Having a college degree from a well recognised institution is a necessity in our times and makes a difference in career opportunities individuals have.
“At Al Yasat Private School, we believe that success is embedded in being a college preparatory school. Delivering timely and relevant career exposure with a supportive curriculum prepares our students for career pathways in artificial intelligence, automation, cybertechnology, medicine, engineering, and more. We have seen the success in our programmes with 90 per cent of students gaining college admissions and 60 per cent receiving scholarships. Through mentorship and guidance our students are embarking on their college studies abroad in countries like Australia, Germany, and Canada,” says Dr Asif Padela, Executive Principal.
Developing a college and career mindset requires integrating curriculum exposure with hands-on learning experiences that broaden students’ awareness of new industries that are developing. To achieve this, our curriculum uses an incremental learning process to foster habits of mind to develop students’ skills. Dedicated MakerSpaces in all phases allow students to engage in self-guided learning activities that incorporate elements of science, technology, and engineering.
In kindergarten, students extend their learning with play-based coding activities that teach the basics of logical sequencing as applied to computer science. These activities are coupled learning activities in a dedicated role play area. Students practice their literacy, numeracy, and speaking skills in different scenarios that encourage them to understand how school is connected to their day-to-day lives. Not to mention play based-learning opportunities present in the mud kitchen. Age-relevant exposures like these help foster students’ self-confidence and make them more able to engage in innovation and creativity.
Such a student centered approach leads to academic gains as students progress in their educational journey in elementary. Lessons become more project-based with students applying Math, Science, and English skills in collaborative activities. The result is students creating model cars, roller coasters, developing web-based games, and engaging in real innovation and creativity. This lays the foundation for broadening students perspectives as they enter middle school and high school.
Middle school plays a critical role in students’ educational journey, and college and career counselling is central to helping students set their future goals. It is at this point that we begin the process of working with students to develop their academic and career goals. Based on students’ aptitudes they are tracked into a variety of college and career exposures.
“Recently, our students received the prestigious Technical Innovation Award for their EV car design that was hosted at the Electric Vehicle Innovation Summit in Abu Dhabi. Due to their achievement we have expanded our Electric Vehicle programme and are even offering a course on drone programming. The catered approach towards students’ interests empowers our students to enrol in college level courses that bolster their applications as they get ready for a journey beyond high school. Being a college preparatory school means programming student experiences to look into their futures,” says Dr Padela.
