International School Partnerships
International school partnerships at Tech International Charter School will bring the pillar of "I" to life. Using the "T" and humanware, students and teachers will connect with other schools throughout the world on a regular basis. Monthly projects using Youtube, blogging, multimedia platforms and creativity will link communities from a variety of places in the world to promote compassion, communication and empathy between people from different walks of life. We currently have six solid commitments from schools who each have a different flavor - one in India, one in France, two in Mexico and two in Canada.
Read below to learn more!
Quinte Mohawk ~ Tyendinaga, Canada
Principal Kathleen Manderville shakes hands with Adjowah K. Scott in January of 2012 in Canada.
Quinte Mohawk School is committed to providing a safe and caring environment for all learners - a place wherein a supportive and dedicated staff can work with the community to enable its children to learn and succeed in becoming culturally aware, confident, skilled and prepared for the future. One of the very special traditions practiced at Quinte Mohawk is the daily reciting of their Thanksgiving address - Ohenton Karihwatekwen (The Words Before All Else). It is used at the beginning of each day and at special gatherings. It is meant to clear our minds, and to give thanks to all creation. Below are the words to the address. Click here to see a video showing mural paintings of the Ohenton Karihwatekwen, with Mohawk and English audio.
Sewatahonhsiyohst ken'nikarihwesha sewakwekon
Listen very carefully everyone for a short time.
Ne kati; tenshitewanonhweraton' ne Shonkwaya'tison
So then we will offer our greetings to the Creator.
Tayethinonhweratonhseke ne Onkwe'shoná. Etho Kati nenyohtonhake ne onkwa'nikonra.
We continue to offer our greetings to all of the people. There, then that is the way it will be in our minds.
Tayethinonhweratonhseke ne Yethi'nihstenha tsi yonhwentsyate. Etho kati nenyohtonhake ne onkwa'nikonra.
We continue to offer our greetings to the Earth, Our Mother. There, then that is the way it will be in our minds.
Tayethinonhweratonhseke ne Kahnekahronnyon. Etho kati nenyohtonhake ne onkwa'nikonra.
We continue to offer our greetings to the waters of all the rivers, lakes and streams. There, then that is the way it will be in our minds.
Tayethinonhweratonhseke ne Kentsyon'shoná. Etho kati nenyohtonhake ne onkwa'nikonra.
We continue to offer our greetings to all of the fish life. There, then that is the way it will be in our minds.
Tayethinonhweratonhseke ne Yathontonni. Etho kati nenyohtonhake ne onkwa'nikonra.
We continue to offer our greetings to all the medicine. There, then that is the way it will be in our minds.
Tayethinonhweratonhseke ne Otsi'nonwa'shoná. Etho kati nenyohtonhake ne onkwa'nikonra.
We continue to offer our greetings to all the insect life. There, then that is the way it will be in our minds.
Tayethinonhweratonhseke ne Tyonnhehkwen. Etho kati nenyohtonhake ne onkwa'nikonra.
We continue to offer our greetings to all the different natural foods. There, then that is the way it will be in our minds.
Tayethinonhweratonhseke ne Wahyaniyontha. Etho kati nenyohtonhake ne onkwa'nikonra.
We continue to offer our greetings to all the fruit. There, then that is the way it will be in our minds.
Tayethinonhweratonhseke ne Kontiriyo. Etho kati nenyohtonhake ne onkwa'nikonra.
We continue to offer our greetings to all the animals. There, then that is the way it will be in our minds.
Tayethinonhweratonhseke ne Tsi'ten'okoná. Etho kati nenyohtonhake ne onkwa'nikonra.
We continue to offer our greetings to all the birds. There, then that is the way it will be in our minds.
Tayethinonhweratonhseke ne Karonta'okoná. Etho kati nenyohtonhake ne onkwa'nikonra.
We continue to offer our greetings to all the trees. There, then that is the way it will be in our minds.
Tayethinonhweratonhseke ne Tyowerawenrye. Etho kati nenyohtonhake ne onkwa'nikonra.
We continue to offer our greetings to all the winds. There, then that is the way it will be in our minds.
Tayethinonhweratonhseke ne Yethisotha Ahsonthenhnehkha wehohe'tarayatyes. Etho kati nenyohtonhake ne onkwa'nikonra.
We continue to offer our greetings to our Grandmother Moon. There, then that is the way it will be in our minds.
Tayethinonhweratonhseke ne Etshitewahtsi'a entyehkene karahkwa. Etho kati nenyohtonhake ne onkwa'nikonra.
We continue to offer our greetings to our Elder Brother, the Sun. There, then that is the way it will be in our minds.
Tayethinonhweratonhseke ne Yotsihstohkwahronnyon. Etho kati nenyohtonhake ne onkwa'nikonra.
We continue to offer our greetings to all of the Stars. There, then that is the way it will be in our minds.
Tayethinonhweratonhseke ne Shonkwaya'tison. Etho kati nenyohtonhake ne onkwa'nikonra.
We continue to offer our greetings to the Creator. There, then that is the way it will be in our minds.
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The history of Quinte Mohawk School begins with five other schools. The four schools pictured below were revolutionary - they were some of the first Aboriginal day schools on Native territories. In the time these schools were created, it was much more common for Aboriginal children to attend residential schools off-reserve - away from their families and communities, separated from their culture. These four schools - Central School, Eastern School, Western ("Swamp") School and Mission School - allowed autonomous control over education in the Tyendinaga community.
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These four schools were one-room schoolhouses with one teacher teaching a class ranging from grade 1 to grade 8. View the interviews with Ken Claus about the history of the four schools on the Four Schools Page. Eventually, a new school to teach grades 7 & 8 was built where the current Administration Building for the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte is today. Simply referred to by many as "The New School", this school lasted until the present-day Quinte Mohawk was built in 1967.
To learn more about this amazing school click on the link below to visit their website quintemohawkschool.org
Loughborough Public School ~ Sydenham, Canada
Mark McCrady and Alan Macdonald, Teachers of the Challenge North Program, along with Principal Helen Peterson confirm the international partnership with Adjowah K. Scott at their school in January 2012.
The Loughborough Public School is nestled in the beautiful village of Sydenham, about twenty minutes north of the city of Kingston. They are a JK to Grade 8 school that is home to the Challenge North program, one of the Choices At Seven programs offered by the Limestone District School Board. The dedicated staff at Loughborough work as a team to create a dynamic and positive environment that promotes the academic, physical and personal growth of all students. Our community is incredibly supportive and plays an important role in making Loughborough the wonderful place it is. Tech International Charter School will be partnering with the Challenge Program. Their school initiative is designed to meet the needs of formally identified gifted and academically advanced students who are seeking new learning challenges. Taught by teachers who are specialists in their fields, the Challenge Program provides enriched curricular studies with an emphasis on a healthy, balanced lifestyle. Activities in the program are designed to engage students and allow them to apply their knowledge in real-life situations. The program focuses on preparing students for the challenges they will face in secondary school and beyond. Students who achieve success in the Challenge Program are those who work at an accelerated pace, manage their time well and are motivated to work cooperatively with others in a positive learning environment.
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Here is the Loughborough school - home of the All-Star Lions girls basketball team.
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International Institute Octavio Paz ~ Ajijic, Mexico
Lily Ehlebracht, Founder and Jose Luis de la Ossa, Director
The International Institute Octavio Paz is where scholarship, global responsibility, and self-expression are the three values forming tomorrow's world leaders. Through their course offerings and partnerships, students have the opportunity to receive junior high and senior high diplomas, as well as a variety of certificates in dance, music, creative writing, theater, sports, community development, second languages, and visual arts. Students participate in a variety of national and international travel experiences in both their curricular and extracurricular activities, and individualized attention ensures that their students are prepared for post-secondary goals. A couple of students from the school were so excited about the partnership with TI that they decided to get a headstart on the projects for next year. Although these students will be graduating at the end of this school year, they wanted to share their uniques experiences with our incoming students.
Octavio Paz (1914-1998) was a Mexican writer, poet, and diplomat, who exemplified the three pillars of the International Institute. Paz was an extraordinary scholar, having both received the Guggenheim Fellowship to study at the University of California-Berkeley and taught poetry at Harvard University for four years (he also received honorary doctorates from Harvard University and the National Autonomous University of Mexico). Having won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1990, Paz was an internationally renowned artist who used his extraordinary talent for expression in not only the surrealist and existentialist movements, but also to write on topics such as Mexican politics, economics, culture, international human rights, and communism. Paz’s extensive political career included over 20 years in Mexican diplomatic service and a term as Mexico’s ambassador to India, showing a deep sense of global responsibility.
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The image of the three pillars, each with one of the school's values ("scholarship", "global responsibility", "self-expression"), together holding aloft a pediment, represents the school's three foundational values and the construction of an educational edifice that will withstand the tests of time. |
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Their school logo includes a globe, a book, and musical notes, representing the interrelatedness of the three pillars: scholarship, global responsibility, and self-expression. The globe symbolizes a global responsibility to the world and a global awareness, which they seek to foster in the students. The transparent, open book signifies scholarship and the way in which the students' experience of the world is informed by their learning. The surrounding ring of musical notes characterizes the way in which self-expression encompasses the one’s experience of the world. |
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In this picture each student holds the flag of their origin. The countries represented by the student body include Germany, France, the United States, Mexico, Canada, India, Britain and the European Union. |
American School Foundaton of Monterrey ~ Monterrey, Mexico
Superintendent Jeff Keller and Instructional leader Jennifer Sikes
The American School Foundation of Monterrey is a private, non-profit, independent, international day school founded in 1928, providing a U.S.-type education to international and Mexican students. While the school offers a curriculum similar to U.S. schools in many respects and is fully accredited in the U.S., it is incorporated and licensed in Mexico and students must also meet all requirements for the Mexican diploma unless they are of high school age and specifically registered only in the U.S. high school diploma program.
Their school is governed by members of the Board of Founders who meet twice a year. The Founders elect a Board of Directors, which sets general policies for the operation of the school. Their school administration is in charge of the day-to-day operation.
Their Curriculum is designed to be college-preparatory and students of average ability may encounter some difficulties, especially in grades 7-12. The course offerings in those grades include requirements for the Mexican diploma and are heavily weighted in Mathematics and Science. A limited program for students with mild learning disabilities has been established.
Prospective students are required to take an admissions examination. Results of the examination and previous academic records are reviewed by the admissions committee. Most U.S. and other international students are given priority for admission testing and will be accepted upon satisfactory passage of the admission examination and compliance with normal registration procedures along with payment of fees.
While English is the official language of the school and encouraged at all times, the use of Spanish among students is common in the hallways and playing fields. Non-Spanish speaking students are required to take a Spanish as a Second Language class.
Student enrollment is approximately 2400 from Nursery through Grade 12. Normal class sizes are 20-25 students to one teacher. The student body at ASFM is 87% Mexican, 11% U.S., and 2% other. Their faculty is comprised of 215 teachers and 29 teaching assistants. Their faculty is approximately 53% Mexican, 20% U.S. and 27% Canadian.
The American School operates two campuses: the original campus which serves approximately 1,300 students from Nursery through Grade Five and a new Middle School/High School (grades 6-12) campus for approximately 1100 students.
Their school is governed by members of the Board of Founders who meet twice a year. The Founders elect a Board of Directors, which sets general policies for the operation of the school. Their school administration is in charge of the day-to-day operation.
Their Curriculum is designed to be college-preparatory and students of average ability may encounter some difficulties, especially in grades 7-12. The course offerings in those grades include requirements for the Mexican diploma and are heavily weighted in Mathematics and Science. A limited program for students with mild learning disabilities has been established.
Prospective students are required to take an admissions examination. Results of the examination and previous academic records are reviewed by the admissions committee. Most U.S. and other international students are given priority for admission testing and will be accepted upon satisfactory passage of the admission examination and compliance with normal registration procedures along with payment of fees.
While English is the official language of the school and encouraged at all times, the use of Spanish among students is common in the hallways and playing fields. Non-Spanish speaking students are required to take a Spanish as a Second Language class.
Student enrollment is approximately 2400 from Nursery through Grade 12. Normal class sizes are 20-25 students to one teacher. The student body at ASFM is 87% Mexican, 11% U.S., and 2% other. Their faculty is comprised of 215 teachers and 29 teaching assistants. Their faculty is approximately 53% Mexican, 20% U.S. and 27% Canadian.
The American School operates two campuses: the original campus which serves approximately 1,300 students from Nursery through Grade Five and a new Middle School/High School (grades 6-12) campus for approximately 1100 students.
The Riverside School ~ Ahmedabad, India
Kirin Bir Sethi, Founder
Kiran Bir Sethi is the Founder/Director of the Riverside School in Ahmedabad. She has a design background, having got her diploma in visual communication from NID. She is also the founder of ‘aProCh’ - an initiative attempting to make our cities more child friendly, for which she was awarded the Ashoka Fellow in 2008. In 2009, she was also presented with the ‘Call to Conscience’ award from the King Centre at Stanford, for the citizenship/liberation curriculum that RiversideSchool implements.
Her initiative – Design for Change School Contest 2010 – has won the prestigious “INDEX – Design to Improve Life” Award, in Copenhagen, Denmark in September, 2011, and she is currently promoting the world’s largest “Design for Change” School Challenge, which has participation from over 25 million children from 33 countries across the Globe. Design for Change has also recently won the prestigious Rockefeller Foundation Youth Innovation Award 2012.
Her initiative – Design for Change School Contest 2010 – has won the prestigious “INDEX – Design to Improve Life” Award, in Copenhagen, Denmark in September, 2011, and she is currently promoting the world’s largest “Design for Change” School Challenge, which has participation from over 25 million children from 33 countries across the Globe. Design for Change has also recently won the prestigious Rockefeller Foundation Youth Innovation Award 2012.
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The Riverside School's founder, Kirin Bir Sethi, discusses kids taking charge in her amazing and inspiring TED TALK
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Riverside is the amalgamation of an approach to learning that is embedded in common sense and a vibrant research centre for school education. At Riverside, insights from cutting-edge research are turned into working models of pedagogical practices with a single-minded focus - student well being. Over the last 11 years, Riverside has developed, implemented and shared a unique curriculum that is proving to be the benchmark for providing a no-compromise school education of the highest quality. By developing and sharing such a research-based, practical curriculum, Riverside is providing schools with an alternative model which focuses on excellence and still works in different economic and cultural contexts which make it possible for children all around the country to have access to a true education.
Ecole Active Bilingue Jeannine Manuel ~ Paris, France
Barbara Ginsbach, Head of the Middle School, with Adjowah K. Scott in March of 2012
EABJM’s mission is to develop international understanding through education. Students and teachers from more than sixty-five countries, representing every major religious and cultural tradition, learn to communicate with each other and live together in harmony. One third of our students are French, one third are bi-nationals, and one third come to the school without a French language background.
Each year, more than a hundred students come from all over the world. The Parents Association takes an active role in welcoming the families. Non-French-speaking students enroll in “adaptation” classes, where they follow a French immersion curriculum corresponding to their achievement levels, as well as an individualized English curriculum. They are closely followed by a senior advisor and, the following year join the bilingual mainstream where they continue to be supported through a “special French” program.
At EABJM, bilingualism means early exposure to both languages, but also a cultural immersion that is inherently present in the school’s curriculum as well as among the international students and their families. Each student learns spontaneously to enjoy communicating and working both in English and in French. Using educational tools ranging from the Knock-Knock™ multimedia language program to British and American teaching aids, the curriculum is tailored to each age group and achievement level. From the nursery years to the beginning of high school, the sciences, history, and geography are taught in English (while adhering to the French national curriculum). In high school, students choose languages according to their educational goals (French Baccalaureate, French Baccalaureate with “Option Internationale”, or International Baccalaureate).
Each year, more than a hundred students come from all over the world. The Parents Association takes an active role in welcoming the families. Non-French-speaking students enroll in “adaptation” classes, where they follow a French immersion curriculum corresponding to their achievement levels, as well as an individualized English curriculum. They are closely followed by a senior advisor and, the following year join the bilingual mainstream where they continue to be supported through a “special French” program.
At EABJM, bilingualism means early exposure to both languages, but also a cultural immersion that is inherently present in the school’s curriculum as well as among the international students and their families. Each student learns spontaneously to enjoy communicating and working both in English and in French. Using educational tools ranging from the Knock-Knock™ multimedia language program to British and American teaching aids, the curriculum is tailored to each age group and achievement level. From the nursery years to the beginning of high school, the sciences, history, and geography are taught in English (while adhering to the French national curriculum). In high school, students choose languages according to their educational goals (French Baccalaureate, French Baccalaureate with “Option Internationale”, or International Baccalaureate).
To learn is, above all, to discover. This principle applies to fundamental skills as well as to scientific and mathematical concepts, and to the great themes of the humanities. The goals of an “active” education are to engage students in formulating their own learning experience, to develop curiosity, and to stimulate creativity. This entails starting from what one knows, and then to experiment, exchange, observe, describe, listen, analyze, debate, work with teammates, write, create, present, and convince. It also involves proposing interdisciplinary projects that are coordinated by teachers who contribute diverse perspectives and enrich the learning experience.
But learning is also reaching outside the academic experience. This is why, each year, EABJM offers a broad range of school trips and extra-curricular activities managed by teachers or professionals selected by the school. These activities are designed to encourage students to explore and discover their own talents and to broaden their horizons. They also often involve opportunities for a cultural immersion that will nourish and reinforce their language skills (theater, musical comedies, yearbook, varsity sports, debating club, Model UN…).The key elements of an EABJM education are coherence and innovation. Each month, multi-national teams of teachers, led by coordinators, hold department meetings and develop interdisciplinary projects. These meetings provide the ideal forum to stimulate new ideas that lead to creative and pioneering teaching while preserving the overall coherence of the curriculum.
From pre-K through high school, students are followed by educators who, while keeping regular contact with the student’s parents, monitor their academic progress and social development. In high school, a college counselor advises students wishing to attend college or university in America, Canada, or the United Kingdom. The college counselor is in touch with the admissions officers from a broad range of educational institutions and provides much-needed assistance to students and their families with respect to options, tests, community service requirements, and college applications. For French studies, a counselor meets individually with students to help them determine which course of studies they intend to pursue.
But learning is also reaching outside the academic experience. This is why, each year, EABJM offers a broad range of school trips and extra-curricular activities managed by teachers or professionals selected by the school. These activities are designed to encourage students to explore and discover their own talents and to broaden their horizons. They also often involve opportunities for a cultural immersion that will nourish and reinforce their language skills (theater, musical comedies, yearbook, varsity sports, debating club, Model UN…).The key elements of an EABJM education are coherence and innovation. Each month, multi-national teams of teachers, led by coordinators, hold department meetings and develop interdisciplinary projects. These meetings provide the ideal forum to stimulate new ideas that lead to creative and pioneering teaching while preserving the overall coherence of the curriculum.
From pre-K through high school, students are followed by educators who, while keeping regular contact with the student’s parents, monitor their academic progress and social development. In high school, a college counselor advises students wishing to attend college or university in America, Canada, or the United Kingdom. The college counselor is in touch with the admissions officers from a broad range of educational institutions and provides much-needed assistance to students and their families with respect to options, tests, community service requirements, and college applications. For French studies, a counselor meets individually with students to help them determine which course of studies they intend to pursue.
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