Ruhi Arbab & Simmons Baháʼí Schools, Colombia
About Ruhi Arbab & Simmons Baháʼí Schools
Mona Partner Since 2020
Since its inception in the early 1980's, the Ruhi Arbab and Simmons Baháʼí Schools have grown to provide high quality K-12 education to children and youth in Puerta Tejada and Jamundi, respectively. Both schools are overseen by the Ruhi Arbab Foundation.
These schools ensure their students become active agents in their learning process. Their
mission is to build capacity in students to access scientific, technological, artistic, and spiritual knowledge in order to develop in them the qualities and skills of service to manage development initiatives in their community.
The Challenge
The population served by the school are students of low socio-economic status in rural and semi-urban areas whose parents work in the sugarcane industry. Most are of Afro-Colombian and mestizo descent, with homes where the mothers are the head of household and provide the majority of the family's income. Although children have access to public education, its quality is poor due to school overcrowding and inadequate teacher training.
The Solution: Ruhi Arbab & Simmons Baháʼí School Programs
High Quality K - 12 Education
In 2025, Ruhi Arbab's academic, technological, and arts programs were strengthened via teacher training, including courses in applying Artificial Intelligence in pedagogical practice and workshops on classroom inclusion.
Family engagement initiatives deepened school-home relationships, including the "Seeds of Peace" project at Ruhi Arbab, which uses the metaphor of growing a plant to teach values like respect and empathy, "Coffee in the Classroom" open dialogue sessions with parents, and home visits to families of new students at Simmons.
Infrastructure improvements were completed at both schools, including renovation of Simmons high school offices, primary school IT lab, teachers' room, and counselor's office, as well as maintenance and equipment upgrades at Ruhi Arbab.
Both schools are recognized by the families and municipalities they serve for the quality of their educational work. Enrollment has been steadily increasing over the past several years, currently providing high quality education to 677 students.
In addition to teaching academics, technology, and the arts, the school
offers spiritual and moral education that inspires students to be of service in their communities and promotes their personal and social transformation. In each grade, students are also involved in community service work throughout the school year, such as visiting nursing homes for the elderly, teaching children and junior youth, and environmental stewardship activities.
How we help
Mona began partnering with the Ruhi Arbab and Simmons Baha'i schools in 2020 by supporting the construction of three new primary grade classrooms, two sets of bathrooms, and providing partial scholarships for all students. The expansion supported the schools to continue providing vital education to their student population so that they may develop intellectually, materially and spiritually.
2025 Achievements
- 677 students educated across both schools
- 42 teachers trained
- Family engagement initiatives strengthened with 1,031 parents engaged
- Infrastructure improvements completed at both schools, including renovation of Simmons high school offices, IT lab, and counselor's office
2026 Plans, $76,900
- Educate 681 students across both schools with partial scholarships for all students
- Provide specialized training support for four teachers/directors to pursue studies in technology, school environment, and financial management
- Renovate reception and filing area at Simmons and improve stairway safety with a roof and protective railings
- Conduct home visits to families
Updates
January 2024 - In 2023, the Ruhí Arbab school began a project called Cultivating Hope in collaboration with FUNDAEC that aims to teach students and their families about regenerative agriculture and food security.
Working with 30 families of students in Grades 6-7, the project has so far involved trainings on nutrition, improvements to the school garden, and a School Store project that will eventually offer families high quality organic produce from the garden.
COVID-19 & Ruhi Arbab Baha'i School
December 2020 - The coronavirus pandemic has been a major challenge for Colombia. A nationwide lockdown was issued on March 20, 2020.
Ruhi Arbab School has been fundamentally affected in the economic aspect, as families have great difficulty paying for their children’s education and accessing equipment or connectivity for virtual learning. Despite these challenges, they have adapted the curriculum to online education, trained their teachers, and provided families with scholarships.
Another adjustment that greatly strengthened their work has been weekly meetings with parents. These have helped strengthen the academic and disciplinary process of each student while hearing suggestions from parents for continuous improvement of the process.
Teacher Parent Relationships
Claudia was excited for her daughter María José (7 yrs old) to begin second grade in early 2020. But with the pandemic and health crisis looming, she was also concerned about how María José would adapt to online learning.
For Claudia, the weekly accompaniment of the school was key to their being able to face the challenges of mandatory quarantine and on-line classes. The support her daughter received from her teacher was also fundamental in aiding her to advance in her learning process: “The teacher, Sandra, who gave me her unconditional support, taking into account my situation as a head-of-household mother in a greatly trying time, and with a daughter for whom the change to virtual learning was a great challenge. When I was almost ready to give up, she generously offered a hand, providing reinforcement, words of encouragement and giving me tools that allowed me to regain control of the situation.”
Other Mona Partners you may be interested in
ADCAM, BRAZIL
Badi School, PANAMA
FUNDAEC, COLOMBIA
