About Us

Al FatihAcademy – ‘The Opening’
Fatih means an opening, a beginning, or an increasing.  Al Fatih Academy is an institution dedicated to education that opens the minds and hearts of American Muslim children to the love of Allah and the wonders of His creation.  At Al Fatih Academy, we believe that our success in this educational mission will develop the compassionate and competent leaders that the world needs today and in the future. 

History

Al Fatih Academy was started in 1998 by parents and educators in the All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS) community to provide an opportunity for holistic development of Muslim children in our region. ADAMS Center was the school’s first home, providing space and guidance to a small group of mothers as they gathered together with their children to establish a cooperative preschool that would later become Al Fatih Academy (AFA). AFA remained at the ADAMS center for three years, strengthening its program and gaining the trust of ADAMS community members. Over the years, the institution has grown from a volunteer-organized preschool to a full primary school program with over 170 students in pre-school through 7th grade.

Today Al Fatih Academy is located in Sterling, Virginia in the heart of the ADAMS community and serves as the only full-time Islamic school in the ADAMS Community area. This special relationship between ADAMS and AFA has continued over the years

Vision and Mission

Al Fatih Academy’s vision is to be a model Islamic learning community that inspires a commitment to excellence in all aspects of life. Its mission is to cultivate and nurture a thriving American Muslim identity that balances religious, academic and cultural knowledge and imparts the importance of civic involvement and charitable work. Through an interdisciplinary and integrated programming approach, we strive to create an educational environment that unites students, teachers, family, and community to provide an exceptional learning experience.

Philosophy

Embedded in our philosophy is the understanding that children best realize their potential when they can work though a curriculum at their own pace. This philosophy recognizes that the role of the school is to provide the encouragement, resources, and support for children to meet their potential and to develop and maintain high self-esteem and a positive Islamic identity.

Approach

• Create a culture that ensures life-long lessons for students, including a commitment to community involvement, a sense of heightened social responsibility, respect for cultural diversity, and understanding of what it means to be an American citizen and a global citizen.

• Provide an academically challenging environment for students that nurtures intellectual curiosity,stimulates personal growth, and encourages critical thinking.

• Develop and model supportive learning environments,where learning-by-doing is an important element of classroom instruction.

• Attract high quality teachers who teach in their areas of expertise and are committed and passionate about what they do.

• Instill a system of Islamic and moral values to guide the choices that the students make.

• Motivate students to achieve excellence—inside and outside the classroom.

• Encourage active participation of parents in their children’s education.