What does SANKOFA mean?
Sankofa literally translated means go back and fetch it. It is a symbol of the Akan people of Ghana that represents the wisdom of learning from the past to build for the future. The Sankofa bird is used to represent this concept. The bird is usually pictured with a long neck turning it’s head backwards towards its tail, but it sometimes pictured as a heart. The bird looking back symbolizes looking for one’s past or being on a quest for knowledge. Proverb: “Se wo were fi na wo Sankofa a yenkyi” (It is not taboo to fetch what you forgot).

What is a CHARTER SCHOOL?
Charter schools are independent public schools, designed and operated by educators, parents, community leaders, education entrepreneurs, and others. Charter schools are generally exempt from most laws that apply to regular public schools, so administrators, faculty, staff, and parents have considerable autonomy in designing and implementing an educational program, finding adequate facilities, and managing a budget that meet the needs of their students. In exchange for this increased freedom and autonomy, charter schools are held more strictly accountable than most non-charter public schools. They are accountable for both academic results and fiscal practices to several groups: the sponsor that grants the charter, the parents who choose the school, and the public that funds them. Charter schools must meet all of the student performance and operational goals listed in their charter, or their charter may be revoked.

Visit the KIPP National website at: kipp.org