The Design and Innovation fund will help KIS to achieve their strategic mission of creating transformative leaders of tomorrow by supporting them with educational systems and approaches that are evolving with the future in mind.
Design and Innovation is related to STEAM. STEAM is an educational approach to learning integrating Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics. The approach uses these various fields of knowledge to guide students’ inquiry, dialogue and critical thinking. Students utilize the creative process to take thoughtful risks, engage in experiential learning and develop problem-solving skills relevant to a world of tomorrow. These integrated concepts are an effective way for students to remove cognitive limitations and develop innovations.
The Design and Innovation program would fall under three categories:
- Infrastructure, Spaces and Learning Resources: To develop infrastructure and learning spaces that will support the development, practice and creation of projects (for example, MakerSpace). Also to purchase necessary equipment, design tools and resources that will assist students in creating their designs.
- Personnel and Curriculum: To train teachers to support the design and innovation advancements proposed for the school structure. This fund will also help to create environments of shared pedagogical innovations and classroom discussion and to further develop a curriculum that will help students develop design thinking and innovations.
Expanding Learning Experiences: To fund learning experiences and team events that assist to challenge our students within the learning environment (for example, robotics competitions). This will also create environments for challenge and innovations that expand the horizons of our students.