Dalat International School

Dalat International School has been educating students since 1929 and now occupies a beachfront campus in Penang, Malaysia, with an elementary school from Pre-3 to Grade 4, a middle school and a high school (Grades 9-12) with a college-preparatory curriculum including Advanced Placement courses and an American-style high school diploma. Its mission is 'Education for Life founded on a biblical worldview', and the school has a chapel, spiritual emphasis weeks and IMPACT service trips. Student services include a Counseling Department for emotional support and academic guidance, a Learning Support programme for students with learning challenges, an English as an Additional Language programme that prepares students for mainstream classes, and a Child Safety programme. Dalat also runs a boarding programme, a family-style faith-based dorm for boys and girls in Grades 9 to 12 with up to 18 students, where siblings can live together. The community includes a PTO, Scouts and alumni, students wear a uniform, and lunch is served in the Galley.

Dalat offers six varsity sports, soccer, volleyball, basketball, track and field, touch rugby and CrossFit, with youth teams down to U11. It helped found the Asia Christian Schools Conference, whose members meet in international tournaments, and competes in the Penang Schools Athletic Conference. The arts are central: drama productions include stagecraft, script writing, sound, lighting and costumes, music is required for every student from preschool to Grade 8, and visual and literary arts have their own exhibitions and performances. Children in Grades 1-4 join Kids Interest Clubs each quarter, for instance Lego, gardening, chess, improv, crafts, percussion, beginner violin, fencing, soccer or dodgeball, while older students have daily X-block clubs, sports practices and supervised study halls.