Sterling Partners’ Education Opportunity Fund has invested in Amerigo Education, a company that partners with elite American high schools to support their international students and prepare them for acceptance into selective US universities.
Amerigo uses an approach centred on excellent academic outcomes to ensure international students thrive both in and out of the American classroom.
After decades of combined industry experience at companies like Deltak (acquired by John Wiley & Sons in 2012), Shorelight Education, Meritas, the Cristo Rey Network and Navitas, the educators, programme specialists and experts at Amerigo created a solution that emphasises success and growth which reach beyond just academic and support services.
“I am thrilled to work with a team of people and partners who are truly motivated by one mission – to provide the best experience and care for international high school students,” says Craig Pines, chief executive officer at Amerigo. “We’ve created a solution that many international students desire but currently do not find at US high schools – parental guidance, language-learning support, support to adjust to American community and classroom norms; the list goes on. We provide all the resources our students require to be successful in high school, college and beyond. If we and our current and future partners succeed at that, the ripple effect ultimately benefits everyone in today’s global community.”
“With emerging global economies and rising middle class wealth, the demand for high-quality education is expanding. Populations around the world are looking more and more for access to our US education system,” says Jason Rosenberg, managing director of Sterling Partners’ Education Opportunity Fund. “The existence of Amerigo means that international students at a younger age are much better prepared for college and to survive and thrive well beyond. And as we transition to a more global community, those educational and cultural experiences Amerigo students have truly benefit everyone, regardless of where you live. We’re interested in working with leaders and companies that are transforming American education and Craig Pines at Amerigo is doing just that.”
Amerigo is the third investment made out of the Education Opportunity Fund, Sterling’s first-ever sector-focused fund.
Each student at an Amerigo campus is nurtured throughout the duration of a programme that creates a pathway to admittance to one of the top 200 American universities. This is done by providing a college preparatory education, English language training and cultural immersion opportunities in a safe and supportive dormitory-style residential community.
Every element of the programme is focused on student outcomes and the highest level of student satisfaction. In addition, existing students at American preparatory schools benefit from the programme as Amerigo fully integrates international students to create a cohesive global culture.
“We are being selective in terms of the high schools with whom we partner,” says Pines. “We are seeking partners who are committed to creating a diverse student body for the right reasons. Amerigo is committed to ensuring students achieve their academic goals, but that’s just the beginning of our mission.”
Amerigo seeks to build a strong cohort of strategic partners comprised of college preparatory schools in safe environments, with dedicated faculty and administrators who want to diversify their student body in order to move all students down the path to global education.
