From Our Executive Director

September 2018

The work of our schools this year—and beyond!— will focus on two exciting areas. First, after several years of research, outreach to our school community, and intensive thought, we have created what we call our ABI Commitments. This document outlines the work that we believe in. In some ways, the ABI Commitments tie back to our founding in 2007. Afya means health in Swahili and health is at the heart of what we do. This is a sentence that we’ve been saying and organizing around and working towards for more than a decade now. And we still believe it! But now we are going much deeper into the work, more clearly defining what outcomes and beliefs should look like, sound like, and feel like to everyone involved with our schools. Our schools are committed to getting better. To do this we are committed to the art and science of our practice, we are committed to creating schools that make our city proud.

The second area we will focus on is our commitment to increasing our support for the physical wellness of our students. We are calling this effort The ABI Schools Health & Wellness Initiative. This will be a five-year initiative to raise $500,000 (or more!) to support this aspect of our mission.

Here’s what we believe: It’s no secret that physical activity, play, and good nutrition positively impact our overall health. In unique and innovative ways, our schools aim to provide these opportunities for students. Limited public funding, which has been declining in recent years, has made it increasingly difficult for ABI Schools to provide the comprehensive array of health and wellness programs that we know will have the biggest impact on our kids. In response to this, ABI will be seeking support through grants, a direct appeal, and intensive fundraising. Our first big organization-wide fundraiser, the ABI Gala, will be on November 9th, 2018 at the Accelerator Space. Tickets are on sale and donations of any amount are appreciated! For information about becoming a sponsor of the event, please reach out to me.

Our ABI Schools— Afya, Tunbridge, and Brehms Lane — are poised for a great year. We are committed to continuing to operate great schools. We are committed to the engaging and equitable education of the whole child: intellectually, socially/emotionally, and physically. Let’s do this!

- Will McKenna
Founder and Executive Director

Afya Friday Letter  Brehms Lane Friday Letter  Tunbridge Friday Letter