Developing Compassionate Leaders to Transform a Nation

Purpose:

To provide a challenging and outstanding academic program that develops successful and  
compassionate leaders for the future.  

Leadership: The Burundi American International Academy is led by a Director, elementary and secondary  
Coordinators, and 19 faculty members. The faculty is composed of educational professionals from the United  
States, Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, and Congo.

Testing: Students K to 11TH grade at BAIA take the MAP Test (Measurement of Academic Proficiency) twice
a year. As well High School students take the SAT Tests and in 2020 the school will start the PSAT testing  
for 9TH and 10TH grade students.
Grading system: The school year is divided into trimesters.

The grading system below is based on a standard  
international and US educational system.

A+ 97-100%       C+ 77-79%        F Below 60%
A 93-96%           C 73-76%       
A- 90-92%          C- 70-72%    

B+ 87-89%         D+ 67-69%

B 83-86%           D 63-66%

B- 80-82%          D- 60-62%

Our curriculum:

Students follow a United States based curriculum that follows the Common Core Standards  
in the US. Students have classes in Math, English, Science, French, Social Studies, Technology, and Physical  
Education at each Grade. Since many of our students are not native English speakers, they will have extra
English as a Second Language (ESL) classes to advance their language skills. There are other activities for  
students which include art, music, chess, robotics, dance, table tennis, drumming, and sports which soccer,  
basketball, and volleyball.

History

The Burundi American International Academy (BAIA) opened in 2014. Located on the shores of  
Lake Tanganyika in the capital city, Bujumbura, BAIA was founded by Dr. Freddy Kaniki. Born in the  
Democratic Republic of Congo and raised in the great lakes region of eastern Africa. He grew up in a  
polarized society in which he felt unwelcome and at times not tolerated due to my ethnic background. In  
September 1996, he lost his father and three brothers due to their ethnicity. It was depressing and outrageous  
to know that they were gone simply because of who they were. Ever since then, I realized that I had a  
responsibility toward the future generations in this region.
Dr. Kaniki is a firm advocate that education isthe corner stone of any country’s development. His contribution
is focused on creating a learning philosophy that provides academic excellence and basic human values.
Burundi American International Academy is a college preparatory school with classes from pre-kinder through  
twelfth grade. BAIA is accredited by the Burundi Ministry of Education and we are seeking accreditation  
with Cognia formally AdvancED in Alpharetta, Georgia. The current enrollment at BAIA is 146 students.

Calendar:

The school year starts in mid-August and ends in late June. It is based on 181 school days  
throughout the year. There is a 3-4 week Christmas break, Easter week break, a few long weekends, and all  
national holidays. View the current year calendar