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Georgia, Tbilisi
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The Guivy Zaldastanishvili American Academy in Tbilisi was founded in 2001 by Guivy Zaldastanishvili, a Georgian businessman who spent much of his life in the United States, and Donald Thomas, an American educator who taught at and led schools in the Boston area. Receiving US State Department grants of over two million dollars, the school was established to be a model for the transformation of Georgian education as the country moved from the Soviet system to a democratic free‑market economy. Education shifted from rote methods to an interactive classroom that stresses critical analysis, writing, and creative thinking. The founding teachers were sent to the United States for Master's Degrees in Education from Harvard University, Simmons College, and Phillips Exeter Academy, forming the core of the Academy's staff and offering seminars to Georgian teachers through an NGO. The first class of seniors graduated in 2005, and Academy alumni have attended colleges and universities in the US, the UK, Europe, and Georgia, with Georgian history and culture woven into the curriculum alongside Western pedagogy.
The school hosts a Regional Teachers' Conference to provide a forum for educators to share ideas, discuss educational improvements, and disseminate a philosophy of national education. GZAAT Saturday Academy offers combined courses for 1st–12th‑grade students at the Lisi campus to broaden knowledge, foster curiosity, and help students master advanced material; updated course information is available via the program's FB page. Saturday School is listed as a program (Coming soon). Online GZAAT provides online learning, and GZAAT Teacher's Blog offers resources for teachers and the wider school community.
The school has a Parents Council. Eka Tatishvili, the Dean of Students, coordinates the Advisory Program, student services, special events, field trips, the speaker series, and extracurricular activities. The Dean is also a liaison with the Parents Council, which contributes in many ways to the life of the school. The Convocation Ceremony calls together the students, teachers, the Parents Council, and the trustees to begin the school year. The Closing Ceremony/Parents Conference is part of the academic calendar, reflecting ongoing parent involvement. The Dean's liaison role and the active participation of the Parents Council support ongoing engagement in student services and governance.
The Guivy Zaldastanishvili American Academy is a high school in Tbilisi with 372 students in grades 8–12. The five-year bespoke curriculum prepares students to study at Georgian universities and universities abroad. English is the language of instruction, with Georgian and Russian used exclusively in their language classes. The school emphasizes daily preparation, homework, active participation, and frequent writing and assessment, with technology integrated in instruction. The academic year runs two semesters; classes meet four times per week (50 minutes) and one double period (80 minutes). Courses are typically more intensive than the Georgian program, with small class sizes and hands-on activities and current textbooks. Founded in 2001 by Guivy Zaldastanishvili and Donald Thomas, the academy carries US-supported aims to foster critical thinking and writing. Facilities include three science laboratories and modern library. Extracurriculars include Drama, Debate, Chess, Kendo, and a Saturday Community Service program; it competes in FIRST Global Challenge.
