The Islamic Education School (T.I.E.S.) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is part of a larger network of Islamic schools across North America, as well as one location in Australia. According to the website, all the schools fall under an international non-profit organization: the Association of Islamic Charitable Projects (A.I.C.P.). Located at the A.I.C.P. Islamic Center, the Islamic Education School offers full-day elementary and middle school instruction (kindergarten through 8th grade). T.I.E.S. is registered with the Pennsylvania Department of Education; its curriculum is aligned with the standards of the Board of Education while incorporating Islamic studies.
A.I.C.P. also offers a pre-school program called the T.I.E.S. Tots Program. According to the A.I.C.P. website, the pre-schoolers partake in age appropriate cognitive, social/emotional and physical activities."
The Association of Islamic Charitable Projects
4431 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
215-387-8888
aicp.org/our-schools
Also located in Philadelphia, Al-Aqsa Islamic Academy offers private education from kindergarten through the 12th grade with a maximum of 25 students per grade. The school's curriculum is designed to accommodate students who perform at grade level or above-grade level. As the name of the school indicates, the curriculum includes Islamic and Arabic studies. The principal, Abdur Rahman, emphasizes that Al-Aqsa holds students to high academic standards and encourages them to actively participate in their own learning. Those who wish to enroll in Al-Aqsa must first pass an entrance exam and fulfill other eligibility requirements, all of which are listed on the school website.
Al-Aqsa Islamic Academy
1501 Germantown Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19122
215-765-6660
al-aqsaislamicsociety.com/gpage1.html
Just northwest of Philadelphia, in a suburb called Villanova, is Villanova Academy for Honor Studies, a "full time, non-profit institution committed to high standards and academic excellence." Instruction is offered at the pre-kindergarten through 6th grade levels. In addition to the basic curriculum (math, science, language arts, and social studies), students in grades one through six also take art, computer science, and physical education classes. Moreover, students learn about Islam and the Qur'an on a daily basis, and they take Arabic as a second language. However, according to Villanova's program overview, Islamic principles are infused into the rest of the learning experience; students do not just learn about Islam in isolation.
Villanova Academy also provides a weekend school program on the same campus where participants engage in "Qur'anic, Islamic and Arabic studies as well as opportunities for recreational and educational activities."
Villanova Academy for Honor Studies
1860 Montgomery Avenue
Villanova, PA 19085
610-520-9624
villanovaacademy.com
Based in Whitehall, Pennsylvania, the Muslim Association of Lehigh Valley Islamic Academy (MALVIA) enrolls students from pre-kindergarten up to the 4th grade. Their mission statement reads as follows: "to provide an Islamic environment, enabling all students to achieve academic and Islamic excellence; empowering them to become self-directed life long learners." MALVIA caters to its diverse student body by accommodating varying learning styles as stated on their website; academic support services are available to those who require the additional instruction. According to MALVIA, its curriculum is aligned with state and national standards, but its main goal is to "raise a new generation of dedicated and educated Muslims." Like the other three Islamic schools mentioned in this article, MALVIA also requires students to partake in Arabic and Islamic studies. MALVIA offers a weekend school program at the same site, in addition to its regular academic program during the week.
MALV Islamic Academy
1988 Schadt Avenue
Whitehall, PA 18052
610-799-6223
malvia.org