ALEA SCHOOL

Grand opening of the Campus Lindenalle

The ALEA SCHOOL is growing and thriving: At the start of the summer vacation and six weeks before the first ALEA school day, school board member Henning Strauss, headmistress Pauline Ponti, Pepperdine President & CEO Jim Gash and Minister of Education Armin Schwarz (CDU) officially opened the recently completed Campus Lindenallee. Together with the two founding classes and their parents, the ALEA SCHOOL staff celebrated a relaxed opening BBQ with Californian specialties. After the symbolic cutting of the ribbon, Headmistress Pauline Ponti gave the forty students a tour of their new classrooms and the entire school building.

The next milestone for the ALEA SCHOOL: the Lindenallee campus has been completed. It was officially opened at the start of the Hessian summer vacation. The ceremony was also attended by the Hessian Minister of Education and Cultural Affairs, Armin Schwarz, who had already gained an impression of the concept of the new international school during an on-site visit to Bad Orb in January. In his opening speech, the enthusiastic transatlanticist was impressed by the international spirit of the ALEA SCHOOL. The bilingual G9 grammar school can be completed with either the German Abitur or the IB Diploma as an internationally recognized university qualification.

As part of the opening ceremony, the ALEA SCHOOL also presented its official school mascots for the first time: the foxes Amber and Oak. The choice of the forest dweller as a heraldic animal is obvious in every respect: the fox is considered clever, imaginative, courageous and curious. He thus embodies the learning attitude that should characterize the ALEA students. He also connects the students with the surrounding Spessart forest as a figure of identification.

The opening ceremony was also attended by musician and actress Lina Larissa Strahl, who will be lending her voice to the little girl Amber in future animated films and radio plays. The 27-year-old musician played a live acoustic session and, together with the children and an employee of the Senckenberg Society for Nature Research, an ALEA SCHOOL partner, planted a total of twenty insect-friendly shrubs on the new Lindenallee campus. Most recently, the ALEA SCHOOL announced an extensive educational partnership with the Senckenberg Society for Nature Research.

As part of the opening ceremony, Headmistress Pauline Ponti gave students and parents their first tour of the new school building on the Lindenallee campus. The opening ceremony was rounded off with a relaxed BBQ – in keeping with the international profile of the ALEA SCHOOL and the school’s close links with the US West Coast, Californian specialties were served. The ALEA SCHOOL thus gave a foretaste of the high-quality school catering provided by the TAPATA team. Meanwhile, planning for the final Parkallee school campus continues. A move is conceivable for the 2028/2029 school year. Applications for fifth graders for the 2026/2027 school year are now open.

Statements

“The foxhole is ready. From mid-August, we will be making children want to learn at the ALEA SCHOOL. We are very much looking forward to building a strong community. In the Home of the Foxes, we will inspire our pupils for life.”

Henning Strauss – ALEA School Board

“The ALEA SCHOOL, with its international profile and special support for student personalities, will further enrich our educational location. I am delighted that the ALEA initiative is bringing additional appeal to us in Hesse.”

Armin Schwarz (CDU) – Hessian Minister of Education and Cultural Affairs

“At the ALEA SCHOOL, children become natural scientists. I am delighted that we are able to help shape the concept of this progressive educational project with Senckenberg. With the planting campaign today, we are also symbolically marking the start of joint growth.”

Tim Anders – PhD student in the “Biogeography” working group at Senckenberg

“My colleagues and I are very much looking forward to starting lessons at the ALEA SCHOOL soon. It was great to see how excited our two founding classes are about their ALEA adventure.”

Pauline Ponti – Headmistress ALEA SCHOOL

“I firmly believe in the power of education – and I am delighted that Henning Strauss, a Pepperdine alumnus, is putting our guiding principles into practice in this pioneering educational project. The ALEA SCHOOL will grow bridge builders, problem solvers and compassionate global citizens. Congratulations to all who will be part of this extraordinary journey!”

Jim Gash – President & CEO, Pepperdine University (California)

Scholarship framework conditions

In principle, anyone can apply for a scholarship. The award committee will take various criteria into account when selecting the scholarship holders: First and foremost, the economic eligibility of an applicant family. This is based on the average household income (approx. €70,000) in the Main-Kinzig district and the applicant confirms that they have a lower household income. Voluntary commitment, special achievements or a particularly convincing application are also taken into account.

When applying for a scholarship, applicants must provide basic information, a letter of motivation and a letter of recommendation from a (class) teacher. After submission, the awarding committee will review the application and contact the applicants regarding the next steps.

At the present moment, two scholarship programs have already been confirmed.

  1. The Norbert Strauss partial scholarship
    5x per year
    Covers €400 of the school fees
  2. The Bad Orb full scholarship
    2x per year
    Covers the entire school fees

Further scholarship programs are currently being developed.

There will be both full and partial scholarships. Depending on the type of scholarship, either all or part of the school fees will be covered by the scholarship. Both scholarship models cover tuition fees up to the 10th grade to the extent indicated.