For many African students, it is a dream to study abroad. In fact, an ICEF Monitor report reveals that 9 out of 10 students are interested in pursuing a degree in a foreign institution. However, financial constraints hold students back from achieving this academic goal. In addition to expenses related to tuition, they need to think about accommodation, materials, and much more. A scholarship can cover the expenses, but before that, students must get quality education that helps them qualify to study abroad.
Fortunately, one institution is helping students achieve these dreams of getting a degree in another country. Bridge International Academies is helping students land international scholarships.
What is Bridge International Academies?
Bridge International Academies is a Kenyan company that has been providing for-profit education to children in remote communities since 2009. Today, they have several schools in Africa located in Kenya, Nigeria, and Uganda and they also operate in India. Working with the local community, parents, and teachers, Bridge International Academies delivers high-quality education to primary and pre-primary school students. They train their teachers to deliver effective lesson plans and distribute parent-friendly learning guides so students can be guided accordingly at home.
Because of these efforts, Bridge students perform well on tests, ensuring they are a gateway to student success.
Bridge International Academies Scholarships
Aside from establishing schools in remote communities, Bridge International Academies partners with organizations to provide scholarships to students. Just this March, a collaboration with social impact organization The Special Foundation resulted in 10 Bridge pupils receiving full scholarships for their primary and post-primary education. Fortunately, it has been reported that this opportunity will be extended to more pupils in the coming school terms.
While Bridge makes education more accessible to underserved communities, some parents still lack sufficient funds to sustain their children’s education. Opportunities like these secure Bridge students’ acquisition of high-quality education along with the necessary resources to do so.
Effective Education from Bridge International Academies
An article by Education Next informs that enrollment in Bridge improves a student’s learning. This is after a group of scholars from the University of Chicago wrote a paper on standardized education in Kenya, which revealed that Bridge students’ test scores are “among the largest observed in the international education literature.” Furthermore, the paper notes how primary students that received Bridge education “gained 3.48 equivalent years” of schooling, compared to students in other schools that only received the equivalent of 2.
This only goes to prove that Bridge’s way of teaching dramatically increases learning gains, therefore having achieved their goal of delivering high-quality education.
Notable Graduates from Bridge International Academies with International Scholarships
The effectiveness of Bridge’s education is manifested in its graduates who have succeeded in getting international scholarships. One of them is Natasha Wanjiru, an alumna of Bridge International School Kabiria. Her enrollment at Bridge led her to score high marks in the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE)—a primary school exit exam that can determine a student’s future. This provided her an opportunity to qualify and eventually get accepted into a US scholarship. She completed her education at Episcopal High School in Virginia and with another scholarship, is currently attending Sewanee College in Tennessee.
Another alumna is Josephine Nyakundi, who was offered a four-year scholarship at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee High School in Georgia. Like Wanjiru, this was a result of her high KCPE score after studying at Bridge. She now attends Presbyterian College in South Carolina to continue her education.
Receiving high-quality education is a great opportunity that Bridge International Academies is making possible, especially for those in underserved communities. If you’re looking to start your scholarship journey, check out our services today here at Pick a Scholarship.
