American Cooperative School of Tunis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids American Cooperative School of Tunis |
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| Address | |
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Cite Taeib M'hiri BP 150
2045 Laouina
Tunisia
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| Coordinates | 36°51′09″N 10°16′12″E / 36.85250°N 10.27000°E |
| Information | |
| School type | Private, Non-Profit, Elementary/Middle/High School |
| Established | 1959 |
| Faculty | 62 teachers, 31 TA's, 11 Administrators |
| Grades | Pre-school 3year old-12 |
| Age | 3+ |
| Enrollment | 250 (2022) |
| Language | English |
| Hours in school day | 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM (7 hours) |
| Mascot | Falcon |
| Accreditation | Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and CIS |
| Tuition | $6,500-$24,470 (depending on Grade Level) |
| Affiliation | United States Department of State |
The American Cooperative School of Tunis, also known as ACST, is a private international school in El Aouina, Tunisia. It's an American-style school for students of many nationalities. The school teaches over 450 students from Pre-school all the way to Grade 12.
ACST is famous for its International Baccalaureate Diploma Program, which it started offering in 2000. It is currently the only school in Tunisia that offers this special program.
Contents
History of ACST
The American Cooperative School of Tunis began in 1959. At first, it was an American Elementary School for students from Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 8.
Growing the School
Over the years, ACST added more grades. A ninth grade was added in 1982. Then, a tenth grade was included in 1993. In 1995 and 1996, the eleventh and twelfth grades were added. The first class of students graduated from ACST in June 1997.
The number of students at the school grew a lot after 2003. This happened when the African Development Bank temporarily moved its main office to Tunis.
Overcoming Challenges
On September 14, 2012, the school faced a difficult event. A building that held the Elementary School Library was damaged. Fire and smoke spread to 12 classrooms, making them unsafe. The entire section had to be rebuilt. Other parts of the campus were also affected. The estimated damage was over $5.5 million.
However, the school quickly started classes again within a few days. Thanks to help from many countries and people, ACST was rebuilt. It is now doing better than ever.
School Facilities
ACST is located on a large campus that is about 10 acres (40,000 square meters) in size. The campus has new or updated buildings for pre-school, elementary, middle, and high school students.
Outdoor and Learning Spaces
A big expansion project was finished in May 2006. This project added a new playground for elementary students with modern equipment. It also included an amphitheatre and more green spaces. A new facility was completed in 2017, further improving the campus.
The main administration and preschool building has an elementary library. This library includes an amphitheater and a computer lab for younger students. For the secondary school, there are two science labs and two computer labs. There are also two art rooms and a main library with over 12,000 books. This main library also has a computer area for research.
Other buildings on campus house a large music classroom, a school store, and a copy center.
Sports and Transportation
The school has a full gym and auditorium with three classrooms. There is also a second, newer gym. Students can eat in the school's cafeteria. ACST has a large grass soccer and softball field. This field also has a 300-meter track that was renovated in 2025.
A parking garage for 74 vehicles was built in 2024. ACST also shares a new 25-meter swimming pool located at the nearby United States Embassy to Tunisia.
Bus transportation is available for students. Buses pick up and drop off students in most residential areas of Tunis, La Marsa, Gammarth, El Manar, and Tunisia Carthage.
Secondary School Programs
The American Cooperative School of Tunis offers an American-style high school program. Students can earn their own "ACST Diploma." They can also work towards the International Baccalaureate Diploma.
ACST Diploma Requirements
To get the ACST Diploma, students need to earn a certain number of credits. This includes four credits in English, Social Studies, and Mathematics. Students also need three credits in Science. Additionally, two credits in a Foreign Language and two credits in Physical Education are required. One course in Art, Music, Technology, and Health is also needed. Students must take four more elective courses to reach a total of 24 credits. If a student earns the International Baccalaureate Diploma, they automatically meet the ACST Diploma requirements.
Early High School Years (Grades 9-10)
The first years of high school at ACST are for students in Grades 9 and 10. These are also known as Freshman and Sophomore years. During these years, students take American-style high school courses. ACST creates and manages these courses for students aged 14 to 16.
Core subjects include English, Math, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Environmental Systems and Societies (ESS). ACST also offers many electives. These are extra courses students can choose to take. For example, electives offered in the 2007-2008 school year included Music, Art, Advanced Art, Modern Standard Arabic, Technology, Model United Nations, Drama, Introduction to Research, 20th Century African History, and German.
IB Diploma Program (Grades 11-12)
The IB Diploma Program is available to all students in Grades 11 and 12. These are the junior and senior years. Students who are not pursuing the IB Diploma can still take American-style high school electives to earn their ACST Diploma.
The school uses its own American-style grading system for students. Students also take the IB Exams, which are graded by the International Baccalaureate Organization.
