Celebrating 50 Years of
International Education in Chiang Mai

A special 50th Anniversary "logo" is being used by the school on stationary, souvenirs etc. throughout the celebration year Aug. 2003 - June 2004. It incorporates the CMIS school badge and Latin motto chosen by the school's missionary founders "Ora et Labora" which means. By Work and By Prayer. Once the home of an early missionary to Chiangmai Dr. J.W. McKean, the charming old 'McKean House' became the first school building on the present CMIS campus and today serves as the School administration building and treasured a campus landmark.

On the first day of June in 1954, the small school that was to become Chiang Mai International School (CMIS) opened its doors to the children of foreign missionaries stationed in northern Thailand.

The little "international" school began operating in an old bungalow that had once been home to Dr. Daniel McGilvery, founder of the American Presbyterian Mission in Chiang Mai. Today, it is the site of the First Thai Church. There were 8 pupils attending what was first called Chiang Mai Children's Center. In just a short time, there was a need to add hostel accommodation for children of missionaries from other parts of Thailand who began attending the school. So, in 1955-6 the school moved to another former missionary home that of Dr. J.W. McKean, the founder of the McKean Leprosy Hospital and Rehabilitation Center. The McKean home doubled as classroom space and hostel until the first purpose-built classrooms were erected. Today, the charming old house serves as the administration building for CMIS.

With expansion of the school in the 1960's a name change was decided upon and CCC became Chiang Mai Co-Educational Center. A full education program for grades K through 8 was offered and the school now welcomed an increasing number of children from other international (non-mission) families coming to live and work in Chiang Mai. At the time, international schools outside of Bangkok had no legal status under Thai law. The administrators of CCC worked patiently and long to lobby for legal status for the school. Finally in 1984-5 the school was officially approved as Chiang Mai International School, becoming the first legally recognized, Thai Government registered international school in Thailand outside of Bangkok.

Today CMIS is a dynamic and successful international school with over 400 pupils. Small enough to retain a friendly and relaxed campus environment, yet still the largest international school in the North. CMIS welcomes children of all faiths, cultures and ethnic backgrounds from the much-enlarged international community in Chiang Mai. It also remains true to the traditions of its founders, serving missionary families and maintaining its heritage of the Christian faith and values at the heart of the school.

CMIS High School (grades 9 - 12) has been an important addition to the school. Beginning with Grade 9 in 1992, grades up to 12 were added each year until the high school was completed in 1995. Operating a basically American school system, students study a broad range of arts and science subjects over 4 years for the CMIS High School Diploma. In addition, the high school challenges its brightest students with the academically demanding Advanced Placement (AP) courses in a range of core subjects. Around ninety percent of CMIS high school graduates continue their education at a university, and qualifications gained at CMIS are welcomed around the world. Recent grads have furthered their studies at universities in Australia, Canada, England, Holland, India, Japan, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand and the USA. This 50th celebration year will honor the school's 9th senior graduating class in June 2004.

Plans to celebrate the 50th year include a special Founders Day service scheduled for Sept. 18th this year, and an Alumni Reunion weekend planned for Jan 2 - 4, 2004. It is hoped that as many as possible former CCC and CMIS students, teachers and parents will attend the weekend celebration. Alumni and others who are interested in getting further details are asked to either contact Kevin Morse at CMIS, or check the school web site on www.cmis.ac.th

With its experience of serving the very broad based community of international families who have lived in Chiang Mai over the past fifty years, CMIS projects a highly developed sense of the needs of international students. And, celebrating the school's 50th birthday today, in a more complex and fractious world than the one in which it began fifty years ago, CMIS prides itself on developing its students as responsible individuals with a lifelong appreciation and respect for people of different cultures and backgrounds a humble contribution from Chiang Mai towards a better world. Happy birthday Chiang Mai International School !