Rift Valley Academy
| Rift Valley Academy | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
|
PO Box 80 Kijabe Kenya |
|
| Coordinates | 0°56′39″S 36°35′45″E / 0.944038°S 36.595747°ECoordinates: 0°56′39″S 36°35′45″E / 0.944038°S 36.595747°E |
| Information | |
| Type | Private boarding |
| Motto | Omnes Christo |
| Established | 1906 |
| Faculty | 53 |
| Grades | K–12 |
| Enrollment | over 500 |
| Campus | Rural |
| Color(s) | White, red and black |
| Athletics | rugby, soccer, basketball, volleyball, women's field hockey |
| Mascot | Cape Buffalo |
| Rival | Rosslyn Academy |
| Yearbook | Kiambogo |
| Website | http://www.rva.org |
Rift Valley Academy (RVA) is a Christian boarding school located in Kijabe, Kenya, founded in 1906 by Charles Hurlburt.
Rift Valley Academy was ranked 2nd out of the top 100 best high schools in Africa by Africa Almanac in 2003, based upon quality of education, student engagement, strength and activities of alumni, school profile, internet and news visibility.
Having met with Hurlburt in the White House in 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt visited Kijabe shortly after leaving office four years later. During this visit, in 1909, Roosevelt laid the cornerstone for Kiambogo, the main school building that remains the centerpiece of RVA's campus.
For much of the early history of the school it was difficult to find teachers. Most missionaries had come to Africa to preach the gospel, not educate white children. The primary concern of most missionaries was not the academic achievements of the students, but their spiritual life. After Miss Hope, the next teacher who truly felt called to teach at RVA was Miss Muriel Perrott. She introduced RVA to several British sports such as Rounders and Rugby and instituted the two house system. The two houses, Stanleys and Livingstons, were named for the two explorers and served as an organizational tool for the school. The two houses competed against each other academically and on the sports field. For many years the main goal of students was to win the house cup. Miss Perrott went on furlough in 1931 and was unable to return to Africa, but her influence was invaluable to the development of the school.
Just as World War I broke out, Miss Hope, who was by now Mrs. Westervelt, was forced to leave the field due to poor health. The years during World War I were very difficult because it was hard to get staff to come due to the dangers of sea travel during the war. It was during these years that there were a number of epidemics that forced the school to close periodically as well.
In 1933, Herb Downing was called to head RVA. He was uniquely prepared for the job since he was one of the first Americans born in East Africa and an alumnus of the school. He came to the job with several years of experience both as an educator and administrator, which was handy since both he and his wife Muriel needed to teach as they were the only staff at the time. Downing's goal was to establish a lasting and positive culture so that parents would feel comfortable leaving their children at RVA. It was during his time as principal that the school became much more deliberately academic, although it retained a mixed European and American curriculum. Another Downing innovation was the introduction of Rendezvous or Mutton Guz, a party to reward those students who had not misbehaved too badly over the term.
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