Hosted by ISKL’s Director of Learning, Charlotte Diller, she commenced with her opening remarks sharing how ISKL has become renowned as a center for educational excellence in the world of international education.
She said, “we need to be forward-thinking and future-ready to share, learn, and to stimulate discussion about essential topics in education for our school and the wider community. ISKL is a firm believer in its mission and vision of being a school where education is not done to students but is done with them.”
First on the speakers’ panel was ISKL’s Head of School, Rami Madani, where he discussed the topic “What differentiates a future-ready student.” Rami presented facts and figures of ISKL at a glance, its accreditations, awards and accolades, vision and mission, and how a future-ready student looks.
He stated, ” Our role for every student is to develop passion in areas which make the world a better place and become competent in it.”
Next, Praxia Apostle, ISKL’s Director of Learning, described the high-quality academic pathways designed at ISKL to enable every learner to choose the curriculum best suited to their abilities, interests, and aspirations. “For success in life, we need to break apart some of those traditional pathways that lead us to different forms of schooling,” she said.
Praxia also described the different programs offered at ISKL, such as Praxis 30 for Grade 9, ISKL Pursuits, and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP) for Grade 11 and 12.
After Praxia, Ebony Manning, ISKL’s International Baccalaureate (IB) and Advanced Placement (AP) Coordinator, described the prestigious IB Diploma Programme (IBDP) offered at ISKL and how this prepares students for their next steps into university and beyond. She also explained her role as an IB/AP Coordinator and the AB/IP results for last year’s graduates.
Following that, Faizol Musa, the Development & Recognition Manager for Southeast Asia International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), presented global research and statistical findings on the IBDP, with informative feedback from university admissions officers. He highlighted the IB program’s mission statement, benefits for students, 21st-century skills of graduates (Asia Pacific), and the impact of one of the program’s core elements, Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS), on university performances, comparing both IBDP and A level students.
ISKL’s High School Counselor, Shaun McElroy, then provided the latest updates and global university admissions trends. In his presentation, Shaun described three trends, the “Gravity pull of the elite, ” Recalibrating admission requirements, ” and “Changing demographics. He also talked about the paradox of “Why go to university and career versus identity capital. Shaun summed up his talk with how “85% of ISKL 2020 graduates were very happy with the university they are attending.”
Lastly, alumnus Tim Munnerlyn (’90), Senior Director of Education Partnerships at leading university guidance platform, Cialfo, closed the session, discussing the importance of international exposure and community support to develop students’ agility and adaptability.
Tim recounted his personal experiences as an alumnus and how his time at ISKL was internationally challenging thanks to a large and supportive safety net of the ISKL community. He said, “ISKL helps to create world-ready global citizens who are prepared for the future connections of a lifetime with limitless possibilities.”
The forum ended with some questions and answers touching on how many IBDP students are currently in Grade 12, which languages are offered, when do students start receiving college counseling and STEM learning-related opportunities.
Thank you again to all our speakers for putting together such a valuable and exciting forum. We look forward to learning more about the next discussion on Middle School happening next semester.
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