History

   Since its founding in 1950, The American School of Tangier has exemplified cultural diversity, open-mindedness and harmony between nationalities and backgrounds, and an enlightened education program. From a small house in the Marshan, the school moved to larger buildings downtown, before being purpose-built on its present location in Iberia across from the Spanish Consulate. Over the years, buildings, programs, and sports facilities have been added making the school a blend of old and new. The natural beauty of its 15-acre campus is integral to life at AST making it one of a kind, and an oasis, in Tangier and Morocco.

   Although originally conceived as a school for the children of expats, by the 1970’s the school’s families were mostly Moroccan. Even so, the school continued to maintain its connection with European and American luminaries such as Paul Bowles, Tennessee Williams, William Burroughs, Bruce Webber, French designer Yves Saint-Laurent, Chilean painter Claudio Bravo, and American painter Marguerite McBey, Pierre Berge, and director and choreographer Robert Ashford, all of whom at one time or another worked with AST students.

     In the past six years, AST has implemented three USAID-ASHA funded projects. The first award built a 12-classroom wing, and the second resourced it, to enable creating a 21st century learning program in the Middle School. The third award is currently funding a Sustainable Development project that enables students to be involved in a wide-range of climate change remediation projects including solar energy, water harvesting, sustainable large-scale gardening, creating a marine biology station on the Straits of Gibraltar, and regenerating native flora on the school’s 20 coastal acres at Cherifian Rocks..

     Many of our current parents attended AST as students, and these families take great pride in their continued association with the school. The school will celebrate its 72nd anniversary in June 2022. The American School of Tangier looks forward to continuing its long legacy of providing high- quality education for a  vibrant and caring community.