A Brief History of the Prince of Wales School

The Prince of Wales School (POW) was formally established in Freetown, Republic of Sierra Leone on April 6, 1925 to foster science education and studies in modern languages. Officially inaugurated by His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales, the School marked a turning point in the advancement of a balanced secondary education in Sierra Leone.

Since its inception, POW has demonstrated with consistency, an affinity for excellence in education by providing comprehensive and high quality education at the secondary school level. Numerous alumni of POW have served admirably in positions of trust, altruism and responsibility in Sierra Leone and in the international community.

A Brief Profile of the Old Prince Waleans Association (U.S.A.), Inc.

The Old Prince Waleans Association (U.S.A.), Inc. (OPWA), was established in 1987 by a group of former students of the Prince of Wales School (POW) residing in the United States of America. These princewaleans recognized the need for substantial financial and material support to their alma mater, and were prepared to make the necessary sacrifices to improve the quality of teaching and learning at the School in Sierra Leone.

Since its formation, OPWA has undertaken several fund-raising ventures. In recent years, the Association has collaborated in many endeavors with other POW alumni associations in the United States of America, the United Kingdom and Sierra Leone. The funds raised by OPWA have been used towards various forms of developmental assistance to the School. Such assistance includes: awarding scholarships to deserving needy students; providing large consignments of science laboratory supplies, equipment, art education supplies, other tools and material to enhance both teaching and learning; equipping the entire school band with musical instruments; establishing a Staff Salary Revolving Fund Account in Sierra Leone to avail stopgap loan to staff whenever salary payment is grossly delayed; making funds available for awards at Prize Giving Ceremonies and end-of-year bonus incentive to staff; providing several trophies and hundreds of medals as prizes for athletic activities commemorating the School’s 80th Anniversary in 2005; furnishing computers and peripherals along with a sophisticated equipment for harnessing solar energy for the Information Technology Center; and also a high quality fax machine to facilitate communication between the School and external entities. Consideration of proposals focusing on providing assistance to the Prince of Wales School is a constant and welcomed exercise for OPWA.

The Old Prince Waleans Association (U.S.A.), Inc. (OPWA) is a 401(c)(3) charitable, not for profit, entity. Donation to OPWA is for a worthy cause and tax deductible. Membership dues and donations could be made online at www.opwa-usa.org or by check mailed to OPWA, P.O. Box 3072, Silver Spring, Maryland 20918.