for ASFG students. The academic curricula is instructed in English and Spanish, and at the high school level, offers 92 courses, including honors/advanced placement courses. Activities such as Model United Nations and Week Without Walls are offered to middle and high school students. About 99% of all graduates enroll in prestigious US and Mexican universities. Sustainability at the ASFG In 2009, ASFG Green was born from a group of committed students, parents, and staff working together to educate and foster environmental sustainability in our community. In 2010, ASFG won a Model School award given by the Mexican Environment and Sustainability Secretary (SEMADES) in recognition for its recycling programs. In 2012, ASFG was certified as a Green School and scored the highest level, Environmental Leader, given by the Mexican Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources. In 2013, ASFG was nominated to participate in the Ecological Merit Prize 2013, receiving an Honorable Mention in this prestigious event. Mission Statement Educating students in a bilingual, bicultural, and secular environment to be purposeful learners, critical and creative thinkers, effective communicators, and community contributors, based on a foundation of honor, freedom, and commitment. Vision Statement To be a leading educational institution by maintaining a systematic process of continuous school improvement; teaching students to positively impact the world; collaborating with local, regional, and international educational institutions to share experiences and expertise, and communicating successes. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア(Wikipedia)』 ■ウィキペディアで「American School Foundation of Guadalajara」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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