Aki Kurose Middle School Academy is a vibrant and diverse community of learners dedicated to creative, academic, and physical development.  It is our goal to enrich the lives of students and staff alike by offering a variety of classes and activities that stimulate learning and develop knowledge and skills across a broad spectrum of experiences.

Aki Kurose Academy is located in Seattle’s beautiful Rainier Valley about a mile from the shores of Lake Washington and the green surroundings of Seward Park.  The area is home to Sound Transit’s new light rail system and the growing metropolitan neighborhood of Columbia City.

Aki Kurose Middle School Academy was named after Akiko Kato Kurose, a peace activist and educator who helped bring Head Start programs to Seattle schools. Aki Kurose died in 1998 after a 16-year struggle against cancer. She was 73.

When Aki was just a young girl her family was interned at the Minidoka camp in Idaho.  Throughout the rest of her life she worked to establish a dialog and an understanding about human rights issues and our role both as stewards of this planet and caretakers of our children.

Aki Kurose led a life of example, constantly modeling her beliefs through her actions and her teaching. Her life and career positively affected so many thousands of people with a message of nonviolence and progressive education. Mrs. Kurose, a Seattle native, was honored for her work as an educator by two American presidents, the United Nations, various governors and city officials. Additional honors include , the Seattle Public Schools Teacher of the Year Award, the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching, the National Science Honor Roll of Teachers, the United Nations Human Rights Award, and the Asian Pioneer Award for Peace.

The Seattle School Board recognized Aki Kurose’s amazing life’s work when, in 1999, they named our school program the Aki Kurose Middle School Academy. Other projects throughout Seattle have also been named for Aki Kurose, including an affordable housing project, a scholarship, a science fair, and a peace garden.