Dugsi Academy provides students with educational opportunities that are respectful of students’ background and culture, learning styles and interests. Dugsi prepares children in grades K-8 to meet all academic grade level expectations.

Dugsi Academy educates serves East African children in the Twin-Cities areas that are mainly adjacent to downtown Minneapolis (Philips and cedar-Riverside Neighborhoods), and the Midway area of St. Paul.

Anecdotal information from East African community organizations suggests that more than 90% of East African adults in Minnesota never finished high school.  Therefore it is for parents to help their children in school. Research has shown it is important for parents to be involved in the education of their children.  Dugsi Academy provides a safer environment to support and encourage parents in the limited education, and sometimes limited English proficiency to participate in their children’s education.

Dugsi Academy will assist students to integrate into the American-educational system at a pace that takes their academic preparation and language barriers into consideration. 

Dugsi Academy is a school enrolling students, in grades K-7.  As stated in the Minnesota statutes which governs and established charter schools, “this school will enroll any eligible student who submits a timely application, unless the number of applications exceeds the capacity of a program or building.”  In this case, students will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. The school will also promote family sensitive practices, such as enrollment of children from the same family.

Dugsi Academy offers an excellent educational program intended especially for students who may not have academic assistance at home. Most of the target populations are unable to find assistance through conventional school programming. The parents of our student population have cultural and linguistic barriers and have been traumatized by civil wars in their home countries. The children typically have trouble adjusting to school; many are below grade level, have English language and skill deficiencies, and need to close the gap between them and mainstream children.