At the British International School of Chicago, Lincoln Park Campus, we are continually looking for ways to innovate our school, our curriculum and our teaching. Our aim is to inspire, challenge and engage our students in a rich and stimulating curriculum that will equip them with the skills and attitudes for life, learning and work in the 21st Century. In order to achieve this, our campus has been recently renovated to enhance our curriculum through the innovative use of technology, equipment and project based learning.
The introduction of the recent STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) initiative allows our children from Nursery – Year 6 to approach their learning from a completely different perspective. STEAM ties all our core subjects together in an interdisciplinary way, as well as to the full spectrum of the rapidly changing business and entrepreneurial world.
Children across the age ranges have access to our newly modelled ‘Robotics Lab’, where they can explore the concept of coding, a prized 21st Century skill in our technology-fueled world. This is introduced in a fun and practical way, with children having access to a range of new equipment such as ‘Lego We Do’, ‘MIP’ and ‘Makey Makey’, all of which are the next level of innovative technology in education. Through these, children learn how to build intricate models, code different components and practice directional coding skills.
Another exciting addition to our STEAM initiative is the 3D printer. One of the key strengths of this is the ability to solve problems in the physical world, creating a shift in mindset that encourages them to design and create physical objects that will change the environment around them.
These exciting additions to our ever-evolving campus are just another example of how we challenge our students to be ambitious, in the hope of shaping our future generation into one with critical thinking skills, creativity and decision making capabilities.