By Benjamin Akoto
Sunyani, Dec. 13, GNA – The American International Online (AIO) Prep Academy, an American-based virtual/online High School has targeted to enroll and graduate 10,000 Ghanaian students into various universities in the United States of America (USA).
The focus of the school is to provide the students seamless pathway to the latest technologies and enable Ghana to become the first African Country with its own Silicon Valley High Technology Development community.
According to available statistics, sighted by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) from the institution’s documents, during the COVID 19 pre-pandemic era there were 351,000 Chinese students, 204, 000 Indian Students and 35,000 students from Africa who attended American universities.
It further indicated in the post-pandemic era there were 317,000 Chinese students, 167,000 Indian Students,25,000 European Students and approximately 13,000 students from Africa currently attending universities in the US.
The AIO Prep Academy was founded in 2018 as a credit recovery component for student athletes in the United States participating in sports programmes, with most needing to improve a grade or class to qualify for a Division One Athletic Scholarship.
This Mr Rodney Abernathy, Senior Director of Business Development of the institution, in an interview with the GNA in Sunyani said the number of African students studying in America was meagre, saying, ”a number we must change, beginning with Ghana alone, our goal is 10,000 Ghanaian students entering America universities alone.’
He said the Academy assisted students to attend high school in the US, explaining, “once a student finishes the AIO Prep Academy junior year, in August prior to the beginning of their senior years, they can begin applying for the universities of their choice.”
”Every graduating student will qualify to attend an American university without question because each Ghanaian High School student will be going to school with American students and students are also eligible to attend Universities in Ghana, the United Kingdom, Canada, and other countries in the world,” Mr Abernathy added.
He said the Academy offered the highest level of advanced Mathematics and Science courses; plus, other courses offered which were Education used to prepare students for the 21st Century Technology.
Mr Abernathy said Africa had been left behind and it was therefore the goal of the institution to change the narrative for the African students.
GNA