When AACO founder and director Akosua Arkhurst asked village leaders in Dampong and the Ashanti Akim Education Department what their greatest need was, they described the need for a senior high school to help address the 80% dropout rate of students finishing junior high school. The village then donated 32 acres of land on which AACO has developed its flagship project aimed at addressing causes of the region’s persistent poverty.

Jubilee Mission Senior High School opened in September 2007, and in 2011 the first batch of students are sitting their final exams. Presently the high school enrols about 70 students, with the number of students growing each year as facilities, programmes and funding allow. The school’s facilities currently consist of a block of six classrooms. Construction on a kitchen and culinary training area has just been completed. In order to extend the school’s service to the community, AACO is raising funds to expand facilities with additional classrooms, trade workshops, boarding facilities and sports facilities.

Jubilee Mission Senior High School began as an A-level school but as soon as facilities allow will add vocational training that will better prepare students for jobs available in their community, encouraging them to remain in Ashanti Akim and contribute to building the community’s vibrancy.

Additional plans for the school property include developing a farm that will offer training, make the school self-sufficient in providing meals for students, and grow crops that have a local market. Expanded school facilities will also allow for health clinics and adult education programmes, such as adult literacy and numeracy, marriage, family planning, parenting, health and environment workshops. AACO also envisions using facilities as a distance learning centre to provide university education to students.