In an increasingly diverse world, celebrating a culture’s heritage has become a powerful tool for fostering unity and understanding.  Nova Pioneer Eldoret Girls  is proud of its commitment to honoring and appreciating the diverse backgrounds of its students and staff.

As such, they hosted their annual High School Heritage Day, a cherished event that brings together the entire school community to showcase and embrace the vibrant tapestry of cultures represented within their walls. This event offers an opportunity for cultural exchange, fosters inclusivity and builds a strong sense of identity.

Nova Pioneer Eldoret Girls students had a golden chance to proudly display their cultural heritage. Our budding innovators and leaders shared the richness of their customs and traditions, from traditional attire to authentic cuisine.

The 2023 event buzzed with a lively atmosphere as students, and school staff  showcased artifacts, photographs and interactive displays representing their respective cultures. This showcase of cultural pride allows our Novaneers to appreciate their own heritage whilst also learning about the diversity of their peers’ backgrounds. Our students also had the chance to engage in meaningful cross-cultural interactions. 

Heritage Day is a tool that enables the school community to dedicatedly live up to our mission of building lasting connections among the leaders and innovators who will shape the future of Africa.  Through this, they are able to gain firsthand knowledge of different customs, traditions and practices through engaging presentations, performances and exhibitions.

The annual celebrations enable students to develop a deeper understanding and appreciation for cultural diversity, breaking down stereotypes and fostering empathy.  It encourages dialogue and fosters a spirit of curiosity and becomes a catalyst for building bridges of understanding between individuals from diverse backgrounds.

Heritage Days don’t simply focus on traditional meals and coverings but also are an immense educational experience where students are encouraged to research and present on their cultural heritage, honing their research skills and public speaking abilities.

The event allows Nova Pioneer to incorporate multiculturalism into the curriculum, providing students with an interactive learning experience that expands their knowledge base and nurtures global awareness. We equip our students with the skills necessary to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world by fostering critical thinking and intercultural competence during the preparation and presentation sessions.

The winner of the 2023 edition was Hafsa Tunny Nasser. Join us in celebrating her as the reigning queen . She has begun her journey to becoming a leader in a globalized society. This is a good and true example of how our students develop leadership skills, teamwork, and an understanding of the importance of cultural sensitivity through their active participation and engagement during Heritage Day.

These qualities are invaluable in today’s world, where collaboration and respect for diverse perspectives are crucial. We equip our students with the tools needed to be active contributors to their communities and ambassadors of cultural understanding with the goal of building a harmonious future.

At Nova Pioneer, we know that the best marker of our success as a school group is the success of our alumni. We currently have 1169 alumni and counting, with 349 more joining as the school year closes at the end of this year. Investing in our alumni programming is a top priority for Nova Pioneer as our graduates transition from high school to their academic and professional lives, and one way we have invested in our alumni is through our annual Alumni Summit.

The purpose of our Alumni Summit is to provide a platform for our alumni to create and strengthen meaningful connections with one another, learn from field experts across the Continent and to engage in personal and professional connections to serve them in their futures.Throughout the day, alumni have the opportunity to hear from African leaders about their growth journeys, engage with leaders in small-groups through Master Classes, hear from other alumni through the Alumni Panel, and connect with fellow alumni through breakout “Speed Dating” sessions and a school-specific global impact planning session.

On Saturday, 22 July, 2023, Nova Pioneer held its second annual Alumni Summit, bringing together over 150 former students, current teammates, and guest speakers under the theme, “Reunite, reconnect, reimagine, reignite”.  Alumni of Nova Pioneer Ormonde, Tatu Boys, and Tatu Girls gathered virtually and in-person on campus to mark the day. 

This year’s Alumni Summit was hosted by Michelle Bochaberi (NPTG 2021), Sinovuyo Titi (NPO 2022), and Brandon Chisika (NPTB 2020), and opened with speaker Jocelyne Muhutu-Remy, Managing Director of Spotify – Africa. In a conversation moderated by 2019 NPO alumnus Jabu Mtwa, Ms. Muhutu-Remy spoke about her journey into leadership, and encouraged the group with her message that we each move at our own pace and some find their “big role” later in life.

After Ms. Muhutu-Remy’s opening speech, alumni had the opportunity to attend a small-group Master class led by an industry leader on the Continent. Master class facilitators included Dr. Stephanie Chesire of Signature Smile Dentistry, Gentamu McKinney, author of Keep Calm and Bring Your Carry-On, Elvis Maneno of Mobius Motors, Catherine Kiama of She’s The First, Lina Gichure of Roamtech Solutions Ltd., Mbuki Kasema of Wowana Ltd., Mthokozisi Madonda of NBA Africa, Likeleli Monyamane of Standard Bank Group, Stephen Wanyingo of Wezesha, Mary Onguko of Avanti Communications Group, Weldon Siele of Kecher Africa, and William Yakah of Wavy Ventures. In these tight-knit sessions, alumni were able to learn from a field expert about their professional journey and ask questions of the expert. 

Next, alumni headed into their school breakout rooms to plan an Alumni Reconnect Day – a chance for alumni to head back to their alma maters to lead in a Humanities and STEM competition and provide mentorship to current students. This was followed by an update on ways for alumni to stay involved with Nova Pioneer heading into 2024, including joining our alumni committee, becoming an alumni mentor, participating in an alumni speaker series, coordinating a service project, volunteering and a Nova Pioneer Open Day, applying for professional development opportunities, and nominating a fellow alumnus for the Nova Pioneer Alumni Culture Awards.

The summit closed with speaker William Kamkwamba, inventor and author of The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind. Mr. Kamkwamba shared his childhood story of problem-solving for his community in rural Malawi by building an electricity-generating windmill, and how that eventually led him to where he is today, heading the Moving Windmills Project.  In a question and answer session facilitated by 2022 NPTG alumnus Hazel Ochieng, William spoke about how he has become a stronger public speaker and communicator as a young adult, who inspired him (his grandmother, who taught him that you can solve your own problems), and his greatest fear (failure – but this is also what keeps him going).

Coming out of the conversation with William Kamkwamba, several alumni shared their interest in William’s Moving Windmills project – particularly his forthcoming Moving Windmills Innovation Centre, a centre aimed at growing African innovators and supporting their ideas to solve problems in their communities. Our Post-School Success team is currently exploring opportunities for our alumni to be involved in this exciting work, as well as other exciting opportunities to further partner with some of our Master Class speakers for future initiatives.

We sincerely hope that our alumni engagement does not end with the summit, and encourage our alumni to keep in touch and let us know how they would like to stay connected! Interested alumni are encouraged to fill out this form to register their interest.

Once a Novaneer, always a Novaneer!

 

Education plays a pivotal role in shaping your child’s future. This reality makes selecting the right school environment a crucial decision for a parent or guardian. While boarding schools have their merits, day schools also present many advantages.

In line with offering a variety of options to serve more of our families, Nova Pioneer is launching a day school option for Junior School in the city of champions, Eldoret. We currently have two campuses in Eldoret, a Girls’ Secondary School, and a separate Boys’ Secondary School dedicated to impacting the next generation of leaders and innovators.

Three Reasons To Enrol Your Child At Nova Pioneer’s Junior School Day Option in Eldoret 

Reduced Cost and Accessibility

Affordability is one of the reasons families are not able to access quality education. The Nova Pioneer Eldoret – Junior School Day option enables families who live in Eldoret to access quality education at a reduced cost due to the reduced boarding expenses. The money saved can be redirected to developing other aspects of your child, like specialized extracurricular activities.

Sense of Independence and Responsibility

We pride ourselves in developing responsible leaders and innovators who will shape the future and our learning model is student-centered, thus giving them the opportunity to explore what they know under the guidance of our teachers. A day school option will enhance their sense of responsibility and independence since they will have to balance the school assignments with daily family responsibilities and  personal interests. Your child will get to develop their organization skills and time management ability. This early practice will help them seamlessly transition into Senior High School and other higher learning institutions. 

Reduced Homesickness and Stress

Sometimes, it can be hard for your child to get accustomed to a boarding school environment. Unfortunately, getting a quality Junior Day school is an uphill task in most urban areas. Our day school option will help your child avoid dealing with high-stress levels caused by homesickness as a result of being in a boarding environment. A child that is not stressed has better mental health and will have a positive attitude toward academics. Thus, being able to develop as an all-round student.

If this is an option that interests you, reach out to Cosmas from our Admissions team via 0799453440.

Did you know that all children have psychosocial support needs. These needs can vary depending on a child’s age, their life experiences, their family situation, gender, and even their individual personalities. According to Unicef, disruptions caused by COVID-19 have also had a profound impact on the mental wellbeing of children across the world, further making school psychologist services essential for the students’ wellbeing. 

 

Psychosocial support is a need for all

According to the Regional Psychosocial Support Initiative (REPSSI), psychosocial wellbeing is a necessary condition for any human being to realise their full potential and to lead fulfilling, healthy and productive lives. 

REPSSI is an organisation with a mission to lead in innovative Mental Health and Psychosocial Support interventions to transform policy and practise for girls, boys and youth in Africa to reach their potential

In an earlier edition of their Teacher’s Diploma in Psychosocial Care, Support and Protection Module, REPSSI states that people that have psychosocial support have shown a higher self-esteem than average, and thus show confidence in their ability to solve problems, make decisions, build positive social relationships, work together and resolve conflicts. 

 

Psychologist supporting students

As schools across the world strive to provide healthy and positive learning experiences that promote the optimal development of the whole child, school psychologists have come to play an increasingly important role in promoting this development. School psychologist services at schools have become a necessity.

The mental health and wellbeing of children is recognised as a critical condition for optimal learning and development. School psychologists can help promote the mental and educational health and wellness of students in a number of different ways, including through the provision of individual and group therapeutic interventions and in the provision of preventive and health promoting group work. 

Having psychologists on a school team gives students access to mental health care, including psychotherapy, which can often be difficult and sometimes very costly to access outside of the school.  

 

Psychotherapy is a specialised and often scarce service 

Nova Pioneer’s Psychosocial Team consists of  educational and clinical psychologists,  intern psychologists working under supervision, and registered counsellors. Each campus is provided with a team member, whose time on campus is proportioned according to the campus size. 

We aim to provide quality psychological care to all students who are referred to us, and we strive to promote mental health and wellness in all aspects of the Nova Pioneer educational experience. Our interventions aim to optimise and enhance the social, emotional, behavioural and academic functioning and development of the students we work with.  All team members have the training and skills to intervene immediately if a student has experienced trauma or is needing support in managing a crisis. 

As mental health specialists and experts in childhood development, our team provides input and support to teachers and school leadership in the development of student support strategies, and in promoting whole-school wellness and inclusive educational practices.  This involves supporting, accommodating and including students who have particular educational or mental health needs. In working alongside parents, our team also promotes health and wellbeing within families. 

We encourage parents to reach out to their child’s teacher, or the Dean of Students if they feel their child is in need of support. 

 

 

Nova Pioneer has for the past 9 years delivered its unique learning approach using best practices from across the world. In Kenya, Nova Pioneer has delivered the National Curriculum (8-4-4 & CBC) and in South Africa, we have delivered the Cambridge Curriculum. 

Over the years, our families have requested that we consider delivering Cambridge Curriculum in addition to CBC and we are excited to announce that with the experience we have from delivering Cambridge Curriculum in South Africa, we are launching Cambridge curriculum as an option at Nova Pioneer Cambridge open to day scholars. Cambridge Year 7 (equivalent to CBC Grade 6) will be offered from September 2024. The plan from 2025 would be to make additional years and expand the curriculum across other years (not just limited to Year 7).

What is Unique about the Cambridge Curriculum?

Cambridge is rigorous and requires students to engage in depth with the content and skills of each subject they take. The ability to succeed in this curriculum is determined much more by the attitude and mindset of the student, and their ability to engage with course material, not only inside the classroom, but independently as well. Students that can apply knowledge and skills learnt, have the potential to do very well in the Cambridge curriculum.

Cambridge has designed its curriculum as an enquiry-based one, and therefore it is an excellent fit for us and our teachers who teach in Nova Pioneer schools that also have an explicit enquiry-based approach. 

Cambridge AS- and A-Level phases are specifically designed to prepare students for the academic rigours of university. For Cambridge AS- and A- Level, students take between 3 and 4 subjects normally, but are expected to delve into them in a far deeper way than they would be required from students in other curricula, where students may take seven or more subjects. At A-Level, much of the content covered is at first year university level, and consistent feedback from our SA-based Cambridge alumni is that they are certainly at an advantage in terms of content covered and academic ‘fitness’ than their counterparts completing other curricular.

More About The Cambridge Curriculum?

The Cambridge curriculum is an educational framework developed by Cambridge Assessment International Education, a part of the University of Cambridge. It provides a structured and comprehensive approach to education for students from primary to pre-university levels. Kenya is the 4th biggest market for Cambridge in Sub-Saharan Africa. (Zimbabwe #1, Nigeria #2, South Africa #3, Kenya #4).

Here’s why you should choose Cambridge:

 

	Cambridge Curriculum	CBC The Nova Pioneer Way
Flexibility for Individual Growth	✔	✔
Innovation in Teaching	✔	✔
Practical Applications	✔	✔

 

Flexibility for Individual Growth

Recognizing that each student is unique, Nova Pioneer offers a flexible framework that allows for individual growth. Tailored to accommodate a range of learning styles, the curriculum empowers educators to create personalized learning paths that cater to the needs and interests of each student. This approach not only enhances engagement but also encourages students to take ownership of their education.

Innovation in Teaching 

Nova Pioneer merges innovative concepts with the educational systems by integrating modern teaching methodologies; exposing its students to dynamic learning experiences. From interactive digital resources to collaborative projects, Nova Pioneer equips students with the skills they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

Practical Applications

Whether Cambridge, CBC or 8-4-4, Nova Pioneer puts emphasis on knowledge being applied to real-life situations. Lesson delivery places strong emphasis on practical application, encouraging students to connect theoretical xconcepts with their practical implications. This approach not only enhances understanding but also equips students with the tools they need to address real-world challenges with confidence.

Above all, Nova Pioneer seeks to instill a lifelong love for learning in both Cambridge and the Kenya National Curriculum by nurturing curiosity, creativity, and a hunger for knowledge; going beyond mere academic achievement. Nova Pioneer prepares students to embark on a journey of continuous learning, empowering them to adapt, innovate, and contribute meaningfully to society throughout their lives, and most importantly aligning so perfectly with Nova Pioneer’s core values; High Expectations, 21st century skills and a space for nurturing innovators and leaders.

Cambridge Curriculum Proven Track Record

Our students from our Ormonde campus recorded  remarkable achievement with one of our students achieving top position in Cambridge International Award by being top position globally for Cambridge International IGCSE Business Studies in November 2022.

An impressive 83% of our Ormonde graduating class achieved University Exemptions. Notably, Nova Pioneer students surpassed global subject pass averages in English, Physics, Chemistry, Geography, Business, and History. 

Learn More

Are you interested to learn more about Nova Pioneer’s Cambridge Curriculum offering in Kenya? Sign up here and a member of our Admissions team will get in touch with you.

Life is an unpredictable journey, often leading us on unexpected paths that shape our futures in profound ways. In this series of alumni spotlight, let us turn our attention to Shakira Mwakitawa, a remarkable alumnus of our Tatu City Girls School, class of 2020. She is currently a Civil Engineering major sophomore at the University of St. Thomas.

 

 

Career Pathway

What began as a traditional academic pursuit took a turn into unchartered territories ultimately redefining Shakira’s professional trajectory.  In High School, Shakira was a Gold Key student. We were very inspired by her artistic expression in painting. In fact, in 2021 she ran a business called Sunnysideupke, an online art business that supported her friend and Novaneer classmate Jeanne Sere to donate sanitary pads to a centre in Kibera.

After pursuing her high school education, she applied for the alumni internship program at Nova Pioneer where she joined the Marketing team as the Content Creation Intern. Curating content for the Nova Pioneer Kenya social media handles was a project that she enjoyed doing. Her dedication, innate flair for innovation, and creative ideas contributed to her success in that role.  She held this position for close to a year before joining University. This experience bolstered her portfolio and enabled her to continue engaging in the social media space as a student assistant at the University of St. Thomas.

When she joined the university, she enrolled in an environmental studies course but switched to Civil Engineering due to an interest in urban planning and landscape architecture. With each lecture, project, and discussion Shakira has expressed that she finds herself increasingly drawn to the world of Civil Engineering, its challenges, and possibilities igniting a new fire within.

 

Personal Scoop

During her free time, Shakira enjoys watching  Netflix and reading African literature. She enjoyed reading  “Havoc of Choice,” authored by Wanjiru Koinange. A book that she highly recommends for all who find reading engaging. 

 

The Nova Pioneer effect

Shakira felt prepared for the professional and university environment because of the Nova Pioneer culture that challenged her to set high expectations, grow from every challenge, and defined her as a Novaneer. She learned to structure her time when she was in High School. She expressed that she had support from her teachers notably Mr. Godfrey Otaka and Ms. Margaret, that helped her in her journey from being shy and reserved in opinion to being confident and outgoing in nature.

If you want to find out more about how we prepare our Novaneers to create their future, take a moment to click here and get scheduled for one of our Campus Experiences.

 

If I were to choose two words to describe this experience for me, they would be, Life Changing and Memorable.

In June, I had the opportunity to travel to the United States of America to attend a two-week summer program offered by Yale University. When I decided to apply back in October of last year, I had no major reason for applying, I was simply just drawn to the program and that proved to be the best decision I have made so far in all my seventeen years of living. After months of anxious waiting I received the long-awaited congratulations message, on the morning of the 21st of December.

On the 18th of June, my nine months of long wait came to an end. I travelled to the United States of America to attend the Yale Young Global Scholars, 2023.

Check-in was between 9 am-4 pm ET at Davenport College. I arrived at 9 am. I was assigned to Jonathan Edwards College which was relatively quiet as per my preference. We were assigned to suites and in each suite were individual rooms. My mother and family friends helped me settle in for about two hours until they left because they did not want to be late for church. Then I was alone. And that’s when it all sunk in. Had I just flown across the world for the very first time? Was I walking in the streets of New Haven? Was I attending a summer program hosted by one of the most prestigious schools in the world? After unpacking, came the hard part … getting to know people.

Luckily I made it through that hurdle and by around 3 pm I had made it past the awkward first-time meeting formalities and had gotten used to making conversation with others. At 4 p.m. those from Jonathan Edwards gathered at the HQ lecture hall and we had a welcome briefing from the Residential Life Patrons. Around 7:40pm after dinner we finally met our families. Our family leader took us on a family walk to show areas we had access to and areas we did not in New Haven.

On applying one had four academic tracks to choose from

• Innovations in Science & Technology(IST)
• Literature, Philosophy, & Culture (LPC)
• Politics, Law, & Economics (PLE)
• Solving Global Challenges (SGC)

The YYGS curriculum is divided into:

• Breakout Discussions where you dig deeper into lecture content by sharing knowledge, posing questions, and brainstorming real-world implications with members of your family. During this time several debates arose which left you questioning your initial standing.

• Capstone Project –We had the liberty of choosing the area we would like as our Capstone. I chose to do Global wealth and inequality. Under the mentorship of YYGS staff, the project is all about encouraging us to think carefully through difficult, real-world issues, engage in research, and work through various arguments and considerations (economic, social, cultural, legal, and political) to better understand a topic of concern. We were assigned to a team of four or five and were tasked with designing a presentation within our assigned theme.

The research question that my team finally settled on was : To what extent do fast food chains influence the economies of developed and developing countries, how does this contribute to societal inequality, and what potential solutions can address these issues?

And we prepared a thesis and a 15-minute presentation surrounding this question.

This had to be one of the most difficult components of the whole experience. My group and I had a rocky start. We were all butting heads with each other. One side wanted to focus on Amazon as a multinational corporation and how it contributes to inequality whilst the other saw we would have more content focusing on fast food chains as Amazon is not as prevalent in some countries. From our research question you can tell our side won this debate:), but that wasn’t until one of our instructors had to mediate and help us work things through. In the end, our presentation was successful and we got a lot of praise. I thought I wouldn’t struggle with group work as we always do it in school, however, this experience taught me that, that was only because in school I was surrounded by people I was familiar with. During The capstone project, I was Working with people from all over the world with different experiences and different opinions. Coming to understand their point of view took some time.

• Family Time-We were assigned to families which consisted of 10 students and a family leader. During this time we would play games and generally get to know each other better. Family time also started a bit rocky. We didn’t know how to interact with each other. Fortunately, this wasn’t a long-lasting issue, after one game of Mafia the tension in the room disappeared. The game of Mafia became our “thing’ and any free time we would get we would gather to play. By the end of it, I had convinced everyone that I was always right and that they should vote for the person I suspected(regardless of them being innocent or not.

• Lectures-We had the opportunity to learn and hear from distinguished professors and practitioners who offered case studies, explain backgrounds, and explore innovative ideas.

In total, I attended five lectures:

 

• Creating Change in an Ever Changing World, Onyeka Obiocha, Executive Director, CTNext

 

 I still have mixed feelings about this lecture. Mr.Onyeka Started by explaining his background and how with time he slowly began to acquire his core values. He then asked us to list five of our core values. He gave a story of how he and his friend started a business and how slowly by slowly the business gained success. As he was doing this he would at times stop and tell us to cancel a value from the list, By the end we were all left with one value and he explained that despite the business being a huge success he decided to leave simply because it did not align with his values anymore. We all thought he was crazy. He proceeded on to explain that resiliency is crucial in creating social change, building community, and taking action, and in order to do so tough decisions will follow but it is our values that will drive us to make the right choices.

 

•      New Energy Technologies for a Green Planet, Dr. Daniel Prober, Professor of Applied Physics, of Electrical Engineering and Physics.

 

Dr. Prober dove deeper into how the lack of national resources can impose challenges on future development limits and about how we can use promising solutions to generate and store energy and water, faster and cleaner transportation, and how construction and buildings can save energy. He described co-generation at the Yale Central Power Plant, and the Yale Solar and Wind farms. He proposed many ideas, their benefits, and their disadvantages. It was mainly a factual session but still engaging. Some of his propositions seemed a bit…there’s no word to explain it, in short, his lecture brought about a huge discussion during our breakout session.

 

• Empowering Young People for Challenges in Global Mental Health , Sirikanya (Sanya) Chiraroekmongkon, MD, Yale Global Mental Health, Resident Leader, Yale Department of Psychiatry, Resident Physician

 

In the lecture, we dove into what global mental health is and looked at a personal anecdote, case example of mental health conditions, and barriers to mental health care including but not limited to poor quality of services, low levels of health literacy in mental health, and stigma and discrimination. In all countries, mental health conditions are highly prevalent and about one in eight people in the world live with a mental disorder. Suicide affects people and their families from all countries and contexts, and at all ages. It is a leading cause of death among young people globally. People with schizophrenia or other severe mental health conditions die on average 10 to 20 years earlier than the general population, often of preventable physical diseases. Sanya suggested that a community-based approach is the best way to tackle this problem.

 

•     The Political CEO, David Bach, Professor of Strategy and Political Economy, IMD Business School.

 

 Pressure on CEOs to speak out about pertinent social and political issues has increased dramatically in recent years, a dynamic further accelerated by the pandemic. Yet many issues CEOs are asked to weigh in, from immigration to minority rights to inequality and climate change – are controversial, and taking a public stand can alienate key stakeholders, including customers, employees, and investors. How should leaders and their companies navigate a world in which business has become much more political? He explained why CEOs are increasingly being asked to speak out on political issues, and how taking a public stand on a controversial issue might affect the business. In the end, he left us all pondering whether CEO political activism is a good thing. This brought about a heated discussion during our breakout session.

 

• Granting Refuge: The Role of State Institutions in Asylum Outcomes, Angela Yoonjeong McClean, Postdoctoral Associate at the Council on East Asian Studies and Lecturer in Sociology

 

The standards and norms on the protection of refugees and asylum-seekers are powerfully sustained at the international level, most prominently by the 1951 Convention and 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, the key legal documents that form the basis of the work of the UN Refugee Agency. These documents legally define who a “refugee” is and outline refugee rights as well as the legal obligations of nation-state parties. The fundamental legal and moral principle – understood as the “spirit” – embedded in these documents is the protection of forcibly displaced people. Despite this, however, a huge cross-country variation exists between the state parties in the refugee recognition rate. The disparity in recognition rate is salient even amongst the richest democracies in the Global North, all of which are equipped with the political, social, and economic resources needed to host refugees, and are parties to the Convention and/or the Protocol. She explored one reason behind this disparity by analysing the domestic institutions directly in charge of refugee status determination focusing on the case of South Korea, a rich democracy that recognizes an exceptionally low number of refugees compared to its Western counterparts. The lecture elicited questions regarding the strength of international norms on refugee protection, the salience of legal and bureaucratic procedures on refugee status determination, and other domestic and international factors contributing to refugee recognition in the Global North.

Seminars

Seminars are designed to replicate collegiate-level courses based upon the exchange of ideas and the collective and collaborative analysis of a topic. Seminars cover themes and topics taught by instructional staff who have previously studied the field and are longer than most high school or undergraduate classes.

           I took three seminars in total

 

• Is it all just in your head? Global domination, racism, and the story of how psychology became a tool for torture

 

In this seminar, we discussed how psychology and global capitalism have been intertwined to promote ideas of white supremacy, particularly how it has merged with the discipline of anthropology to argue for a narrative of global domination by the West.

2. The failed attempt at Building a “better race”: The dark history of the Ivy League’s central role in the practice of Eugenics in the United States and Beyond

In this seminar, we discussed the many ways eugenics shows up today, anywhere from our standardised tests to who we deem “intelligent” versus not, and how a lot of the ways we view the world are deeply influenced by eugenics, even if we’re not aware of it, how it has become a normal part of our lives and academics, how Yale and its neighbouring institutions have been essential in pushing eugenic ideals into other disciplines, and talked about what it means to move forward into anti-eugenics work.

3. Multispecies Worlds: Tackling Conservation on a Shared Planet

We discussed how embracing a multispecies ethic that does not value one life over another might inform more sustainable and effective approaches to conservation.

We also visited the Peabody Museum of Natural History’s Vertebrate Zoology collection, where we saw and learned from physical specimens, gaining a better appreciation for the immense biodiversity that exists and is threatened by human activity today.

Symposium –

Symposium is a two-day, six-hour simulation designed to put students into roles where they are required to work collaboratively, think critically, and solve problems interdisciplinarily. The primary goal of the Symposium is for students to work together to create a presentation outlining the culture, crises, solutions, and governmental structure of their country. We were given country profiles for fictional newly formed nations (Costa de Luna, Leganthol, or Acempur) and created several cultural touchstones and a constitution for their new country. Each country is also facing a multitude of crises, and students will engage in problem-solving by researching and designing solutions for these crises. Our Groups country was Acempur.

Symposium was a more relaxed experience compared to Capstone.

From the curriculum, you can tell that it was a very intensive program. By the end of the day despite being so exhausted we still found ways to interact with each other. At eleven at night, my suitemates and I would gather in the empty living room play board games, and get to know each other more. It was simple things like this that ended your day well.

During our free time, we were free to move around the boundaries, explore shops and restaurants and visit Yale-authorised areas. We had key cards that gave us special access to different buildings, libraries, and art galleries.

All three meals were offered by Yale at the Pierson and Davenport dining halls. We were organised into shifts to control the number of people in a hall. I was assigned to have all my meals at Pierson dining hall shift 2.

The main takeaway from my whole experience has to be perspective…or rather Understanding perspective as opposed to only acknowledging. Through the various interactions I had and the group assignments I had to work on together with others, I realised that there are many sides to a story. The SGC track focused on systemic thinking. Systemic thinking is a perspective for it helps us see the events and patterns in our lives in a new light, and respond to them in new more effective systemic ways. Every problem is multi-faceted. The question is are you going to choose to look at it from one perspective or will you decide to focus on events, patterns, and the underlying systems to bring about sustainable change? Perspective forms the basis of everything.

 

On the 30th of June, the program sadly came to an end. The goodbyes were painful but the bonds I formed and the lessons I learnt will last a lifetime.

 

As the Global systems and Analytics Coordinator at Nova Pioneer this is my story.

I was nominated and voted as the Joy of Learning culture hero for the  year 2023. The news of my milestone did not come as a shock to me. This is bold to state but I have confidence in this stance due to feedback from my manager and my colleagues who see my passion for what I do.

At Nova Pioneer, Joy of Learning is about bringing infectious energy and delight into the learning space, because we believe joy fuels learning and hard work. This culture principle is centered around curiosity, exploration and a love for learning. I believe I embody this culture Principle because of how I approach my day to day duties with curiosity to learn and improve the details of my work. My passion areas are in; dashboards, trackers and surveys. It brings me great joy to teach my colleagues what I learn, from formulas, to how to efficiently get a task done using tools available to us  like formulas, dashboards, or a recent one I taught a friend to make use of descript, a transcribing application, instead of typing out a recording from a meeting. I believe when there is joy, exploration and curiosity , we get so much more from an experience, be it a book we pick up to read, a topic we research on or a lesson we deliver.

Having an objective mindset has been such an asset in my professional journey. Many teammates in Nova have offered me support, advice and tools that have spurred my growth as a person and a professional, and I believe it’s because I was not rigid to learn, I was curious and I ask questions, and I often have self reflections to keep myself accountable. To learn , we have to be willing to fail forward. Seek out new challenges, seek thought partnerships and support when we are stuck, and own up to our failures when they come, because those are opportunities that give us new perspectives and  a sense of direction. 

When you trace anyone’s growth journey others will be mentioned in it. To grow, we need to stretch out our hands for others to pull us up or push us up. Just like me, my manager Nicola and other teammates have enlightened me and directed me through giving  feedback , advice and encouragement. 

I delight in sharing what I learn and enlightening those around me as well. I have done this through giving feedback, offering support and lessons on how to organize data, or crunch numbers to some of our teachers, as well as having thought partnership sessions with others to problem solve, and this brings me great joy.

Nova Pioneer has provided me an opportunity to show up curious , ask questions, seek thought partnerships, celebrate progress and appreciate people. It is powerful to bring infectious energy into our learning space and celebrate progress, and I’m glad I learnt this early in my career. I give my thanks to the Nova Pioneer Culture. 

To create more stories like mine, take a second and give a glance to our Career Page. 

For years, we have seen you, our teammates, refer excellent families to Nova Pioneer schools in Kenya and we say Asante Sana! Over the past three years, family referrals from teammates have accounted for over 12% of our new applications, and through these referrals, we have seen the Nova Pioneer community grow. 

As a way of showing our appreciation, we are launching the Family Referral Programme for Teammates. This programme allows you to get a voucher reward when a parent that you have referred to Nova Pioneer, commits and enrols their child at one of our Nova Pioneer schools in Kenya. 

 

How Our Referral Discount Works

 

Which Teammates are Eligible for the Reward?

In order to successfully enrol a student, the parent you refer must state that they were referred to Nova Pioneer by you (your first name and surname), when they fill in the online application form in the ‘How did you hear about us’ section on our website. 

• On the application, there is a section marked ‘How did you hear about us?*’ as shown in the image below. This section must be responded to.

• Under the ‘How did you hear about us?*’ section, the applicant must select ‘Nova Pioneer Representative/Staff’ as illustrated in the image below.

 

• Once the referred applicant has selected the ‘Nova Pioneer representative/Staff’ option, they must put down the name of the teammate who referred them, as shown in the image below, to make the application a successful teammate referral that will result in a reward post student’s successful enrolment.

 

Confirmed enrolment at Nova Pioneer for the referred family will be subject to all admissions requirements being met. We draw your attention to the following specific requirements:

• Space availability in the requested grade.
• A successful entry assessment to establish grade readiness.

Referred students or parents cannot have a sibling or child currently or have been previously enroled at Nova Pioneer. 

There is no limit to the number of students a teammate can refer. You will be entitled to one voucher per referral who successfully enrols.

This referral programme is only open to current Nova Pioneer teammates at the time when they refer new parents, who then successfully enrol their child(ren) at Nova Pioneer.

Teammates who are part of the Marketing team and Leadership are not eligible for this incentive.

 

What If A Parent Wants To Be Contacted Before Making An Application?

 

If a parent wishes to first speak to an admissions teammate before making an official application on our website application page, please share their contact information on this form and an admissions teammate will reach out to the prospective parent. We shall track this parent as a referral from you and you will be eligible for the successful referral reward once the student(s) successfully enrol.

 

How To Refer

 

1. A current and referring teammate talks to a friend and tells them about Nova Pioneer.
2. The prospective parent completes an online application form and in the ‘How did you hear about us’ section, they select ‘referred by a current parent’ and write the full name of the teammate who referred them.
3. Once the referred parent completes the enrolment process and pays grade-relevant fees for their first term at Nova Pioneer and they report for the school term, the referral is flagged and the Marketing team works closely with the  Finance team to make available the incentive voucher.

 

The impact of the Family Referral programme extends to our culture of Greater Together. We thank you for the collaboration and support as we continue to welcome new Novaneers to our community. 

*Terms and conditions apply

 

After settling down to have a chat with Mr. Rodgers Achoki (class of 2019), it was easy for me to see how teacher-student mentorship has had a positive impact on his career choice. As a final year student at Lukenya University where Rodgers is enrolled in their Bachelor of Commerce -Finance programme he is excited to soon be joining the working class bracket where he hopes to make an impact in the finance, business, and economics sector.

As a current intern with Nova Pioneer’s Finance team, Rodgers has had the opportunity to work on billing, fulfilment of purchase orders, payments, and allocation of receipts and invoices. Rodgers is more proficient in the Accounts Receivable pathway and hopes to someday grow his skills in Accounts Payable. All the same, he sees himself working in just anything within the field of finance. This is not his first internship experience. As a Form 3 student at Nova Pioneer- Tatu City boys campus, Rodgers got the opportunity, through the school’s Post School Success team, to intern at The Nairobi Hospital, allowing him to build his portfolio and expand his view across different industries within his career choice.

 

Mentorship

 

Why Finance? Rodgers attributes his Finance option to his high school business teacher, Mr. Raphael Abucheri, who currently serves as the Dean of Learning and Instruction at Nova Pioneer’s Boys campus in Tatu City. In Rodger’s words, “ Mr. Abucheri motivated me to love business and spurred me on in my interests. He was also my mentor and accountability partner.” When I inquired whether there were any regrets for taking Business as a pathway, Rodgers was quick to respond that if he had to pick a university course choice again,  he would pick the exact same thing. As much as he is a business and number nut, Rodgers also holds a candle for Biology which he grew to love and enjoy due to the diligent facilitation of Ms. Brenda Ogutu who was his high school Biology teacher and also a mentor who inspired him to soar.

 

Within Finance

 

In Finance, Rodgers is responsible for assisting where needed by teammates in the Kenyan and South Africa Finance team which gives him a vast resource library as he gets to enjoy a diverse experience. Additionally, he has done billing, fulfilment of purchase orders, payments and allocation of receipts and invoices. From this, he has derived that he is more proficient in the Accounts Receivable pathway as he knows more and finds it easier. Not one to give up he says he will grow from his safe space here and eventually venture into Accounts Payable. All the same, he sees himself working in just anything within the field of finance. On further prodigy, he felt that probably a bank would be an experience he would like to savour. As he reflects on his experiences as part of the Finance team, he is glad to be getting a taste of what he can expect in life in Finance. He has received feedback that will help him grow and has built muscle around seeking assistance when needed as the learning never stops in the spirit of #JoyofLearning and #AlwaysGrowing.

 

The Nova Pioneer Effect

 

Rodgers believes that he had been at a crossroads when it came to picking between Business studies and Biology post-high school but he received support from his mentors to make the right choice for him, something he is grateful for. To spice things up, Rodgers and I discussed our culture principles at Nova Pioneer and took a glance at which principle he feels he does not associate with so strongly. He picked high expectations because he always feels like it adds a huge layer of anxiety and pressure for him and it is mostly externally influenced and does not take into account what it takes to meet these expected levels of performance. He says that he likes to be in control and as such will push himself to achieve his own expectations or do better than them.

As a final touch goodbye, he said that Nova Pioneer was a good place, a friendly environment with interactive people and he feels like it is the best place to learn or work at. If this draws your heartstrings, follow the link here to attend an Open Day and join our big, wide, and growing community.