Student Computer Innovation and Fabrication Institute (SCIFI)

The Student Computer Innovation and Fabrication Institute (SCIFI) is the College's beloved makerspace. It features a state-of-the-art Audio-Visual studio, a Computer-Assisted Design (CAD) and fabrication center with 3D printers, a laser-cutting machine, a vacuum model crafting machine, a classical workshop with industrial-grade power tools, a robotics lab, and a workspace.

In 2019, SCIFI hosted the third Tikkun Olam Makers (TOM) Makeathon—a 72-hour challenge that brought together need-knowers (people with special abilities) and makers (designers, engineers, and handy people) to create prototypes of technological solutions for everyday problems faced by people with special needs. Notable guests included Dr. Richard Tucker Ewing Jr., President of the American College of Sofia, H.E. Irit Lillian, Ambassador of the State of Israel, and H.E. Eric Rubin, Ambassador of the United States of America, along with the TOM Bulgaria team of volunteers, participants, and members of the ACS community.

Today, SCIFI is home to the Engineering, Phoenix News, and other electives, a Maker's Club, a SCIFI Committee, and more student-led initiatives focused on spreading knowledge and experience with using the equipment for academic and creative purposes. Students frequently visit SCIFI to work on academic assignments in Physics, Astronomy, Geography, Biology, and other subjects. It has grown into a social makerspace where students and instructors connect, engage in scientific and engineering discussions, and have fun while making with their hands and the equipment at their disposal.

Some of the projects developed and executed in SCIFI, include the Geography Diorama Project (Geography), LED Constellation Kit (Astronomy), DNA Molecule 3D Model (Biology), Dream Island Poster Project (ESL), Design a Doll Project (ESL), and Physics Meme/Puzzle Maker Activity (Physics).

Chromebooks & Google Classrooms

Since the 2017-2018 school year, the American College of Sofia has been recognized as an Innovative School by the Ministry of Education and Science. The project that earned the school this distinguished status was the integration of technology into the learning environment through the use of Chromebooks and the Google Classroom platform.

The ACS project is based on specific goals, each aimed at transforming the educational landscape and the way students learn:

1. Creating a platform for interactive communication among students and between students and teachers.

2. Building skills for ethical and responsible use of digital technology.

3. Guaranteeing easy access for students to platforms that allow multi-level evaluation of their skills and knowledge.

4. Creating an inspirational environment where students are at the center of education at all times, and where their efforts and accomplishments are evaluated in real-time, with individually targeted teacher support when needed.

5. Creating a meaningful and inspirational environment where students build their knowledge and find original solutions that encourage each student's individuality.

The project was made possible by a generous donation of Chromebooks from the American people via the American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (ASHA) program of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The first Chromebooks were introduced in 2015 in Eighth Grade, and with the start of the new school year, ACS has 800 Chromebooks to help every student study in Google's virtual classroom.

This innovative approach proved to be well ahead of its time and a significant technological foundation during the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic when schools were closed. The smooth transition to distance learning was made possible thanks to the early adoption of online technology and cloud-based learning, successfully implemented at ACS as early as 2017.

Online Learning

The 2020-2021 school year is unprecedented in the recent history of the American College of Sofia. The experience from the Distance Learning of the spring 2020 semester greatly helped in designing a curriculum with built-in anti-epidemic measures. In the fall of 2020, the College scheduled 20% Online Learning. In practice, each grade level had classes online one day a week, reducing campus traffic. The courses that took place online were in subjects that normally met twice a week.

While on campus, all students, faculty, and staff are required to wear masks indoors, observe social distancing, follow traffic directions, use only designated entry and exit points to the buildings, and disinfect often.