Rising Star Junior School is located about 30 miles northwest of Kampala in Wakiso District. The goal is to educate the students through secondary school and prepare them for university studies or a trade school.
History: Rising Star Junior School was opened in February 2012 with a student enrollment of 295 students from nursery to an equivalent of 4th grade. Currently, finishing the second year of service, Rising Star has a student enrollment of 370 students and has a teaching staff of rising_stars16. In 2013, Rising Star opened a 5th grade class to give the opportunity for the previous years 4th grade class to continue their education at the school, the school will continue to expand through secondary school to meet the needs of the students and community.
The following is a time-table of the school expansion:
January 2014- Open Primary Six class (6th grade equivalent)
January 2015- Open Primary Seven class (7th grade equivalent), which will give us a completed primary school.
January 2016- Open Secondary School (middle school-high school equivalent)
Through a combination of child sponsorships in the US and reduced tuition paid by the able students, Rising Star Junior School is able to pay all staff members, provide meals to all children, provide scholastic materials to all children, and house nearly 80 orphaned and vulnerable children at the school.
[related_posts]Rising Star Junior School accepts all students and based on their families status, and are then placed under the sponsorship category or reduced tuition category. Due to the lack of structures and our large class sizes, the school is only openly enrolling in baby class (preschool).
Curriculum: Rising Star follows the set curriculum handed out by the government of Uganda, which includes subjects in English, social studies, sciences, mathematics, music/dance/drama, physical education, and Christian religious education. Rising Star also offers after school programs such as, passport club (study world geography and cultures), art/craft club, reading/writing club, choir, dance, and numerous school sports. A Sunday worship service is also held for the 80 students who live at the school. All after school activities are voluntarily done by the dedicated staff members.
Founder: In 2008, after his first year at Grand Valley State University, Ryan Kaminski traveled to Africa to spend his summer teaching at several different primary schools in Uganda. Upon his return to the states he could not stop thinking about a young boy he met named Kayango. This young boy became representative of the struggle of many children in Uganda. Ryan was compelled to return once again with a dream to start a school for orphaned and vulnerable children. Kayongo Hope was started in the fall of 2008 and in 2012 officially formed as a not for profit (501c-3) organization to assist in funding this dream. Rising Star Junior School opened its doors to 295 children in February of 2012 and has continued to expand its reach into educating and enriching the lives of many more students and their families. With your help Rising Star can continue its efforts to educate and empower the next generation of young people in Uganda.