Employment Opportunities

An Overview of the American School of Kinshasa

The American School of Kinshasa is an established school with a proud tradition looking forward to a future of exceptional quality. The Democratic Republic of Congo has the most difficult history in sub-Saharan Africa. Since the 17th century when the first Europeans entered the heart of Africa and followed the river into the interior, this huge area has experienced constant turmoil. From 1991 to 2003 Congo was the site of what many termed “Africa’s world war” in which various nations aligned themselves with different political factions to fight for control of this country, enormous in both area and natural resource. After the elections of 2006 and the 4 day violence in March 2007 in Kinshasa between the government and opposition, the western part of Congo has had peace. However, the infrastructure has been damaged and suffered years of neglect. Power and water outages are common. The city bears scars of fighting and poor maintenance. Prices for fuel and imported goods, including expatriate foods, are among the highest in Africa. This is not the Africa of luxurious game lodges and safaris. The DRC offers thousands of miles of unexplored rain forest and some of the most spectacular scenery in Africa, but with only 300 miles of roads, these wonders are inaccessible to tourists. Violence in the beautiful northeastern region of the DRC makes travel to see the mountain gorillas close to impossible. Travel on the magnificent Congo is also nearly impossible today. Teaching at TASOK is not for everybody.

Today may be the most hopeful moment in Congo’s history. At TASOK you will have the opportunity to live and work in a country at last emerging into its best chance for a peaceful, productive future. TASOK offers you an opportunity to make a significant impact on students and on this place. What you try and accomplish won’t be just the everyday of most international schools. Your teaching will have immediate and observable effects in the school and the community. It won’t be easy, and it definitely won’t always be smooth, but your work will be significant.

How to Apply for a Teaching Position at TASOK

If you remain interested in exploring a teaching job at TASOK, please send your resume as a pdf to the Superintendent at irene.epp@gmail.com. Include also your specific questions on our school and the position that interests you. In general TASOK hires 7 or 8 teachers annually on a faculty of 30 to 35 teachers. Below is a short profile of what TASOK seeks in our faculty. A TASOK teacher is

  • Student centered and skilled at differentiating instruction
  • Resilient
  • Has around 2 years teaching experience and a certification from a university
  • Imaginative
  • Is skilled and positive about collaborating with colleagues
  • Optimistic
  • Always works for the good of the whole
  • Courageous in the face of adversity