American School in Taichung

The American School in Taichung (AST; Chinese: 台中美國學校; pinyin: Táizhōng Měiguó Xuéxiào) is an international school in Taichung, Taiwan offering grades one to twelve. The school, founded in 1990, was previously known as Lincoln American School. It is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)[1] and hosts the annual Taiwan Model United Nations (TAIMUN) conference, which is attended by schools from across Taiwan and Asia. One of the school's founders, Anna Lee, is a daughter of former President Lee Teng-hui.[2] The school's current director is Anthony Keen.

American School in Taichung
Location
Taichung, Taiwan

Taiwan
Coordinates24°10′9.54″N 120°44′38.96″E
Information
TypePrivate
MottoExcellence, Integrity, Responsibility
Established1989
DirectorDr. Colin Brown
Staff12
Faculty27
Grades1–12
Enrollment230
Campus sizeApproximately two hectares
Campus typePrivate International School
Colour(s)Red, white, blue
MascotEagles
Websitewww.astaichung.com

History

In 1989, established a new American school for expatriates' children in Taichung. The school was located in a town house with three bedrooms. Due to its limited resources and facilities, the officers of the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) were hesitant before agreeing to establish the school. Eventually, the school moved outside what were at the time the city limits of Taichung, into an area that would become the Dakeng Nature Reserve. This location ensures that the area surrounding the school will not become urbanized, thus preserving the existing ecosystem that proves beneficial to supervised student exploration and scientific study. In 2002, the school became a source of controversy when the Peoples First Party cast doubts on funds that were wired to Lee and her relatives. The family received a combined value of NT$52 million in 1997, which were alleged by some PFP lawmakers to have been embezzled from the Kuomintang or the Taiwan Research Institute, a think tank founded by the former president.[3] A new gym was added to the school campus on August 8, 2013.

Academics

The required courses at American School in Taichung are English, Mathematics, Science, History, Physical Education and two years of a Foreign Language (Spanish or Chinese). AST also has drama, art, and music programs (choir ensemble, violin, and hand bells). There are two concerts during the year, one in the spring and one in the winter. Currently (as of the 2012-2013 school year), AST offers eight Advanced Placement courses: AP Statistics, AP Biology, AP US History, AP Calculus AB, AP Literature, AP Chinese, AP Physics and AP Language.[4]

Sports and clubs

Athletics
American School in Taichung offers many sports for both middle school and high school boys and girls, including: volleyball, soccer, softball, basketball, and cross country. The AST teams participate in tournaments that involve other international and bilingual schools on the island.

Organizations

Activities and organizations vary from year to year, but consistently include the following:

Middle School:
Student Government (STUGO), Middle School Model United Nations[5]

High School:
Student Government (STUGO), Model United Nations (THIMUN-Singapore, IASAS MUN, and TAIMUN, which is hosted at AST)

Model United Nations (MUN)
AST has successfully developed an MUN program, Taiwan Model United Nations (TAIMUN). TAIMUN is organized by all high school students at the American School in Taichung, but not every student acts as a delegate. Schools from across Taiwan and Asia attend AST's TAIMUN Conference, currently in its eleventh year. AST has also attended MUN events in Singapore, Russia, China, and Greece.[6]

Robotics Club - Team AST-onishing.
AST has recently added robotics elective classes to the middle school(2017) and high school(2019). Members from the AST robotics club were the LEGO FLL Champions in 2019 Into Orbit competition, they went on to represent Taiwan at the FLL International Open, Ismir, Turkey where they placed 2nd in the Mechanical Design category. They have also qualified for the VEX World Championship in 2019 and 2020.

See also

References
  1. "Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools & Colleges - ACS WASC - Directory of Schools". acswasc.org.
  2. "Former president in Japan to visit energy facilities". Taipei Times. CNA. September 20, 2014. p. 3.
  3. "PFP casts doubt on Lee's relatives". Taipeitimes.com. 3 April 2002. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  4. "AP Course Ledger". Apcourseaudit.epiconline.org. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-05-02. Retrieved 2015-05-08.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. "ΑΝΑΤΟΛΙΑ 10η ΣΥΝΟΔΟΣ (TV100 - 130215)". YouTube. 5 March 2015. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
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