Our Story
In 1972, several diplomatic families associated with the US Embassy in Cote d’Ivoire founded the International Community School of Abidjan (ICSA). Growing from humble beginnings, ICSA was located in villas for several years in Cocody and Deux Plateau, residential communities in Abidjan. It was not until 1989, when ICSA moved to Riviera III, that it developed “purpose built facilities,” which permitted a larger enrollment and the development of a comprehensive PreK-12 program. During the 2002 – 2003 school year, ICSA experienced the largest enrollment in its history only to downsize to less than 100 students by February of 2003, due to civil conflict.
Between 2003 and 2007, ICSA’s enrollment declined to less than 20 students, which prompted the need for a change in its location from its purpose-built facilities to a temporary location. The school struggled to manage the costs associated with maintaining its 5.3 hectare campus, and in 2005, in order to address rising operating costs, ICSA moved to a temporary residential location near the village of M’Pouto. Between 2007 and 2010, the school experienced increased enrollment due to the stable political conditions in the country; however, in November 2010, as a result of post-election violence, enrollment once again declined to less than 30 students by the end of the 2010-2011 school year.
Since 2010, ICSA has experienced a steady increase in enrollment. In 2011-2012, the school year began with an enrollment of 80 students and ended with 95. For the 2012-2013 school year, enrollment began with 138 students and ended the year with 150. In 2013, ICSA relocated to its 5.3 hectare purpose-built facility and began with an enrollment of over 180 students. We’ve grown a lot since then and are happy to have such a big campus!