WAB was founded in 1994, at a time when there was
a real need for additional school spaces to accommodate the growing
expatriate community.
It was founded with a strong sense of purpose, recognizing
that there was also a need for a truly international, child centered
school (that put children at the center of its efforts) and, embraced
the experience of being in China and was responsive to its community.
Through the vision and energy of its individual and
corporate founders, and the passion and dedication of a group of
committed teachers, WAB was established. Through the ongoing support
of successive groups of staff and parents our school has thrived
along with its students.
The "Story of a Dream" is the story of those values that
drove the creation of WAB, and that continue to inspire us.
Here it is, as recounted by one of our founders, Sabina
Brady:
"In any close-knit community stories are shared so that all
know of the roads travelled together, the paths chosen, and the
reasons for the journey itself. WAB is just such a community, thus
the desire and need to tell our story.
Why WAB? At the very beginning the answer was simple - demand.
Back in the early 90's, there was only one English-language international
school in Beijing, and it was bursting at the seams. Families refused
to move to Beijing and employees in the foreign investment; business
and diplomatic communities turned down postings to China's capital
city for lack of schools for their children.
The founders of WAB believed that a new school could also fulfil
yet another equally pressing need - that of providing greater educational
choice. Instead of merely cloning the existing international school,
the dream was to create something different: a non-profit independent
school for foreign children in Beijing that embraced Chinese language
and culture, had a truly international curriculum, and most critically,
accomplished all within a child-centered and inquiry-based learning
environment. The demand for places was an opportunity to create
something unique.
This dream had strong personal and philosophical roots, for at
the time, the educational options in Beijing could not meet the
needs of many different, yet talented and gifted children. The WAB
dream was of a school that celebrated the joy of learning. A place
where all could realize their own personal levels of excellence
and light candles instead of merely complaining of the darkness.
A place where all would be equipped to go out into the world confident
of themselves and of their power and responsibility to light candles
for others. This was and continues to be WAB's vision.
Realising this dream in China involved sailing in uncharted waters.
WAB was literally an experiment on all fronts - as an independent
community school established and operated by foreigners in China,
and as a school implementing an international, as opposed to nationally
based curriculum. It was an attempt at something completely new
in host and international educational environments steeped in their
own hard-to-change traditions.
The yearlong struggle to found WAB and open its doors in September
1994 included countless 'war stories', deadlines narrowly missed,
and a dream nearly lost many times over. From the very start everyone
understood the difficulties involved. Fortunately, this understanding
didn't diminish the intensity of the aspiration - from securing
all requisite approvals, to finding a site, to opening our doors
with enough students to ensure that WAB could become a viable and
sustainable institution. Throughout, our dream guided us. Identifying
our site is a good example.
Before it became WAB, our school site was part of an economically
troubled state-owned factory in search of tenants and rental income
that was run-down and reflected its precarious financial condition.
And yet, if a true dreamer looked hard enough, possibilities glimmered
through the sad and tired veneer: laughing kids, a large sports
field with real grass, meandering gardens and sunken sand pits,
a greenhouse cum performing arts studio, and bright cheerfully lit
and networked classrooms. It was all there, if only the community
could be convinced of this future reality by enrolling their children
- albeit in a school that had yet to open its doors, in a place
where the first open house had (unaccountably) no electricity, and
where the predominant color indoors and out was grey.
But the dream held because the dreamers grew in number. On September
1, 1994, WAB opened its doors to 146 children, welcomed by its community
of believers, all clapping hard as we cut the ribbon and began our
first day of school. WAB exists today because of this community.
We flourish because we embrace our diversity as our bedrock, because
our focus is upon the realization of each child's gifts, and because
our lowest expectation for ourselves is on the achievement of personal
and institutional excellence each and every day we are in session.
We believe WAB will continue to grow and flourish as long as we
ensure that these expectations stretch beyond the imaginings of
any one single individual and as long as we keep dreaming our dreams
together."
On August 2001, WAB realized the dream of moving into a purpose
built facility that would reflect its values and spirit. In only
seven years, WAB has developed beyond any ones expectations. It
continues to dream and seek excellence. The founders of the Western
Academy of Beijing are recognized in WAB's new "Founders' Theatre".
