Many of us have words embracing global competency within our mission and vision statements. At the American School in Taichung (AST), being a competent global citizen is an aspirational goal for each of our students. This said, while we provide skill development to address these competencies, we felt we lacked authentic learning experiences to forward growth in this area. Therefore, on December 11, 2023, we sent a call-out to other small (500-600 and under) international schools within the East Asia Regional Council of Schools (EARCOS) region to see if they would be interested in forming an international sports/activities conference. The idea would be for our students to have rich international cultural exchanges and competitions/activities with other students from within the region.
Fortunately, there was immediate excitement, and the following schools committed to collaborate and develop an association together.
Member Schools (at inauguration 2024-2025)
After numerous meetings and discussions, the executive board, made up of single administration representation from each of the founding member schools (Heads, Directors, and Executive Principals), created the name East Asia Pacific International Schools Association (EAPISA) and developed the Vision and Goals for the association.
Vision:
East Asia Pacific International Schools Association (EAPISA) aims to provide athletic, creative, and cultural opportunities that leverage the unique advantages offered by small international schools in the East Asia-Pacific region. By fostering collaboration, cooperation, and discussion among member schools, EAPISA extends small schools’ opportunities to meet the evolving interests and talents of our students within a vibrant and diverse international community.
Goals:
Inclusion and Belonging
At EAPISA, we value all students as unique individuals, and we welcome the variety of experiences they bring to our organization. As such, we have a strict non-discrimination policy. We believe everyone should be treated equally regardless of race, sex, gender identification, sexual orientation, national origin, native language, religion, age, disability, citizenship, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Realizing the necessity to harness the initial excitement and momentum, the board determined it would be best to build policy/procedures and simultaneously create opportunities for students to engage in exchanges commencing in the 2024-25 academic year. For the upcoming year, we are thrilled that the following schools will be hosting events at their respective schools:
Looking to Grow!
As an inclusive association aspiring to serve many schools with smaller student populations in the EARCOS region, we invite international schools to apply to join us. There currently is no membership fee to join EAPISA. If interested, please contact me at: [email protected].
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Dr. Colin Brown is the Head of School at the American School in Taichung.
