Building the Campus
Sinjar Academy has set an ambitious goal to raise $6 million for a permanent campus in Sinuni, creating a lasting home for education, workforce development, and community programs. With your help, we are committed to making this campus a reality.
Resilience
Hundreds of thousands of Yazidis and other minorities were displaced after ISIS attacked Sinjar in 2014. More than a decade later, close to two-thirds of Sinjar’s population is still displaced.
The disruption to education and economic opportunity continues to shape the lives of an entire generation.
We’ve Already Started
Sinjar Academy has served more than 4,500 students through in-person and online education. The Academy owns the land for its permanent campus in Sinuni, and construction of the administrative building is underway.
Practical Skills
Access to quality education and meaningful employment in the region is limited, with women, displaced people, and those without digital skills facing some of the greatest barriers.
Founded in 2022, Sinjar Academy is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing access to high-quality education where it's needed most.
These programs do more than teach. They build skills, expand opportunity, and connect students in Sinjar to the international job market. The curriculum includes:
“Learning German has opened up a new world for me.”
— Malika, Sinjar Academy Student
What Your
Academic buildings, library, auditorium, computer labs, dormitories, gym, and soccer field.
Curriculum development, faculty recruitment, scholarships, and international university partnerships.
Renewable energy, water and sanitation, transportation, and accessibility.
Understanding Sinjar:
The Yazidis are an ancient ethnoreligious minority with a distinct faith, culture, and traditions rooted in northern Iraq. Sinjar is their historic homeland, where Yazidi communities have lived for generations, making its recovery essential to preserving their culture, identity, and future.
In August 2014, ISIS attacked Sinjar and carried out a genocide against the Yazidi people. Thousands were killed or kidnapped, women and girls were subjected to sexual violence and enslavement, children were taken from their families, and hundreds of thousands of people were forced to flee from their homes.
Twelve years later, much of Sinjar’s infrastructure remains damaged, homes still need to be rebuilt, jobs are scarce, and political challenges continue. Approximately 200,000 Yazidis from Sinjar remain displaced, with tens of thousands still living in 15 camps in the Kurdistan Region. Many others remain displaced outside the camps and have not been able to return home. For families to rebuild stable lives, Sinjar needs basic services, economic opportunities, education, and the infrastructure necessary for a functioning community.
Sinuni is a major population center north of Sinjar Mountain and an important community for Yazidi families living in the region. Building a permanent campus there allows Sinjar Academy to bring education, technology, training, and community programs directly to young people and families who are trying to rebuild their lives in Sinjar.
Education gives young people the skills and confidence to shape their own futures and contribute to their community. By expanding access to languages, technology, business skills, and professional training, we can help build the local knowledge and workforce needed for Sinjar's long-term recovery.
Supporting Sinjar Academy is a direct investment in the people and future of Sinjar. A permanent campus will provide local employment while establishing a lasting home for learning, training, and community development. Our programs equip students with practical skills that can strengthen their lives and contribute to the region’s recovery. These efforts help build a foundation for lasting progress for generations to come.
Let’s Build
Whether you’re considering a major gift or exploring a partnership, we’d welcome the opportunity to connect.
