Ellington

Less than a year ago, Haddis Tadesse and David Makonnen, both originally from Ethiopia, decided they wanted to build a high school in their former country. Shortly after they made their decision, they pitched the idea to the UW Business School.

When senior Laura Umetsu heard about the project from one of her professors, she wanted to get involved. She was soon linked up with Tadesse and Makonnen.

"This business sounded intriguing," Umetsu said.

Umetsu is now the project manager as well as a UW Business School student. She wants to go into non-profit management as a career.

"It all started with the three of us in a coffee shop, writing things on napkins," Umetsu said. "We've gone a long way since."

The school will be located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital and largest city, with a population of more than three million. Addis Ababa is also known as the diplomatic capital of Africa with the third-largest collection of embassies in the world.

"We are creating a great connection," Tadesse said.

Leadership is a huge component of the curriculum, he added, stating that it's important to expose students to the thriving diplomatic community of Addis Ababa.

The purpose of the International Leadership Academy of Ethiopia (ILAE) is to adapt Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate curricula and serve as a "hub of excellence for academically gifted students," Tadesse said.

He said a national selection process will eventually take place.

Umetsu said the idea is to provide graduates with networking opportunities and teach them to give back to their country.

"We are hoping to raise a generation of leaders that [are] committed to Ethiopia," she said.

The school is still in the planning stages, but things are moving along.

"A lot of pieces are coming together to make this project a reality," Tadesse said.

Ikon Education Institute, a non-profit organization co-founded by Tadesse and Makonnen, chose ILAE's location, came up with the vision and will raise funds to build and operate the school.

"We have built an impressive public and private partnership by bringing educators, architects, donors ... and governments to collaborate," Makonnen said.

Students from the UW School of Architecture will design and build the school. The organization's official partner, Teachers Without Borders, will supply teachers and help develop the curriculum.

The group is negotiating with the government of Ethiopia; its proposal was recently approved.

"The Ethiopian government is very supportive," Tadesse said.

The minister of education wrote a letter expressing his support for the school as well.

"Countries like Ethiopia that are heavily investing in primary education are creating an influx of millions of young people who have limited opportunities beyond eighth grade education," Makonnen said. "We are focusing to address this specific pin point by creating a school that provides world-class education with a global perspective."

The UW School of Architecture and the ILAE team will hold a town hall meeting for stakeholders Aug. 31 at 6 p.m in Gould Hall. A preliminary design discussion will also take place.