Change in Cairo

Thursday, January 27, ended normally at Cairo American College (CAC). The campus was abuzz with activities taking place after school hours: students on the playground, kicking a soccer ball, playing musical instruments, or just plain hanging out. Little did we know this carefree routine would soon change. Two days later the campus would be closed, amidst the backdrop of the Egyptian Revolution. Communications were down due to Internet and phones being blocked, and many students evacuating Cairo. Within a week, a bustling campus of over 1400 students would have 1200 of them spread throughout the world. The Administration's primary concern, of course, was the safety and security of students, families and staff. The second concern was to address academic continuity and how to keep the community connected.

The phone and Internet blackout was a surprise in a non-natural disaster situation. All CAC systems were up and running on campus, and our website was available and accessible outside the country. However, staff in Cairo had no way to access them. “Work arounds” for obtaining Internet access were explored, and this will be a major focus area for future emergency planning.

The return of phone service brought the ability to communicate regularly with families about their wellbeing and location. CAC began to reach out. The return of the Internet enabled us to resume academic delivery with Moodle (our connectivity jumped from 10 people logging on during the blackout to 300 the first day).

On Sunday, February 6th, after tightening security and hiring more security staff to ensure the safety of our families and students, CAC became the first school in Cairo to re-open. We wanted to ensure the continuation of our programs and to serve our students still in country. After reopening with 29% of our student body in the first few days, we are proud to be at 75% of our total enrollment as of March 23rd, 2011. The decision to re-open school was based on the desire to keep our community together wherever they were, and to have the school be a stabilizing force in pupil’s lives.

CAC lost 2 % of its student body in withdrawals and we are hopeful those who are as yet unable to return will be back in Cairo as soon as they are able (once some key companies authorize the return of dependents). The lower enrollment has led to difficult and painful decisions regarding next year’s budget and staffing.

Since re-opening we have held several events such as a food drive and a walkathon fundraiser to help over 1000 families affected by revolution. Every Saturday, students, faculty, families, and administration work together as part of a citywide movement to keep the country clean. In an effort to continue the richness of our program, our high school students hastily reassembled teams and ensembles and have traveled to participate in ISST athletic events and Honor Choir.

The past several weeks have shown us the strength and spirit of our community, and as we continue to face and learn from these challenges, we have learned once again the power of an international school to bring a community together in the face of adversity. The essence of CAC and its learning community remains strong and a source of great pride.

Susanne El Badrawy is Director of Development and Alumni relations at Cairo American College.

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