About BCOIA
The Bucks County Organization for Intercultural Advancement had its beginnings in 1974 when a group of chief school administrators in Bucks County, Pennsylvania first explored the possibility of working with the Office of Overseas Schools of the US Department of State and the International Schools Services in Princeton, New Jersey. Its purpose is to provide consultants and services for schools, colleges and universities abroad. Bucks County, the home of several colleges and universities, is located in a region rich in philanthropic institutions, including the Pearl S. Buck Foundation, and is an area known for the quality of its public education. With such resources at hand, these educational leaders believed that they could make a contribution to intercultural understanding and improvement of education in developing nations. After a few years of providing services in the areas of curriculum and school design, and staff development for teachers and administrators, the group decided to formalize their successful programs and activities that had taken them to Central America, South America, Africa, and the Middle East, by organizing a non-profit educational and cultural association. Thus the BCOIA was instituted in 1977 when it was duly incorporated as a non-lucrative organization in the State of Pennsylvania. Its registration number is 000111113. Dr. William Keim, the superintendent of the Penridge School District in Bucks County, was named as Executive Director. Among the first Board members were Dr. Thomas Walsh, who would serve as Board President until 2003, Dr. George E. Raab, Mr. Richard Knippel, Mr. William Heefner, Dr. Alex Sergienko, Dr. John Sly, and Dr. Keim. In the initial Articles Of Incorporation, the purposes and aim of BCOIA were stated in detail. Click here to view AOI. In carrying out these goals, the BCOIA organization provided services and staff in the areas of re-entry placement assistance, recruitment of superintendents, administrative internships, in-service, and on the job training, legal services, and stateside or overseas workshops to update teaching credentials for participating overseas schools. The services were provided by administrators, curriculum specialists, business managers, and master teachers within the Bucks County System.
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