Matt Perdue
Boarding Administrator

Welcome to the boarding program of Dakar Academy Schools! DA has a long history of meeting the residential needs for our secondary level students. Our boarding homes offer a caring and family-like environment designed to support and nurture students in all facets of their development. The success of our program over the years has come from having loving and experienced boarding home parents, quality facilities, wonderful students year after year, and clear guidelines and expectations. 

The boarding home staff is committed to making your living situation safe, caring, warm, friendly, and comfortable. Our hope is that it is much more than just a place to sleep and study, but becomes a home away from home. DA boarding homes try to operate as much as possible like a Christian family unit. We serve family-style meals, endeavor to have regular family devotions, and do things together such as outings and church in order to promote a supportive family atmosphere where students can thrive.

I am excited to oversee this program that is second to none, a tradition of excellence built on years of dedication to the care of the children of missionaries and other Christian workers here in West Africa. We continue to hold our staff and our program as a whole to the highest of standards, making ours the only boarding program on the continent that is fully accredited by ACSI.

Michael + Amy Gilbert
Lower Boarding Home

Michael and Amy Gilbert are home parents to the middle and high school boys in the boarding program at DA Schools. They live in the Lower Boarding Home with their three children. Prior to serving in this role, Amy taught 4th grade at DA Central and Michael taught English at a center in Dakar.  They are excited to partner with parents in raising these young men to love and serve the Lord. “Since our sons are the same age as our boarding students, we see firsthand the joys and the trials of Third Culture Kids. As parents, we would want someone to come alongside our children to continue to point them to Jesus. That is our goal in this role: to continue to guide our boarding family to completely and fully rely on Christ.”