Youth Inspirations Academy: Affordable and High Quality Education
In 2014, with a well-established program of supporting vulnerable children, CAMME opened a new chapter, one focused on formal education. CAMME launched Youth Inspirations Academy (YIA), a fully-bilingual (English-French) preschool and primary school.
Too many schools in the DRC are characterized by rote memorization, recitation, and a lack of even basic materials and facilities. At YIA, young Congolese children learn critical-thinking and problem-solving skills from as early as three, with equal course time in French and English. Highly qualified bilingual teachers guide children, using an American-style curriculum in music, art, dance, and the foundations of literacy, numeracy, and English as a Second Language (ESL).
Since opening in 2014, YIA has grown an astonishing 2,500%; from 12 students in 2014 to 300 preschool through 4th grade students across 2 campuses today. Virtually every day a new parent contacts YIA seeking to enroll their children. YIA expects to add a grade per year for the next several years.
Fully accredited by the Congolese Ministry of Education, the school offers a quality education at a reasonable cost. In addition to paying students, YIA offers a number of full scholarships on an annual basis to vulnerable children participating in other CAMME programs. YIA has become one of the highest-quality schools in Goma, training the future leaders of Congo, one drawing, one song, and one child at a time.