Microsoft Mentor Schools

At a recent ceremony in Salvador, Brazil, the Aga Khan Academy, Mombasa was honoured by being invited to become part of the prestigious Mentor School programme initiated by Microsoft. The Academy becomes only the 12th school in the world to join the programme.

The honour is part of the Microsoft Innovative Schools Programme which currently has 30 Pathfinder schools recognised for special achievement globally. Pathfinder schools showing effective educational innovation are invited to apply for Mentor School status.

The 12 mentor schools were each presented with a new cutting edge technology smart screen computer. According to a Microsoft press release, “The Mentor Schools will be honoured at the event because they have achieved a level of change within their education systems and are viewed as leaders in their countries and regions. Their innovations have a global interest and are replicable models that other schools can follow.”

The five day event in Salvador was attended by over 400 influential educators and teachers from around the world. School heads were invited to discuss innovation in today’s modern world especially the use of Information Technology in helping young people globally obtain the education they deserve.

The Aga Kan Academy is the only school in Africa to be recognised with this honour and it now will be working closely in partnership with Microsoft to design and implement educational innovations which will have a positive impact both locally, nationally and throughout the continent.

Other Mentor schools include exemplary institutions in Australia, the United States, France, Sweden, the United Kingdom and South America.

Microsoft will be hosting a similar event in 2010 in Cape town, South Africa.