The first time I found out about YYAS (Yale Young African Scholars) was last year. I did my research on the program and decided it was something I’d be interested in. However, back then, I found out about it one week before the application due date. Nonetheless, I applied. 

Of course, with my application being prepared in a week, I was simply trying my luck. I did not get in. I didn’t let that put me down. If there’s something Nova Pioneer has taught me, it’s that failure is a stepping stone to success. I learnt from my last-minute attempt and as soon as the applications were opened this year, I began mine.

 

Applying for YYAS

 

The application was long and detailed. It is designed in such a way that I had to dedicate a lot of time and thought to it. I eventually completed it and submitted well before the deadline. I was, to say the very least, ecstatic, when I found out I had gotten in.

 

Day in the life of a YYAS Scholar

 

The program was initially supposed to take place over a week in a school within the country. When I received my acceptance email, I was saddened to find out that this would not be the case this year but that was understandable due to the COVID_19 pandemic. Instead, we would be having a three-day online program. But, hey, half a loaf is better than none.

The program took place over zoom. We were placed in groups and each group had slightly different schedules. We had our sessions between 3 pm and 6 pm EAT. It consisted of interesting seminars, for example, we learnt about language and its effect on behaviour and were able to discuss the subject.

The program was incredibly inspiring. I remember a session where an entrepreneur from Ghana shared his story with us and we got to interact with him and ask him questions. I learnt a lot from that session about the power of persistence and determination.

 

Opportunities at YYAS

 

Opportunities such as a Q&A with university admission officers and university students were availed and were incredibly helpful. I got to find out more about universities I was interested in, learn about other options and generally get more information about university life.

I also got to interact with brilliant minds from different countries. During the program, we had opportunities to share ideas and experiences and I really enjoyed having my sessions in such a diverse environment.

I made some friends I continue to keep in touch with even after the program and made some networks which I believe may be valuable in life. 

All in all, the program was absolutely fantastic. It was much more than one would expect from a three-day online program. It was an invaluable experience and I’m more than glad I could attend.

Earlier this year, the opportunity to apply for the Watson Institute Accelerator Program was posted in the Post School Success(PSS) Google Classroom by Misco (Post School Success Manager). At the same time being in the Ashoka network, it was shared in a WhatsApp group that we have.

The Watson Semester Accelerator is a program for college students, recent graduates, and gap-year students with an early-stage social venture/project and a passion for social impact.

 

Bringing SMILES to the world

 

I have a strong passion for social entrepreneurship and I saw this as the best space to take my venture, Smiles, to the next level. It seemed like the perfect thing to do after high school as I waited to join university and so I was so excited and dove right into drafting my essays. Little did I know that COVID-19 had other plans.

My social venture, smiles focuses on reusing and recycling clothes. Through identifying this need, I began collecting old uniforms and clothes from peers and converting them into other garments or simply donating them to the needy. Last year, I collected a total of 600 kilograms of clothes and shoes from peers.

 

Applying for the Watson Accelerator Program

 

I shared my essays with some of my closest friends for feedback and later gave them to Misco from PSS and Bryan from Ashoka for further review. It was very constructive feedback however I realized that I was not ready to apply so in April I decided to shelf my application. Also given that we had a pandemic it discouraged me to continue.

I, therefore, took the pandemic as an opportunity to build Smiles and as I continued, the more I fell in love with the idea of learning skills to take really take it to the next level. Literally, on the date of the deadline, I polished up the drafts I had with the feedback I had received. The only reason I sent in my application was so that I would not regret and have the constant thought of ‘what if’.

 

Receiving the good news

 

On the same day I sent in my application, I received my acceptance email. I could not believe my eyes because it was literally five hours since I had pressed submit on that application! After telling my family they were so excited but my mind still could not comprehend it, to add on that I received a very generous scholarship and I felt as though things were moving so fast. Less than a week later, it finally dawned on me when we had our first orientation session.

 

Building Connections

 

It is a fully virtual program but that still has not stopped us from building really strong connections with fellow scholars from around the world. We have sessions every day that run from 8 am – 10 am MT which is 5 pm to 7 pm for me.

In addition to this, we have asynchronous content that is sent before the lesson which really cultivated self-discipline because you are the one in charge of your learning. Every Friday we have Master courses where someone experienced in the field of social entrepreneurship shares words of wisdom on how their journey has been. My favourite thing is that we have all been assigned two mentors who advise you and walk with you on your journey which is so amazing because no man is an island.

There is so much I have learnt but the most outstanding is that how much I grow and learn from life is fully dependent on the effort that I put in it. Nothing comes easy, you really have to get your hands and get dirty. It has been particularly interesting feeding off the wisdom of my fellow scholars because I am the youngest one.

I hope to come out of this having formed a strong network of people who I can learn from and even learn from each other. In addition to this, I desire to have the skills to start other social impact projects as I move through life and lead a life of impact.

Written by Jeanne Sere (Form Four student at Nova Pioneer Girls’ High School, Tatu City)

 

When they set out to participate in the eKitabu Digital Essay Competition in late July, Esther Kamau and Michelle Mwikali would not have expected how things would turn out.

Along with seven of their Grade 5 classmates, they submitted their entries fully aware that they were competing against much older students from across the country in this renowned contest which attracted over 1, 800 entries.

Being the pioneering Grade 5 class at Nova Pioneer Tatu Primary this was the school’s first-ever appearance into the competition in the primary category which is open to students from standard 5 to 8 nationally. 

Preparing for the competition

 

The 2020 Digital Essay Competition question was: How is technology helping you, your family, and your community during the coronavirus pandemic? Or Ni vipi teknolojia inakusaidia wewe, familia yako na jamii yako wakati huu wa janga la ugonjwa wa korona?

Under the guidance of their teachers, Ms. Lilian Wainaina, Ms. Jane Mutuku, Ms. Mercy Indasi and Librarian Angela, the students worked long hours stretching into the weekends and late evenings, researching the question, brainstorming, drafting and redrafting their essays.

Given the school closures owing to the Covid 19 pandemic, all this had to be done virtually with both the students and their teachers working remotely. 

 

Determined to Win

 

Driven by Nova Pioneer’s motto “Schools for Leaders and Innovators”,  the students were clear in their minds that although they were the youngest contestants, nothing would shake their belief and determination to put in a good showing in the competition. In the true spirit of one of our culture principles of High expectations, all the students put their best foot forward in the competition.

But no one would have anticipated just how well these students would perform … 

 

High Expectations

 

On Wednesday, 23rd September,  the school received communication that the students had outdone themselves! Esther Kamau was ranked position two nationally while Michelle Mwikali was ranked 7th, both in the Kiswahili (Primary) category. This is especially astonishing as they were competing in the same category as students in standard 6, 7 and 8! You can read the essays by Esther and Michelle.

For her achievement, Esther will receive a computing device, scholarship funds and a certificate. Meanwhile, Michelle will receive a certificate and a gift hamper. The awards ceremony was held virtually through the eKitabu Facebook page on Thursday 24th September.

We would like to give special commendations to the rest of our pioneering contestants for their high-quality essay submissions. Well done to Leo Volemi, Promise Mwangi, Hakeem Killingo, Amina Mohamed, Clarence Jude, Ryan Muthiga and Ryan Ndii.

 

More about the eKitabu Digital Essay Competition

 

Established in 2013, Digital Essay Competition has advanced education through the use of technology with teachers and students in all public and private schools across Kenya. Every year students respond with essays to a new question. Essays are marked by a panel of teachers, with prizes awarded for winning entries including computing devices, scholarship funds and national recognition with the Ministry of Education. Now in its 8th year, the Competition has grown with over 43,936 students, 1000 teachers, and 900 schools participating since 2013. 

Source: https://www.ekitabu.com/2020/06/09/ekitabu-tunaenda-digital-newsletter-june-2020/ 

 

They say, life is not about waiting for the storm to pass but it’s about learning to dance in the rain. Indeed the Covid-19 pandemic has made us Novaneers do exactly that… DANCE! On 18 September 2020, Nova Pioneer Kenya held its Term Two virtual One Team Day where close to 300 teammates participated in an engaging Movie Themed hour and a half session full of fun, games and laughs.

One Team Day is one of our culture touch points that brings together all teammates across our 6 campuses in Kenya to celebrate the end of term. It is a day filled with gratitude and reflection of the Term gone by and we dedicate time to celebrate our teammates’ contributions big and  small.

We always celebrate our Culture Heros – teammates who live out our culture and this term our Heros for Joy of Learning and Always Growing were crowned. 

At Nova Pioneer we believe in placing our people first and now even more as we continue to settle into remote working. Our teammates’ wellbeing matters to us and we continue to make deliberate efforts to stay connected while having fun!

Read on to hear what some of our Novaneers had to say about One Team Day:

‘Talk of preparation, teams ‘arriving’ in style, full of enthusiasm and ready to win! Saying it was fun would be a huge understatement. From the cool MCs, to hilarious polls on Zoom to making a trailer of how our quarantine was like…And guess what? This all happened online! Who could have thought one can have so much fun virtually? Indeed, necessity is the mother of invention!’ Salome Akali, Pre Primary Teacher, Tatu Primary

‘This was my very first time attending the One Team Day (OTD) event at Nova Pioneer. All I knew  was that I was to wear a hat and sunglasses for the event as instructed through email. I was anxious and  looking forward  to experiencing this event being barely two days old in the organisation!

I was impressed at how different groups showed up rocking their movie themes and the high levels of interaction filled with appreciation, fun,  laughter and excitement. We played so many different games online and it was just an amazing experience.Indeed work without play makes jack a dull boy.’ 

 

Adapting To Change

 

Covid-19 outbreak and the sudden closure of schools meant we could not do most things we have always done while at school. This includes interactive learning activities such as online symposium, contests and seminars that bring together students and teachers from different schools to learn together and engage in positive competitive activities. 

 

United by a common purpose

 

As a group of passionate educators, united by our love for Geography,  we saw a need to create a platform for both students and educators to share ideas. Being an interactive subject there is a need for a space to converse and perhaps even shift students’ perception and mindset on the subject. 

The Nova Pioneer Geography Department which comprises Geography teachers across all our High Schools from Nova Pioneer Tatu Girls, Tatu Boys, Eldoret Girls and Eldoret Boys, decided to bring together teachers and students using online platforms. “Power is gained by sharing knowledge, not hoarding it”.~ Anonymous. It is our hope that this will be a platform where knowledge is shared with stakeholders.

 

Empowering Our Teachers  & Students

 

To start us off we began with an online forum for teachers where we launched Geography Teachers Open Mic Forums on 31st July 2020, with an objective of sharing ideas on how to enhance teaching and learning of geography. During these sessions, we have two to three facilitators who take the teachers through various topics. As it is also important for teachers to feel empowered in their craft.

Having successfully hosted the teacher forums, we saw the need to launch an online symposium and mini-contest that will bring together students from different schools. The objective is to have our students learn from each other, with guidance from teachers. We will be hosting our first Nova Pioneer Geography Online Symposium and Mini-Contest on 25th of September 2020. This will be a first of many as we aim to have these sessions at least once a month.

The main activities during this first symposium include:

• Quiz for all student participants 
• Group discussions on set questions and guided by teachers.
• Talk from Ms. Scholastica Muchagi, The Head of Geography Subject at Baricho High School, Kirinyaga County.

 

Registration and participation in the virtual symposium is open to all geography teachers and high school students from any school.

 

Our Goal 

 

Through this platform, we aim to have the students acquire a deeper understanding of the subject and develop their content mastery. The learners will gain effective answering skills that will help them score highly in an exam set up. The event will expose the students to creative ways of learning and thus foster a positive attitude towards the subject and infuse the joy in learning. 

For teachers, the Symposium will create a platform where they can build a strong network that will provide great inspiration, encouragement and professional growth.

There will also be awarding certificates in soft copy in the following categories: Top four students per Form in the quiz, Top two students overall in the quiz,  Most active and impactful students in each group discussion, and Teachers will get a certificate for participation and leading discussion.

We take this opportunity to invite all students and teachers to join us in our online symposium and Mini-Contest.

You can register to join the symposium by clicking on this link here

Our six culture principles have been at the forefront of building this great community through a strong and positive culture since inception. Our culture principles which include Joy of Learning, Greater Together, Servant Leadership, Always Growing, Solutions First and High Expectations are our guiding values when it comes to character development in our students. The culture principles also play a role in unifying the community across all our schools including Nova Pioneer Eldoret which is also our newest campus in Kenya!

 

Importance of community contemplation

 

Developing a sense of community has been paramount in creating opportunities for us to connect with our growing school community. At the end of every term, we all take time to reflect. Community contemplation is our end of term reflection where we all take a step back to interact and outline the roles the culture principles and the impact it has had on our lives. 

The Nova Pioneer Eldoret community that comprises parents, students and the school team took their time to reflect on one of our greatest culture principles and what it truly means to live it out in their daily lives. What a better way to do this than connecting to learn and grow from each other, both young and old!

Through community contemplation we’ve received the support of our parents, interacted more with our students and shared experiences together. Having this open bond is what has helped us to build a valuable relationship with our parents and thus given us a deeper sense of belonging. Through this, we’ve created a safe space to share knowledge from each other and this has influenced how we coexist together at Nova Pioneer Eldoret.

 

Solutions First within the community

 

Wendell Pierce stated that, “The role of culture is that it’s the form through which we as a society reflect on who we are, where we’ve been and where we hope to be.” The exciting interaction that virtually connected our parents, students and school team was such an enlightening experience that allowed us to contemplate on our culture principle of Solutions First.

Solutions First which is a personal favourite encourages us to be solutions seekers when we encounter problems. This principle challenges everyone to think critically and creatively on how to solve a problem. It encourages no to allow ourselves to be part of the problem but rather the solution. Through this, we are motivated to not concentrate on the problems around us but rather inspired to look for other alternatives.

It was lovely hearing our parent’s contribution to this discussion. They pointed out the need to shift to a positive mindset in order to see the opportunities around us. At a time where there’s so much uncertainty and the need to quickly shift mindsets, this was an exciting moment to hear of some of the ways in which they have quickly had to adjust in order to survive.

Samuel Birech, the Nova Pioneer Eldoret Boys Secondary school president spiked the need to work as a team since a problem shared is often a problem half-solved and eventually has homegrown solutions to problems.

As Martha Tubei our Nova Pioneer Eldoret Girls Secondary school leader often says, “without a culture, a society is lost.” This was truly an educative session. 

 

Join us

 

Interested in joining the Nova Pioneer Eldoret community? Feel free to contact Sheilla via admissions.ke@novapioneer.com or 0703421670. We look forward to you, yes, you being in touch.  🙂

Nova Pioneer exists to thoroughly reimagine school and deliver a world-class learning experience to tens of thousands of students across the continent. Our learning experience is based on three core beliefs that guide our learning experience.

 

Traditional learning methods don’t inspire

Too often, in too many places around the globe, school isn’t exciting for children. There are few greater tragedies when institutions that should be igniting our dreams and turning us into lifelong learners instead leave students feeling bored, disempowered, inadequate, and underprepared. So the question is, how can schools deliver great teaching and how can we inspire students to enjoy their learning experience?

Below are Nova Pioneer’s core beliefs for great teaching and learning:

 

Replacing rote learning with enquiry-based learning

Instead of just memorizing and regurgitating lots of content, we believe that students should learn by asking questions, creating things, experiencing the joy of discovery, practicing with peers, and getting tons of feedback. We are not building schools full of classrooms where teachers lecture and students furiously take notes. We put students at the center of their own curiosity-fueled learning.

 

Developing the whole child

Too many schools see their job as developing “smart kids” and focus narrowly on building a student’s knowledge base and academic skills. While that is critically important, we hold ourselves accountable to a more holistic “Vision of a Novaneer”: we want to deeply develop our students’ character, capabilities and connection. Learn more about our “Vision of a Novaneer” 

 

We have used coaching groups, leadership class, innovation block, and other experiences to provide students the time and space to explore issues, passions and struggles outside the traditional classroom experience. 

 

Readiness for life beyond exams

Traditionally schools see their job as—and measures their success based on—students’ exam performance. We define our success based on a larger set of longer-term goals; we expect our students to excel in exams and attend great universities, build innovations and art, launch new companies, and impact their communities.

Ultimately, we want our students to become shapers of a world they envision rather than takers of the world they inherit. To this end, we will engage with our students long after graduation, learning from the struggles that our early alumni encounter and using those lessons to help better prepare our current students.

 

Closely tied to these core beliefs are strong convictions we hold about both students and teachers. Our impact begins with these mindsets. It is critical that you embrace these visions of students and teachers, regardless of your role at Nova Pioneer.

 

Students

We believe our students have boundless potential and are capable of much more at a much earlier age than most people think. We therefore hold them to the highest expectations. We encourage them to take risks. We challenge them to reimagine school and be part of their learning experience. We give them constant feedback. Yet when things go wrong  we don’t blame them: if students are not learning enough, we take responsibility and work to find solutions to better support them. We see young people as fundamentally capable—capable of impacting communities, of impacting others, and of producing excellent work. 

 

Teachers

Our teachers are not there to lecture and to dump knowledge on students. We ask our teachers to release control so students are doing the lion’s share of the thinking and talking, putting them in the driver’s seat of their own learning. When you walk into a great Nova Pioneer classroom, you will see order, but you won’t see the teacher dominating.

Students will be passionately discussing a topic, collaborating on small group work, and actively and eagerly participating. The teacher will be inspiring curiosity, asking probing questions, and challenging students’ thinking—all the while coaching and giving feedback. And you will see a classroom culture that reinforces great learning: the powerful mix of joy, highest expectations, and safety that encourages students to take risks and push themselves.

 

Novaneers develop the deep, unshakable knowledge that they are fundamentally capable of learning and growing in anything they dedicate themselves to. This knowledge is a greater resource than any exam result and prepares our graduates to be optimistic, self-assured innovators and leaders throughout their lives.

A distinguishing feature of Nova Pioneer can be seen in how we make the learning student-centred, to encourage student voice and critical thinking, and to encourage collaboration amongst students. This is evident in our enquiry-based method of teaching, as well as in the physical spaces in which this learning occurs.  

The school’s academic team works very closely with the Nova Pioneer Property Company in defining how the schools look and feel. The continuous collaboration between the two ensures that the buildings helps facilitate the learning process for every Novaneer.

 

Space for Free Play 

We are intentional about creating the kind of space that encourages collaboration between students and allows for rich exploration through free play. 

Free play is unstructured, voluntary, child-initiated activity that allows children to develop their imaginations while exploring and experiencing the world around them. 

It is the spontaneous play that comes from children’s natural curiosity, love of discovery, and enthusiasm.

 

Light and Space

We believe in transparency in everything that we do. This is represented in the design of our buildings through the use of a lot of glass to further reinforce this. We utilise natural lighting techniques in our design of the classrooms. This not only saves on energy but it also creates a productive and joyful atmosphere for our students.

 

Learning on the playground

The facilities and playground are also considered as part of the school’s learning experience.

Sensory playgrounds integrate fun and engaging playground equipment that all children can enjoy, and provides an interactive environment that facilitates a physical, social and sensory experience that everyone can share together.

A sensory playground is one that contains playground equipment/elements that stimulate one of the seven senses – touch, movement, smell, taste, sight, hearing and balance.

As a parent you may be wondering what it is that differentiates us from other schools? Perhaps you’re wondering what the inside of a Nova Pioneer classroom really looks like?

Learning looks and feels a little bit different at Nova Pioneer. From how the classrooms are designed, to the language our students and teachers use in the classroom and even down to the behaviours our students exemplify. The purpose is to create a responsive classroom where the child is at the centre of learning.

 

There are four key domains to achieving a responsive classroom

1. Engaging Academics: Learner-centered lessons that are participatory, appropriately challenging, fun, and relevant and promote curiosity, wonder, and interest.
2. Positive Community: A safe, predictable, joyful, and inclusive environment where all students have a sense of belonging and significance.
3. Effective Management: A calm and orderly learning environment that promotes autonomy, responsibility, and high engagement in learning.
4. Developmentally Responsive Teaching: Basing all decisions for teaching and discipline upon research and knowledge of students’ social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development.

 

How does our desk setup encourage collaboration?

Desks are arranged in centres, distributing an equal number of students across these centres. Each centre allows students to engage in the content being taught in different ways – whether in a group activity or whether in an individual capacity. Centres give the students the opportunity to learn to work collaboratively with others but also build the skills necessary to be able to work individually.

 

How do our classrooms strengthen our students visual learning skills?

All classrooms are fitted with projectors and speakers for lesson delivery, presentations and developing the students’ digital literacy. Concepts are explained and simplified by the teacher and instructions given on the classroom whiteboard. The use of multimedia in our classrooms helps with the visual learning process, strengthening our students visual learning skills.

 

How do we incorporate technology in the classroom?

Technology is a big part of who we are as Nova Pioneer and what we do, and we blend this into our students learning experiences. We makes use of Blended Learning as part of our teaching.

Students make use of Tablets during their rotations during lessons. Technology is also offered as part of the innovative space. Our students start coding and robotics from Grade R.

 

 

 

We started Nova Pioneer to provide schools that were different: schools to develop young people with the wherewithal to shape their world.  That’s why we call ourselves Schools for Innovators and Leaders. That intention is all centered on our vision of a Novaneer.

 

The Vision of a Novaneer

That intention is all centered on our vision of a Novaneer as a young person with strong character (founded on our 6 Culture Principles), distinctive capabilities (academic mastery & collaborative problem solving), and deep connection (to their communities and with each other).  Our intention is to develop generations of these young shapers all across Africa.

To deliver on that vision we have a distinctive approach to learning and teaching that we describe as rigorous enquiry-based learning.  This approach requires a commitment to collaborative instructional learning and leadership from our faculty, and is supported by a dedicated learning design team.  Underpinning that distinctive practice is a focus on developing deliberate people and culture systems, in line with our culture principles and with our model of instructional leadership development.  

 

 

Building Character

We believe that our students’ success will be powered by their strength of character, as defined and reinforced by our 6 Culture Principles. We see our culture principles and our focus on leadership shining through classrooms and schools. 

We use our morning meetings in Primary School to discuss specific culture principles, what they look like and how they shape our behaviours.  We see these principles play out on a day-to-day basis including our servant leaders who are assigned or selected across campuses to help from Open Days to running grade 8 Orientations, to student arrival days in our boarding schools being run by upperclassmen and women. 

Every conversation with a child is rooted in the celebration, unpacking and reflection of our culture principles, we believe, helps shape the character of our young navaneers as they go out into the world.

We have defined leadership here at Nova Pioneer as personal leadership:  our capacity to know, understand and manage ourselves.  We are invested in learning about leaders in our community, continent and beyond and how they have shaped our world.  Lastly we unpack servant leadership, which we define as serve in meeting the needs of our community, be it our classroom, our school or beyond.

 

Distinctive Capabilities

When we are discussing capabilities, we mean that our schools are places where learners can develop the soft skills outlined in the work we do to build character, and they have the 21st century skills of problem solving, collaboration and critical thinking.

Additionally, and critically, they are able to demonstrate the academic mastery that they will need to be successful beyond Nova Pioneer. 

We look at, and track, academic mastery in two ways:  (1) growth over time to demonstrate our value added/impact on students and absolute achievement–meaning the performance of students on given exams at a singular point in time; (2) we do not assess for both in every grade and subject, but we try to be strategic to get a holistic picture of the academic mastery of our students over time.  

 

Deep Connections

We define connection as the opportunity for our Novaneers to build community  both within their classrooms during the school day, and beyond our classrooms in the greater world.  We plan for connection in our school day through group work and rotations, which are research-based methods for instruction that support deep learning for students. These practices also give students an opportunity to continue to build connection and relationships within their classroom communities.

We continue to be excited about the work of our Post School Success (PSS )team, who not only work with students to explore their paths after Nova Pioneer, but in the work that they are doing to connect students to the greater world while they are still with us.  Some of the work the PSS team supports includes organising internships and job shadows for students, academic support programming during holiday breaks, a speaker series, and an Alumni engagement and connection plan – setting up systems that will allow our graduates to continue to be connected to one another once they leave our walls.

You are part of a community

We currently operate 13 wonderful schools across East and South Africa, serving students from infancy through the end of secondary school.  Guided by our mission, our future intention is to continue to grow and serve students and families all across Africa. As a Nova Pioneer parent, you are part of this story.