Support the USAP Community School in Zimbabwe!

The 2026 academic year has emerged as a landmark period for the USAP Community School, marking the moment where the school’s ambitious vision has truly settled into a high-impact reality.  This drive for excellence is visible in the school’s determined spirit. At the 2026 Zimbabwe Science Fair, USAP Community School made a significant impression with twenty finalists and nine major awards. Our Physics and Robotics instructor Alistar Panashe was also honored with a Research Teacher Award. This intellectual energy extended to the Provincial High School Debate Challenge, where the Debate, Public Speaking, and Model United Nations clubs swept the boards, earning multiple prizes and securing several spots for the National Championships.          

The cultural life of the school has been equally vibrant, grounded in a deep respect for Zimbabwean heritage. This year’s staging of the play PAIVAPO 76! gave students a chance to explore themes of resilience and identity, while the school’s music program reached new heights at the National Institute of the Allied Arts (NIAA) Festival where we received four honours awards and a distinction. These successes show that at USAP, artistic expression and cultural pride are considered just as vital to a student’s growth as their academic scores.

On an individual level, one student was crowned the Under-18 Girls National Champion in chess and won gold at the Africa Youth Chess Championships, and is now preparing to represent Zimbabwe in Uganda this May. Her quiet confidence, noted in her comment that she "came with hope, not expectations", has inspired the entire student body. Her story is part of a much larger narrative of  USAP Community School student success.  By early 2026, the school’s graduates had earned a cumulative total of over $30 million in scholarships globally. Nearly all of these students are the first in their families to go to college, yet they are securing full-ride admissions to top universities in the US, Canada, Hong Kong , and across Africa.

Finally, 2026 represents the first year the Marondera campus on Ruwazi Road is operating at its full, mature capacity. The 93-hectare woodland campus has become a "living laboratory" where sustainability isn't just taught, but practiced. From the solar-powered residences to the Chobani Dining Hall, the facilities support a curriculum that prioritizes environmental stewardship. This unique approach to education recently earned the school international recognition as a finalist for the World's Best School Prize in the Innovation category. As USAPCS moves forward, it continues to prove that when high-achieving students are given the right environment and support, they don't just succeed, they lead.

We are thrilled to share the latest updates from the USAP Community School (USAPCS). On 15 November 2025, we celebrated the graduation of our fifth cohort, the Class of 2025. These remarkable students have completed a rigorous, holistic education that equips them with the skills, values, and confidence to pursue top universities and return as changemakers in Zimbabwe and beyond.

At the same time, we have completed the selection process for the Class of 2027, who will begin their USAPCS journey in January 2026. This year, we received 677 applications from across Zimbabwe and interviewed 103 students. Interviews were conducted in Bulawayo, Gweru, Harare, Marondera, Masvingo, Mutare, and Tongogara Refugee Settlement.

The selection process involved multiple stages to ensure fairness and insight into each student’s potential. 12 volunteers read applications, with each application reviewed by two volunteers. Selected finalists were invited to Selections Day, where they completed academic assessments and participated in interviews with Education Matters and USAPCS staff. Thanks to the dedication of volunteers, interns, and USAPCS alumni, we successfully assessed all candidates. 47 students were selected to join the Class of 2027. These students demonstrated outstanding achievement, leadership, creativity, and community-mindedness, which guide our selections.

Earlier this year, USAP Community School was honoured with the PIEoneer Award for Secondary School International Innovation. This award recognizes schools that are redefining education to foster creativity, STEM talent, and global citizenship. The PIEoneer Award Dinner was hosted at the Guildhall in London on 5 September 2025, celebrating innovators shaping education worldwide.

None of this work would be possible without the generosity, commitment, and belief of our donors, volunteers, alumni, and staff. Your time, resources, mentorship, and steady support make it possible for USAP Community School to open doors for high-achieving, low-income students from Zimbabwe and refugee communities—supporting them not only to succeed academically, but to grow into confident, compassionate leaders.

As we look ahead, we are deeply grateful to welcome the Class of 2027 into this community and to continue building a school rooted in opportunity, innovation, and impact. We wish you a restful holiday season and a joyful new year. Thank you for standing with us and for investing in the transformative mission of USAP Community School.