News
Dec 19 2022
Eyes on IDEATE
Grady Singleton
What will learning look like in the future? With significant changes occurring in education and the workplace, students need to develop the requisite skills and experiences to prepare them wherever their learning journeys lead. If you’re looking for a prime example of a future-focused program of personalized learning, you need look no further than BCIS’s IDEATE Program. Fully accredited and recognized by universities around the world, IDEATE is a personalized, inquiry-based 2-year high school diploma for senior students who want to pursue their passions, develop future-ready competencies, and apply their learning to be change-makers in their communities.
Why is IDEATE such a unique program? At the core is IDEATE Seminar where students undertake self-directed projects and gain practical work experience in their field of choice. In addition to Seminar, students select up to 3 transdisciplinary IDEATE courses, and 3 courses from the Diploma Programme (DP) to round out a learning experience that is both challenging and groundbreaking. The understanding students gain from creating and presenting their own IDEATE projects and working in their fields of choice prepares them for careers in a wide range of domains. The IDEATE project also gives students a fantastic opportunity to create a positive community or environmental impact through their work.
This past semester, the BCIS IDEATE cohort successfully launched their IDEATE projects. Students presented their current research and progress to a panel of teachers, school leaders and their peers. This panel presentation replicates project launches in universities and companies, giving students critical presentation skills and feedback from community members. Many of our students used this panel as an opportunity to connect with BCIS staff, alumni and parents who work in fields related to their projects, gaining valuable insight into how to successfully manage an empowering project.
Two of our outstanding IDEATE students, Jessica and Peter, were part of the project launches this year. Combining her love of art with her community outreach, Jessica is working on creating and curating an art exhibition that promotes health and wellbeing during the time of COVID-19. Meanwhile, Peter’s project is centered on creating sustainable energy. He will use his research on converting mechanical energy to electrical energy to create a model of a piezoelectric floor – a device that uses the energy from people stepping on the floor to create electricity. While both projects tackle different issues, they contribute valuable work towards achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
In addition to the challenges of managing their IDEATE projects, Peter and Jessica had the opportunity to apply learning from their IDEATE and DP classes during their work experience weeks. For his work experience, Peter interned at the Beijing Institute of Architectural Design (BIAD). During the internship, he gained first hand understanding of architectural design processes and hands-on experience with industry tools in working on his own design project. Peter believes the impact of connected learning from his BCIS classes prepared him for this in-depth internship, describing, “Architecture is a very interdisciplinary subject, and involves history, sociology, physics and psychology. It is a very comprehensive subject; therefore, there has to be connection from one discipline to another discipline. I really have to be a connected learner to be an architect.” The IDEATE work experience empowers students to recognize the importance of their learning impacts for their future careers.
Jessica’s work experience occurred a little closer to home. Curious to learn more about marketing and social media, Jessica spent a week interning with the BCIS marketing department. During her internship, Jessica used her strong IDEATE project management skills to propose, research and implement the successful launch of a new BCIS Instagram account. Her perspective as a student was valuable for increasing followers and creating brand messaging. She will continue this project with support from her fellow students to increase student voice on BCIS’s official media. Jessica explains how she was grateful to have such a professional work opportunity in her area of focus, communications, stating, “It was a perfect position for me, because in order to learn communication I need to know how the advertisement system works, so I can communicate with my client better.” The early opportunity for professional experience in the IDEATE program is a fantastic benefit for students when they go on to apply for universities and jobs.
It is this combination of project and experience that make the IDEATE Seminar such a uniquely profound program of study. Students who know their future interests, like Jessica and Peter, can pursue these topics through a myriad of methods, blending self-directed learning with advice and experience from industry experts. Their work will culminate in a final portfolio and panel presentation demonstrating how they managed their project and what goals were achieved. Such experience and feedback give students an excellent foundation as they continue through university and begin their careers. If you are a student looking to pursue your personal passion through a challenging and novel academic approach, BCIS IDEATE program is right for you! Sign up today and graduate with IDEATE!
