American Collegiate Institute
| American Collegiate Institute | |
|---|---|
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| Location | |
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Izmir Turkey |
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| Information | |
| Type | Private co-educational |
| Motto | Enter to Learn, Depart to Serve |
| Established | 1878 |
| Grades | Prep, 9, 10, 11, 12 |
| Campus | Urban |
| Color(s) | Blue, white, red |
| Website | Official website in English |
Founded in 1878, the American Collegiate Institute (“Özel İzmir Amerikan Koleji” in Turkish), referred to by the acronym ACI, is a private co-educational high school in Goztepe, İzmir, Turkey. ACI was founded, and is now run, by the charity foundation SEV, Sağlık ve Eğitim Vakfı. The school’s motto is “Enter to Learn; Depart to Serve”, and the school song is “Hail Alma Mater Fair”.
The American Collegiate Institute, the oldest private high school in Izmir, was founded in 1878. At that time, Izmir, now a metropolitan city on the western coast of Turkey, was known as Smyrna In its early years, the school was an American/Christian missionary school that only accepted girls as students. This all-girl school's first campus was in Basmane, a district of the city Izmir. The land ACI now occupies was bought in 1912 to relieve overcrowding at the school’s old site in Basmane. However, due to the tension caused by World War I and the ensuing Turkish War of Independence, the relocation of the school’s campus was not possible until 1923. Even after the relocation, Turkish authorities did not officially recognize the school and named the school “İzmir Göztepe Amerikan Mektebi” (Izmir Goztepe American School). In the early 1900s, as tension eased, the school was officially recognized as The American Collegiate Institute.
After its foundation, the school was subject to dramatic changes. In 1986, ACI started accepting male students and became a co-educational school.
ACI’s song is “Hail Alma Mater Fair”. This song is sung by the graduating class at their Commencement every year. The lyrics of the song are:
In 2004, in the archives of Pistol Hall, a handwritten document named “Alma Mater” was found. The document is signed by a former teacher at ACI, S. Ralph Harlow. Although it is not dated, the document there could be the first version of today's school song, “Hail Alma Mater Fair”
The American Collegiate Institute inhabits a verdant 7-acre (28,000 m2) campus. Pine trees and a variety of flowers make up the vegetation.
There are 17 buildings across the campus. The Blake Auditorium, renovated in 2007, holds a total of 600 people with its first floor and balcony. The Hill Science Center is a three story building with each floor dedicated to one of the core branches of science; chemistry, physics and biology. Each floor has a laboratory and two classrooms, all equipped with Smartboards that were added in 2006. Most 10th, 11th or 12th grade classes are taught in the Beacon Hall. This hall also holds the Turkish Language, English Language, Social Studies and Second Foreign Languages department offices, and also the vice-president’s office.
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