Distinguished by its eight international accreditations, Lyford Cay International School (LCIS) has a reputation for strong academics and programmes both locally and abroad.

As one of only 100 schools worldwide to offer all four programmes of the prestigious International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum, LCIS has emerged as a leader in international education offering an innovative approach to learning with a global perspective.

On 29 March, the school will take another step forward with groundbreaking for the development of its new upper school campus.

“Over the past 10 years, developing our school has meant expanding educational and co-curricular opportunities for students while making sure we are operating at the highest international standards.

Now, to continue that growth and meet increased demand for enrolment, we must build our new, state-of-the-art campus for our secondary students,” said Board Co-chair, Mr Bryan Glinton.

The construction of the new upper school campus is the latest and largest endeavour in the school’s multi-year strategic and master plan to enhance academic, sporting and co-curricular opportunities and develop the facilities that will support them.

On the current campus, classrooms in the Early Learning Centre were recently renovated and a new play-based preschool programme was added so children can begin their LCIS career at 18 months old.

In addition, a 5200 square foot multipurpose building, Dingman Hall, has been built to provide more space for performances, assemblies, gatherings and indoor play.

Three new playgrounds and a kitchen that serves hot and nutritious meals have also been installed.

The school has also purchased the 17.5 acres behind St Paul’s Church for the new Upper School site and completed construction drawings for numerous academic, athletic and arts facilities which will further elevate the experiences of all students and the community over generations to come.

With the completion of the LCIS upper school campus, 250 students in Grades 6-12 will be served in the new buildings.

The current campus will be retained and used by students from P.O. Box N-7776 | Nassau, Bahamas | 242.362.4774 | www.lcis.bs preschool through Grade 5, giving the younger students additional space and specialised facilities in which to learn and grow.

The master plan for both campuses will guide the development for many years to come and the school is grateful to have had support from so many families, neighbours, international foundations and corporate partners.

“We cannot underestimate how crucial good schools are to the continued development of our community and economy,” said Glinton.

“This vision has had a broad base of support and we are excited to continue partnering with philanthropists who are looking to make an impact in education in this country with their investments.”

As part of the comprehensive fundraising campaign, the non-profit institution also has more than doubled its investment in Financial Aid and Scholarships for Bahamian students.

“With $1.85M in new gifts to our endowment over the past 12 months, we are building the long-term sustainability of this programme and are ambitious in our desire to raise even more money to share the LCIS education and facilities with even more local students of all ages. Since 2008, the school has awarded over $2.2M in financial aid and that will continue to grow,” said Dr Joanna Paul, Director of Development.

LCIS has a unique and robust Financial Aid and Scholarship programme that over the last eight years has assisted numerous Bahamian students to complete their LCIS education, providing them with the platform they require to go on to universities around the world.

Over that same period, LCIS graduates received over $6.8 million in university, government and private scholarships.

“Half of our 14 classes of graduates are already back home re-investing their knowledge and skills in the country’s future,” said Dr Paul. “This next milestone is an exciting and significant investment in the young people and future of our nation,” said Mr Bruce Fernie, co-chair of the Board of Directors.

With the building permit issued, a contractor confirmed and infrastructure underway, construction commences immediately and the school looks forward to Fall 2020 when the first students will walk through the doors to benefit from the transformative LCIS education.