beforedawngossip

[beforedawngossip]

founded in 1728 to further the education of young witches from prominent wixen families relocating to the new world, the salem witches’ institute has come far from its highly selective roots. still known to the no-maj’s of salem as miss miriam’s home for young ladies, the education provided focuses both on the magical abilities of the young girls under it’s care but also on a sense of community.

it was with the turn of the 20th century that the seismic change that shaped the salem of today began. first came the introduction of a day school, girls who were too young to yet board or to be trusted freely with a wand being able to attend classes each day, setting them up for the best possible start to their fully fledged magical education. then came the expansion of the school roll, becoming no longer invite only, instead allowing any girl who attended the salem day school to continue their education at the institute. of course the same old families of yore still got their invitations. 

and then, starting in the 1950s, the institute began to expand their day school program internationally starting first in london, then lisbon, then cairo and eastwards still to hong kong. in many places being the first (and still only) school of their kind in that location. now the institute has day schools on each continent, all teaching witches aged 5 to 13 and all extending offers to the girls that pass through their doors the opportunity to undertake their secondary education at the mother school. although the numbers that do take up the opportunity each year dwindle.

the institute was also one of the first to begin teaching the WIX certificate to its students, signing up to the international confederation of wix' scheme as early as its sophomore year, with the first witch ever graduating with such a qualification being anna aarons, of the salem girls class of '59.

with the mother school teaching girls aged 13 to 18 and still being housed in the original 1728 building in salem, massachusetts; the institute shares a healthy rivalry with nearby ilvermorny and boasts a small, but international, body of students.