Forty-five years after fleeing Ethiopia with her family, Rebecca Haile, together with her husband Jean Manas, founded Haile-Manas Academy (HMA), a co-educational boarding school aimed at re-envisioning high school education in Ethiopia. Haile was ten years old when her father, a leading academic and Amharic language scholar, was shot and nearly died resisting arrest for his political beliefs in the aftermath of Ethiopia’s 1974 revolution. The family came to the U.S. as refugees in 1976 and landed in Minnesota.

HMA  is more than just an educational institution; it’s a vision for the future of education in Ethiopia. We proudly stand as a model school, setting the bar for excellence in education and serving as a catalyst for positive change in the country’s educational landscape. HMA follows the Ethiopian National Curriculum. However, we offer a transformative student-centered approach that contrasts with traditional Ethiopian education. Typical Ethiopian education: rote learning, limited engagement, and technology gap. HMA’s approach: active learning,  critical thinking, and  technology integration. 

HMA stands out as a pioneer in promoting diversity and inclusivity in Ethiopian education. We are proud to be the only boarding school in Ethiopia that recruits students from across all regional states. Our commitment to diversity is a fundamental aspect of our educational philosophy.