Who we are
Alim Academy (Formerly Muslim Community School; MCS/AA) is a private, non-profit, non-sectarian educational system that serves the needs of children in daycare from ages 6 months+ and students in grades Pre-K through 12th in a wholesome Islamic environment. Alim Academy serves as a college preparatory institution for students in grades 9 – 12. Our Early Childhood Department, is fully certified and licensed by the Maryland State Department of Education for children ages 6 months+. Our preschool program serves students from ages 2 to 4. The school is fully accredited by by Cognia™, a nonprofit organization that provides quality assurance for schools, school districts, and education service providers.
Alim Academy benefits from its location in Montgomery County, Maryland, which is a dynamic, diverse community. Our academic program follows the requirements of the State of Maryland and the Common Core curriculum used in the Montgomery County school system. Coupled with our Islamic education program of Quran, Islamic Studies (akhlaq, fiqh, Islamic history), and Arabic, our school is designed to prepare students for success in this life and in the hereafter.
We emphasize a wholesome Islamic environment and welcome diversity among our staff, faculty, and students. Students participate in many competitions such as Model UN, Montgomery County Science and Art Fairs, DC and National MIST competitions, Future City Competition, and a variety of essay and poetry contests, just to name a few.
Our educators are life-long learners, striving to incorporate the best practices in education that can be found world-wide. We understand the need to inspire and educate our students while serving as role models and that sometimes techniques that worked for generations past, may need fine-tuning for today’s students. With our small student-to-teacher ratio, achieving such goals becomes more within our reach. May Allah continue to aid us as we graduate into the world Muslim students who are confident, well-prepared for the challenges they will face, and able to actively participate in their societies – all while pleasing their Creator.
Alim Academy, (Formerly Muslim Community School) was established in its current location in 1984 and was incorporated as a nonprofit institution in Montgomery County, Maryland, on April 24, 1985. It was granted a tax exemption under Section 501 © (3) which became effective in July 1986. The school also received State Sales and Use Tax Exemption status in 1997.
Alim Academy continued the process of meeting the requirements of the Maryland State Department of Education to become an approved school with their Certificate of Approval to operate within the state. It was awarded the Certificate of Approval in the early part of 1989 giving approval for operation of a Kindergarten to 8th Grade program of studies, and became the first full-time Muslim school in the DMV area obtaining Maryland State approval.
The school continued to expand its educational program through state approval to complete the high school grade levels. This was done by adding a grade as needed and appropriate for student enrollment on a grade to grade basis. It received approval to graduate its first senior class in January 2006 and held it first graduation with the issuance of high school diplomas in June 2006.
The mission of Alim Academy (formerly Muslim Community School) is to produce well-educated, moral, confident, and innovative global citizens. We are committed to academic excellence and Islamic values and strive to develop these in a safe, vibrant, and diverse learning environment.
Our primary objectives are:
- Offer a rigorous academic program;
- Foster spiritual growth in an Islamic environment encouraging moral and ethical values;
- Develop each student’s ability to analyze and solve problems facing individuals in a rapidly changing world;
- Aid students in becoming confident members of today’s diverse society and enabling them to take on leadership roles in their own communities and beyond;
- Encourage each student to cherish his/her own culture and individuals with different cultural backgrounds.