Author: JDalay-on

November 19, 2024

Teacher Fellowship: From Kristin to RGC, KUA, and the world

Written by Giancarlo Lisi from Kristin School NZ


Earlier this year, I was granted a fellowship within the GAIL school network to conduct research at Robert Gordon’s College in Scotland and Kimball Union Academy in New Hampshire. This three-week global voyage, hosted by wonderful leaders and practitioners, proved to be an invaluable experience.

My research aimed to identify key features of 21st-century post-COVID learning and their manifestation in modern classrooms. I sought to compare RGC and KUA with Kristin, focusing on their balance of rigorous academic teaching and project-based learning. The journey evolved into an exploration of how pedagogy informs and supports school identity and culture.

Despite their different traditions and histories, both RGC and KUA effectively demonstrated how school culture creates community and how modern practices manifest within curricular frameworks. I observed the critical importance of connecting personalised, research-based frameworks of wellbeing and pedagogy to a school’s identity and delivery.

This experience has profoundly impacted my professional practice. I encourage all educators to take advantage of this global network, as the perspective gained is invaluable.

I’m deeply grateful to everyone at RGC and KUA who made this fellowship so rewarding. The connections I’ve made will last a lifetime, and the insights gained have reshaped my approach to education in ways I never anticipated. 

Ngā mihi nui,

Giancarlo

November 17, 2024

From Peru to Australia – Student Exchange

One of the many initiatives GAIL offers is the opportunity for students to complete an exchange with a focus on sport, culture, or academics. Klaus de Bary is a Year 10 student from Newton College in Peru who completed a term in Scotch College Adelaide earlier this year. Here is a short video highlighting his experience.

October 27, 2024

Pathways to Flourish: India’s First International Wellbeing Conference

What truly made this conference special, however, were not just the presentations but the people. It was heartening to witness so many like-minded professionals come together, engaging deeply with the subject of wellbeing and supporting one another in our shared mission.

September 2, 2024

Peru 2024 Conference

The 2024 GAIL Conference in Peru was an incredible success! From July 14-20, 5 schools from 5 continents with 108 people in total attended the event! A massive thank you to Newton College who hosted this year’s event!

Nestled in the heart of the Amazon, at the Tambopata National Reserve, students engaged in a week of learning about Sustainability in action. Newton College partnered up with Nat Geo Educators from Whatz Your Wild, as well as a team of specialists and experts to deliver a truly meaningful experience for our students. Activities included: jungle walks, caiman and bird watching, sunrise and sunsets at the lake, and workshops through different lenses. Thanks to our experts and local guides, students learned about the fascinating world of insects, primates, microbiology, conservation, indigenous culture, art and journalism.

But that’s not all! Part of GAIL’s focus is also to ensure that our learning has a sense of purpose that extends beyond the conference. Therefore, at the end of the week, the students wrote a Sustainability pledge for our schools to agree on and implement. As our students have all agreed, “Nature has done so much for us, but what have really done for nature?”

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