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School History

School History

As a project of the Universal Peace Federation (UPF), Jin-A School is a bilingual, inter-confessional, non-lucrative institution, managed by a director committee.

The school history is based on international missionary families who decided to create their own school due to a deep desire to give internal value education to their children.

Mrs. Kathy Rigney, head of Côte d’Ivoire mission at the time, united   the families around this project and helped to launch it. The        decision was  taken to start with just a preschool and   kindergarten   in one classroom on the back of their house in 1989.

The older children started to use a home schooling program called   Christian Liberty Academy Satellite Schools (CLASS).

Mrs. Lorette Elias went to spend two months in JIN-A School in New Jersey USA and came back decided to enlarge the school project with the help of her husband Mr. Werner Elias, uniting with the vision of UPF founder, Rev. S. M. Moon, to create a school in West Africa.

In January 1991, the school entered its actual location found by Mrs. Rigney with the approval of all missionaries present. With just one month rent, we entered the location with the faith of its quick growth. We just installed toilets for the young children and opened the school to everyone, with the authorization of the Ivoirian Government.

We started with three classrooms and three teachers: Mrs. Sun Sook Houngbedji, Mrs. Petty Kpindy and Mrs. Lorette Elias.

With lots of sacrifice of time and fundraising, we managed to keep the school alive through the first years. War broke out in Liberia and many refugee children were searching for good schooling. The school began well, and the program being used which was inspired by Montessori teachings in preschool and kindergarten and Christian Liberty Academy in grade 1 to 12 proved to be very efficient. Children from ADB, from Liberia, Ghana, Nigeria, Somalia, and many other countries came to the school. The reputation of the school was growing fast in Cote d’Ivoire and in neighboring countries. We were hoping to get funds to build a school in five years.

But Côte d’Ivoire’s political unrest started and lasted for more than ten years. The effect on the school brought a lot of financial difficulties since many foreigners left due to the situation in the country and local families had difficulties to pay. The kindness of our landlord helped to keep the school alive since we had at one point a debt of two years rent. By chance Mrs. Elias could pay through the money she inherited from her mother.

Today the school has graduated quite a few students who have been accepted in the United States, Canada, South Africa, and universities in other countries.

They have very nice memories of their time in JIN-A School that they share on Jin-A group Facebook page they created by themselves. In the newly established American University of Grand-Bassam, two of our students have been admitted.

Registration is Now Open for Year 2023/2024.

Jin-A School offers an American curriculum and adherence to C.L.A.S.S., compulsory from grade 8 to 12.

Jin-A Graduation ceremony – June 24, 2018

Jin-A School Côte d’Ivoire recently celebrated the accomplishments of graduates.
The graduates shared the culmination of their hard work with more family members, friends, academics and abroad.