Welcome to the American International School Dhaka.
Who we are, what we believe, and how we enable our students to be both happy and successful are the questions that drive our work with young people. With a history stretching back over 50 years, AISD centers its answers on its mission, vision, and core values, always focused on the well-being of its students.
Our school is a compassionate and diverse community that celebrates success, learns from failure, and embraces those new to our school. We are very proud of the values that drive our connectedness, both within the school and the wider Bangladeshi community. Our priority is to craft a strong sense of belonging for every student, seeking to build upon their interests and passions, to embrace their individual identity, and to bring joy to their experiences as part of our School.
We are a center of learning, one that sees our students growing across all forms of learning through a lens of integrity, respect, and deep collaboration. We are ambitious for each of our students, expecting them to engage in the broad experiences we provide across the performing and visual arts, sports, our rigorous academic program, and the rich opportunities provided for community engagement and service. Our School is focused on the well-being of its community, on the growth of its students - the learning and thinking growth, the social and emotional growth, and the growth of its educators.
Of course, the most crucial role of our School is to guarantee your child has a safe place in which to grow. Everyone who supports young people - parents, extended family, teachers, coaches - grapples with a fast-paced, dynamic, and demanding world for our children. Navigating all this alone is not easy. Our teams expect to partner with our community - our students and their parents - to ensure the physical, emotional, and mental health of our young people.
I hope to personally welcome you to our school soon, to listen to you about your hopes and dreams for your child, and to introduce you to our committed and joyous team of international educators.
John Smithies
Head of School
Our Core Values
- We are a compassionate, caring and diverse community.
- We act with integrity and respect.
- We embrace creativity and balance.
- We are proud of our diversity and willingness to collaborate.
- We hold each other accountable to these values.
Mission Statement
AISD creates an academic and social environment based on American educational principles. We challenge students from an international community to achieve their potential, become life-long learners and contribute to a changing global society.
AISD History
The American International School Dhaka (AISD) has existed in the nation of Bangladesh since 1972, but its history goes back as far as 1956, when, in former East Pakistan, it was known as the Dacca American Society School. Over the years, this educational institution has gone through various changes.
2022 marked AISD's 50th anniversary
In response to the needs of the growing expatriate community in then Dacca, a group of parents, primarily employees of the U.S. Government and U.S. business firms, started the Dacca American Society School in Dhanmondi in 1956. It was later registered with the Government of East Pakistan in 1963. The school was briefly disbanded during the War of Independence and reopened as the American International School Dhaka in 1972 in a house in Gulshan, with an enrollment of 54 students. The School grew too large for its spaces and moved to Baridhara in 1980 with classrooms for Kindergarten to Grade 8 students, with an opening enrollment of 230 students.
- The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSACS) first accredited AISD in 1984 for kindergarten to Grade 8.
- The high school program (Grades 9 to 12) was added in 1988, and the first class of seniors graduated from AISD in 1991.
- The Pre-Kindergarten program was added the following year.
AISD was re-accredited in 1994 by the MSACS and the European Council of International Schools (ECIS) for kindergarten to Grade 12. AISD received new accreditation in 2004 by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and the Council of International Schools (CIS) for Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12.
Early Days
