Kepler

Kepler is building a global model of accessible and excellent higher education. By innovating the university experience, we graduate distinguished learners and cultivate leaders who transform their lives, their communities, and their countries. Kepler’s dynamic and innovative model blends technology, competency-based learning and participatory classes. We produce graduates with relevant skills and the right attitude to meet the needs of a global and knowledge-based economy. Our support doesn’t stop at enabling learners to acquire globally recognized degrees. Through collaborating with local employers we build internship opportunities and classroom-to-career pipelines. We strive to expand Kepler both directly – through additional campuses – and indirectly – through documenting and sharing our learning. We do all of this to increase access to affordable world-class education. Kepler was born out of Generation Rwanda, who enabled talented, but economically vulnerable Rwandan students to attend university and prepared them with skills needed to enter the workforce since 2004. In 2013 they got an opportunity to increase their impact through a new partnership with Southern New Hampshire University and their new College for America program. This partnership offered a highly innovative approach combining Southern New Hampshire University’s online degree access with in-person seminars, job readiness training, and coaching. It enables students to attain affordable, internationally recognized degrees while studying in East Africa. To help students complete their American accredited BA degrees, Kepler provides loans for laptops and internet access, interactive support classes, personal advising, wrap-around student services, career support, and an inspiring and empowering learning environment. Kepler’s first cohort in 2013 consisted of 50 students and has grown 10 times with 550 students and two campuses as of September 2017. In 2015, Kepler opened a second campus in Kiziba refugee camp in western Rwanda where it serves students who are refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In the same year, the Kigali campus began serving students from Burundi. In 2016, we expanded to include students from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, and Uganda. In the next few years, Kepler hopes to expand its reach in East Africa and across the African continent so students can access efficient high-quality education and the acquisition of employment-ready skills at a competitive cost.