June 16th is a day set aside to remember and celebrate the African Child. Every year on this date, the African Union and its Member States observe the Day of the African Child (DAC) as a commemoration of the 16th June 1976 student uprising in Soweto, South Africa, where students who marched in protest against apartheid-inspired education, were brutally murdered. 

People worldwide celebrate this day by highlighting awareness about the education system in Africa by sharing their views via social media using some hashtags for example #educationforAfrica, #InternationalDayOfTheAfricanChild. Contributions are also made to organizations that work towards improving education for the African child. 

This year, a deep emphasis was put to raise awareness on having Access to a child-friendly Justice and education System in Africa. This augers very well with the Nova Pioneer Mission of developing generations of innovators and leaders who will shape the African Century. It was therefore our pleasure to have our students join the rest of the world to celebrate this day. 

HOW WE MARKED THE DAY AT OUR ATHI RIVER CAMPUS

Reading is an important skill in every child’s life. Book reading can spark a child’s imagination and stimulate curiosity, help develop the child’s brain, ability to focus, concentration, social skills and communication skills it also helps a child learn the difference between ‘real’ and ‘make-believe.

To underscore the importance of the reading skill among our students and parents at NPAP, what better way was there to celebrate The day of the African Child than to participate in STORY MOJA PUBLISHERS READ ALOUD PROGRAMME. In this, our students joined children from all over Kenya to break the world record in reading.

The aim was to have every child in Kenya read the same text at the same time from their own school. To make this more interesting, our P.T.A class representatives read with the students instead of having the teachers do it. The parents representatives then led the students in asking and answering some questions from the text read. The data was then forwarded to the publisher awaiting tallying to see whether the world reading record is coming to Kenya, we are anxiously awaiting the results! 

Our day in school at NPAP rarely ends without a “Joy of Learning Moment ” and this day was not going to be any different. Our students engaged in  various activities depicting African art work – Face painting, making head crowns decorated with feathers, some bead work and making of African dancing costumes. 

 

 

 

Nova Pioneer students from our Tatu City Girls Campus Wangari and Shirleen, recently made an awesome video showcasing their High School experience. We caught up with the two ladies to find out more about their experience making the video.

 

What excited you about doing a video project like this? 

We have always had a passion for film so working with the film equipment and doing a project like this made as feel like “real” directors.

 

What inspired you to do it?

We wanted to make something different, something that’s not just about academics or the world- class facilities of the school. We wanted to showcase the moments we share in school with the other girls. We wanted to show how we enjoy every single second of High School.

 

Were there any challenges you faced when putting it together? If so, how did you overcome them?

Firstly, finding a camera of good quality was the first step. Once we did, we experienced a few glitches in how to use it. Secondly, some of the students involved were camera shy and we had to make them comfortable. It was our first time editing so getting the music transition right was an issue but we managed to get the the hang of it.

One of the greatest advantage was having a partner. This way we motivated each other going by our culture principle of  ‘Greater Together’. We collaborated by dividing the work and tasks, and this made filming faster.

We learnt how to edit from YouTube, although it included a lot of frustration and sleepless nights because we had set a deadline for ourselves. We would do it all over again though.

 

Give us a fun fact or two about yourself.

Fun- ish facts about us:

I (Wangari) always make really good food, the trick is to add honey or soy sauce if it doesn’t taste good. Try it sometime…hahaha.

I (Shirleen) acted in my first play when I was only 8 years old.

 

In The End

Being able to make something that tells a beautiful story and immortalizes a good memory or experience is always fulfilling. Wangari and Shirleen have embodied the spirit of ‘Greater Together,’ and in the process have set High Expectations for themselves and others. We definitely look forward to more stories they will tell from their high school experience and even beyond!

 

 

 

Imagine a world where no girl or woman is held back because she menstruates.” This is the 2030 vision set by WASH United, a German non-profit organisation and the global coordinator of Menstrual Hygiene Day.

Every year on May 28, nonprofits, government agencies, the private sector, the media, and individuals come together to celebrate Menstrual Hygiene Day (MH Day) and advocate for the importance of good menstrual hygiene management (MHM). 

Over 800 million women and girls menstruate every day and yet, across the globe, ‘period poverty’ and stigma has been identified as a top reason for girls missing school. UNICEF has estimated that roughly 1 in 10 girls in Africa miss school because of their periods each year. Without access to proper education and resources, girls are often forced to stay home from school when menstruating. 

General practitioner, Dr Sihle Asiedu-Darkwah, strongly believes that schools, teachers, and parents can help lead the charge in ending the stigma around menstruation and support young girls as they go through this natural stage in their lives.

We caught up with Dr Sihle Asiedu-Darkwah to find out more about Menstrual Hygiene and also find out more about the role that she thinks schools and parents should play.

 

What are some of the issues girls and women face today with regards to menstrual hygiene?

Many females are not able to access appropriate sanitary products. This results in them using unsuitable substitutes or not leaving home at all during the menstrual period. This means that they miss out on school, work and other activities due to not being able to access sanitary products that can assist them to continue as usual during the menstrual period.

This further perpetuates the cycle of poverty – as more females do not finish school or sustain employment due to absenteeism.
Many females may not have knowledge or access to different types of sanitary products that can be more conducive to their lifestyle.

There may be females who are active/athletic and want to remain active during their menstrual period but cannot be due to the limitations of the sanitary products they have access to. Some women may have access to products such as tampons – but due to the misconception that tampons break your virginity – they will not use them.

 

What are some of the important things you believe parents, teachers and schools should teach their children about menstrual hygiene?

There is nothing dirty or shameful about menstruation. It is a natural process where the internal lining of the womb breaks down and is shed by the body. In the attempts to remove shame from menstruation, we need to openly talk about it and address any questions and misconceptions that both males and females may have about it.

I encourage parents to explain to their children that their experience may not be the same as their friends, sisters, or even their own experience. It may take some time to adjust to what is normal for them and to understand their own menstrual cycle. Children should never have to feel as though they can’t speak to their teachers or family if you have any questions or are unsure about the process. Healthcare providers are also a reliable person to discuss any questions that a young woman might have.

There are many different sanitary products that are available to try. Women should be allowed to choose one that fits their lifestyle. Women, young and old should not be afraid to explore their options.

 

In what ways can parents, teachers and schools end the stigma around menstruation and support girls with their menstrual hygiene?

Parents, teachers and schools need to have open discussions about menstruation in an environment that everyone feels safe to address their concerns or questions. In these discussions, my advice to both parents and teachers would be to (1) Address incorrect information related to menstruation; and (2) Discuss different sanitary products that are available including their advantages and disadvantages.

The Young Women Who Choose To Challenge

It must be emphasized that everyone’s experience with menstruation is unique – one person’s experience might not be the same as another person’s experience and importantly, these discussions should be had with both males and females to further destigmatise the shame associated with menstruation.

Schools should ensure that every toilet facility on premises can accommodate for females who are menstruating (having a sanitary disposal bin, toilet paper and the appropriate level of privacy to ensure that females feel safe). There should also be access to sanitary products within the school environment. This may be in the form of a vending machine or access to free products through a teacher/counsellor.

 

Beyond fighting the stigma around menstruation, what else can World Menstrual Hygiene Day
achieve for girls and women across the globe?

This day should be used to ensure that every female has access to the sanitary products of their choice. It should be used to call on governments to ensure free access to sanitary products so that no female should ever have to miss work, school or other activities due to a lack of access to these products. 

Dr Asiedu-Darkwah believes that her empathy is what differentiates her in her field of work, and this is what is required from schools, teachers and parents when approaching topics and issues around menstruation, with both male and female students.

It is through the community of schools, teachers and parents that we can begin to destigmatise menstruation in our spaces and create a conducive environment for girls and women to be free to be the best that they can be without feeling limited due to a natural process that their bodies experience.

It’s March already, where did the time go? It feels like time has literally flown by. It was just the other day when we ushered in the new year. Historically, a new year comes new hope, new expectations and new things to look forward to. Starting this year 2021, I was looking forward to my son Kimondo (Now a Novaneer) joining Play group. This for us had been a long wait especially with Covid 19 restrictions and schools been closed.

 

Reflection

 

As a parent, there are things you look forward to: baby’s first smile, first steps, first birthday, you get the drill; the list is endless. For any parent with a 3 – 4 years old child their first day of school is something that will be forever etch in your memory. So finally, the day came for Kimondo to join school and we were all set camera lights action.  Typical Kenyan style we were ready with our small entourage of mum, dad and aunt but we could have been a much bigger entourage of the extended family were it not for the current restrictions. We got to school, took lots of pictures at the school entrance and at the class door and he was finally taken to class. Let me mention, this went smoothly than I had expected, there were no tears nor kicking nor screaming, we were all calm as we witnessed Kimondo transitioning to a new exciting journey.

“Will, you please stay with me for a little while.”  This is not a story of his first day in school rather a story of Kimondo’s transformation from day 1 of school to this point where the term is almost over. As a family we have seen huge milestones that our son has been able to reach. His character is much changed now. He is more expressive and can now fully communicate. He can now seek attention without throwing a tantrum but by speaking firmly and making sure you are listening to him. For my, soon to turn 4 years old that is such tremendous growth. I now look forward to hearing stories in the evening about how his day was and how he interacted with other kids in his class.

 

Immense Growth

 

His capabilities have also greatly improved. When he gets a chance to be the line leader in his class, he does it with so much joy. He sometimes tells  me, “Mummy I wasn’t able to speak loudly…” but then I encourage him that not all leaders have to shout for people to listen.  He can now complete tasks by first putting away toys, arranging his shoes and generally tidying up at home. He has become more inquisitive in a bid to learn more. This is part of him that I’m really happy to see. We now go on exploration on the weekends and it’s encouraging to see that he is more aware of his environment, plants, birds and insects. If you ask who his best friend is, he quickly says, “Miss Regina!” Snaps to you Miss Regina for all the amazing work you are doing teaching our little ones.

My little boy is not so little any more. He is slowly growing into a kind, mindful, fun, loving, playful boy. He is still work in progress but if his current progress is anything to buy then I’ll continue to trust this process and believe that the best of Kimondo is yet to come.

Each year, for the entire month of March, we pause to celebrate women’s achievements and raise awareness about women’s equality.  With this year’s International Women’s Day theme being Choose to Challenge, I identified all ways I will apply this theme in my life moving forward. What struck me the most about the theme is how much I am constantly challenged by the young women at Nova Pioneer Girls High School.

 

Super Women

These young women are the perfect embodiment of ‘Choosing To Challenge’. They are brave, outspoken, objective, go getters, supportive of each other and shattering glass ceilings every chance they get. I celebrate them! 

I am challenged by Rehema Kipchumba and Michelle Adika emerging the best nationwide with a project in the Agriculture category in the YSK Online National Science and Technology Exhibition hosted by Young Scientists Kenya late last year. 

I am challenged by Ivy Butichi, who joined Form 1 as a shy girl who wasn’t excited about opportunities to speak in front of her classmates but eventually put in the work and can now confidently give presentations to large crowds. 

I am challenged by Riziki Bailey who over the past 4 years at Nova Pioneer grew into her autonomy and can now stand firm in her beliefs. 

I am challenged by Nduta Gicheru who in addition to bagging her A grades in class, also scoops several awards in competitive swimming.

 

I am challenged by Faith Marindich who proceeded to the Tournament of Champions in Yale after participating in the World Scholars Cup in South Africa in 2019 together with 46 of her schoolmates.

I am challenged by Angela Musomba, who learnt how to fail forward and used the lessons from her failure as stepping stones and eventually got into the Yale Young African Program (YYAS) in 2020.

I am challenged by Jeanne Sere, who founded a social venture, SMILES, that focuses on collecting old uniforms for reusing and recycling, promoting sustainability.

I am challenged by Eudious Jepkoech, who featured in a documentary film, Gogo, written and directed by Pascal Plisson and premiered in Monaco, France in November 2020. 

I am challenged by Ann Cecily and Wairimu Wahome who were accepted to the New York Academy of Science in March 2019 and October 2018 respectively.

I am challenged by Wangui Yiantai who was one of the few Kenyan students to be accepted into the Yale Young Global Scholars Programme for a Biological & Biomedical Science program in July 2019.

I am challenged by the entire Form 4 class, our pioneer class, at our Tatu Girls High Schools for beating all odds against COVID 19, supporting each other, believing in themselves and keeping focused as they prepare for the upcoming Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (K.C.S.E ) exams. 

Your turn

I could go on and on naming each and every young woman at our Nova Pioneer Girls High Schools who challenges me to shatter glass ceilings, but there isn’t enough time to do so. Perhaps, you will get to hear more of their amazing stories at one of our Virtual Open Days.  I guarantee you of being challenged.

Remember, you can Choose to Challenge by calling out gender inequality and seeking to celebrate women’s achievements. I now pass on the challenge to you. 

My name is Sara Teri and I am a parent of a Nova Pioneer student at the Boys’ High School in Tatu City. The journey of searching for a school for my son was very purposeful and I would like to share why I chose Nova Pioneer.

 

How it all began

 

The search for a High School started lightly when Baraka was in class six. Our plan B was the school he was at as it had a secondary school but our plan A was to get an amazing institution that would nurture our son to be a leader, to be curious about the world, to seize the opportunity, to change the world, to be a confident man and still remain grounded in his faith. We solicited advice from friends and family and our final list consisted of schools in various countries across the continent. 

When it came to narrowing down the options, we looked against the elements mentioned above but also against the cost of accessing this education and the experience our son would gain. Our family is adventurous and a bit non-traditional in the way we choose to live, so Baraka studying in boarding school or another country (outside of Tanzania) was not a hindering factor – in fact, it added credit in that he would build personal resilience and character, meet other people and appreciate another culture. However, there was the feedback we received about the newness of Nova Pioneer – Tatu City Campus and whether we wanted to take the risk of taking our son to a school that hadn’t proven itself. 

 

Landing on Nova Pioneer

 

Like mentioned before we were looking for an institution that aligned with our plan A – a place that would nurture our son to be a leader, to be curious about the world, to seize the opportunity, to change the world, to be a confident man and still remain grounded in his faith. With Nova Pioneer, this was already seen in the promotional/communication material on their website and social media.

What was left was to witness that this was aligned to what was actually happening on the ground. And our reassurance came in the student/parent orientation. 

When we settled on Kenya, there was a list of six or so schools we had to look into – those offering the Cambridge curriculum and the National curriculum. Due to distance and not wanting the search process to cost us a lot we were able to secure interviews for 4 of these schools in one go, Nova Pioneer included.

Baraka and I came to Kenya for this exercise as his dad was tied up at work. We were lucky on the visit to have a great taxi guy who was with us the whole week. In this marathon visit, which turned out to be more time-consuming and exhausting than anticipated, Nova Pioneer happened to be the last school to visit.

At this point a friend of mine (an Aunt to Baraka), the Taxi guy (Peter), Baraka and myself attended the Nova Pioneer student/parent orientation session. Beyond the fact that it was a student-led orientation from the gate, what had already enticed us as parents from the get-go from the brochures we had seen was Nova’s motto – developing innovators & leaders who will shape the future. This was embodied by students and teachers alike on the orientation day in everything that was done. Once the four of us (Baraka’s Aunt, Baraka, Peter and I) were in the car heading home, there was a shared silent understanding that we had landed on the school, and no more searching was needed. In the car on the way back, we spoke about our excitement over the school and I must say it was a village decision to settle on Nova Pioneer. 

 

Another factor that sold us from the onset and continues to now is Nova’s connectedness and embrace of technology. It’s been a desire for us that our son catches up with technology-enhanced learning because that is the way of the world now for the younger generation and Baraka did not have this option in his previous school. It’s also proven convenient for us as parents as we are full time working parents and we are based in two different cities but we intensively use our computers and phones for work. When communication comes whether on Class Dojo or WhatsApps or email from Nova, we are assured both of us will get this information. During the closedown period, it’s made it easier for Baraka’s dad to be the primary support for his education even remotely. 

 

Adapting to Change

 

Well, my husband and I both work and we had to work through the COVID-19 period. Also, Baraka has two younger brothers who also had to be at home at this time. The fact that Nova was able to swiftly switch into online learning (I believe it was under a week) helped us a lot in structuring our family life in this time and we are grateful to be part of those who could afford the facilities to support this style of learning for our son. In Tanzania, life went back to normal in June and for the continued online classes at Nova this has meant again keeping our son engaged while his brothers went back to school and us parents resumed full schedules.  

 

Meeting Our Expectations

 

Baraka only joined Nova in January 2020 and had less than four months there before he had to come back home. However, in that time we’ve found that Baraka has become more expressive – he is a very quiet young man naturally (one-liner answers are his thing). But at least now you are able to hear him go beyond this one-line response. He is also beginning to define what he wants and doesn’t want to engage in and this is great for any parent to witness. 

As parents, we are reassured in our choice of school. We’ve always given as much importance to non-academic learning as to academic learning as we believe one needs a holistic approach to their growth journey. 

One of the things that had previously frustrated Baraka’s father and I with schools is the lack of parent engagement and lack of communication. Nova does not suffer in these areas. Although for the physical engagements (e.g. Parent Mixers) it’s difficult for us to partake in we see and appreciate the efforts. However, we receive communication constantly – whether it’s our son’s progress via Class Dojo or administrative happenings via email etc it helps us feel confident that our son is the school’s priority as well as we have access and ability to shape and be part of the Nova culture.

One thing we are grateful for the holistic experience a child is bound to get when attending Nova. Under normal circumstances these experiences – a move from traditional learning (teacher knows best, the core subjects/traditional subjects are your ticket out, the learning happens in class only etc) – are found in certain schools and access to these schools mines a hole in your pocket, however, with Nova even the dream to dare pioneer/venture into the nontraditional is already winning enough. 

 

 

What I can say is any parent has to come to Nova with their child and experience it and the story will be over. Period. And we would also add that as parents we really have to interrogate what values we align to and whether the schools we send out children to align to those values. For us, Nova’s ethos aligned with our views of what education should be and family values so it did not take much convincing.  

Additionally, we were comforted by the fact that we found Nova Pioneer had a modest international student body. We were immediately introduced to two students from Tanzania and Baraka has formed a close relationship with one of them and as parents we were also introduced to a family that lives close to us and this support system helped us navigate the visiting days and holidays etc.  Nova Pioneer is still shaping their international student body but in the meantime have been accommodative to meet us where we are at with any hindrances brought by educations system change or physical distance. 

My passion for teaching

 

I am a teacher by choice. Throughout my childhood, I used to listen to the news whenever I had a chance. Most coverages about Africa indicated a continent in trouble. I decided that I needed to contribute to changing this. Then, I had no idea what I was committing to and this led me to be the principal at Nova Pioneer Boys’ Secondary School – Eldoret

It wasn’t until when I was  in Form Two while listening to a motivational speech, where one of my teachers shared the quote; ‘if you want to change a nation, then the way to do that is through improving the quality of education of its people.’ This is what I needed to make up my mind to land on teaching as a career path. This is a choice that I made while young and vowed to pursue it.

When I was in high school, my teacher would task me with remediation as a group leader. All those students in my group would fully grasp the work assigned to me. I realized then that I can teach somebody. 

Before joining the university, I had a choice to make and I asked my parents to guide me on a career choice. However, my father told me that the best advice he would give is that I needed to decide for myself and choose something that I enjoy doing and is easy for me to do. 

I believe that Africa can and will take its rightful place in the competitive global economic arena if we prepare the current generation with the right mindset. I am a Pan Africanist because I believe in the African century.

 

Memorable moments

 

I’m a firm believer in building leaders. One of my students who had just joined the university as an undergraduate was seeking the position of the vice president of the student union and called me to ask for my advice. I told her to go for it. 

She eventually won the seat and made history. It was the first time a first-year student was elected for the second senior-most role of the student governing council. From that time, I have lost track of the number of my students who have served in student councils in both local and international universities. 

Another similar occurrence was when I was in the classroom when the KCSE national results were released in 2014, and I got a ring from one of my students thanking me for changing her life. I got confused. She explained that finally, her talent had an opportunity to thrive. She was a struggling student who we had to tailor teaching approaches to enable her to learn.

She got superior grades in the national examination which enabled her to pursue a career at a college which offers an opportunity for her to explore her talent.  

 

A day in the life of the Nova Pioneer Boys Eldoret campus  Principal

 

I consider myself lucky to be residing within the school compound. I wake up at 5:30 am and get ready. By 6:00 am, I join the young Novaneers for their morning preps and transition with them to the morning tea and Baraza. 

I get the privilege of listening to the young Novaneer leaders as they encourage each other. Eventually, the opportunity to address them which normally assumes the form of a motivational speech to start their day. The end of the Baraza gives way to the first lesson. I take a morning school walkthrough joined by the deans to ensure a good start to the day. I believe that ‘things don’t just go right, they must start right’. I settle back into the office to get some desk time responding to emails. A typical day is a swing between lesson observation, holding feedback meetings with teammates, coaching teachers, and attending other administrative meetings and duties. 

My day ends on a high note in the field with the students having fun playing various games- I play table tennis and badminton. During club days, I get to meet students as they interact through club activities. Even now, given virtual learning, I get to join some clubs like Model United, French and learn how they are progressing, as it is also important that they get to know their principal.

 

People who have influenced my journey

 

Former managing director of Nova pioneer Kenya, Danae Pauli, held my hand and believed in me at a time when I’d little faith in myself. She kept on pointing me to these great people and resource materials I would tap into for my growth in competency and culture.  

Craig Kielburger, a Canadian philanthropist and founder of We Charity. Craig taught me the value of following your heart even when the odds are not to your favor.  

Karren Okari is a lady who held my hand through high school. She took her time to nurture my leadership by giving me a chance to take risks. She eventually gave me a chance to start the Margaret Okari foundation right after my graduation that was an eye-opener and marked the journey to my education leadership

 

Mr. Meraba outside the classroom

 

I am a father of three and enjoy family company whenever I’m not at work. Seeing my two daughters and son grow has been rewarding with lessons on youth that impact my role. 

I also like reading books on leadership and motivation. On average, I read about one book a week when not very engaged. Motivating youth and keeping fit by regular long walks are other things I enjoy doing. 

 

Powering through challenges

 

The current trends with Covid 19 resulting in the loss of substantive on-campus  learning time and the uncertainty about schools re-opening have impacted the school community in ways I had not imagined. My Leading through tough times has been tested more now than ever before. However, Nova Pioneer has a great culture, and when the entire school community lives to the ideals of our culture principles, great things happen. I see growth every day. 

 

My hope for my students

Being the found principal at Nova Pioneer Boys’ School, Eldoret, I have so much hope and aspirations for my students. 

I hope they will go-ahead to pursue careers of their choice, rising to leadership. Others will pursue their talents or business. They will ideate and question every knowledge they gain. Eventually, they will graduate to offer service to humanity. They will do this by harnessing their talent, careers, or business ideas. They will serve the African continent and the world and will be true leaders, Innovators, and job creators. Serving at a time when the call to think on their feet will pay off will propel them to greater heights in transforming the world.

The year 2020 will definitely be a year for books in the education sector across the world. From navigating having to switch to virtual classrooms in record time to grappling with the nuances of teaching within the new dynamics of a rapidly changing world. Schools have had to be on the receiving end of making crucial decisions on what works best for their learners during this time as we await news of reopening of schools. 

With the wake of the official announcement from the Cabinet Secretary of Education that Grade Four, Class Eight and Form Four candidates will be expected to report back to school on 12th October, many educators and families would be ruminating on how to best approach the evolving situations. There’s a myriad of factors to be considered during this period and it is even more crucial that different individual players come together and have open conversations on how to best tackle reopening of schools.

From the micro-level factors involving conversations and practices parents and guardians are having with their children on what their main concerns are, to the macro-level factors that involve conversations institutions should be having with their families about expected changes and how to best prepare for the same. 

It is resoundingly clear that we all need to lean into each other to meet the current moment and best prepare our students and teachers to emerge even stronger amidst the new normal. In our open house webinar session on 7th October, this topic was discussed at length with Gavin Esterhuizen – Executive Head, Nova Pioneer Ormonde Primary, Dr Benson Kairu, School Leader, Nova Pioneer Boys Sec. School, Tatu City, Grace Mukunzi, Dean of Residential Life, Nova Pioneer Girls Secondary School, Tatu City and Agnes Ng’ang’a parent to Pear and Keren (F4, Nova Pioneer Girls Sec. School, Tatu City

You can access the recording of the engaging session by clicking on the link above.

 

If you have sat for a national examination, then you know how this comes with its fair share of societal pressure. Now, imagine what this must feel like for the current Class Eight candidates across Kenya who have to live through the Covid-19 pandemic as they prepare to take their Kenya Certificate of Primary Examination (K.C.P.E). 

There is no doubt that these are unprecedented times for this year’s Class Eight candidates as everyone grapples with the question of whether they are adequately prepared to tackle a national exam. 

At Nova Pioneer, we believe in preparing student capabilities that includes developing high levels of academic mastery to take on the world with confidence and to create new possibilities for themselves and others. As an organization that’s deeply invested in playing our part in ensuring that each child reaches their full potential, Nova Pioneer has put together revision packages to complement the resources already available to Class Eight candidates across the country through their respective schools. 

Our Academic and Learning Design teams have collaborated with external experts to help prepare a comprehensive study schedule and support materials that will enable parents, their children and educators to creatively find solutions to ensure that adequate exam preparation is happening remotely.

Following the school closures, Nova Pioneer families received robust online Learning Packs weekly that were both engaging and easily accessible to the majority of our students. We are excited to share with you some of our materials to support learning in your home. Our hope is that all children can continue their learning journey during this time.

 

What Can You Expect?

 

Short and Interactive Videos across Each subject

These videos will help the candidates build a clear understanding of the most challenging areas across Mathematics, English, Kiswahili, Science and Social Studies and Religious Education.

 

Short Quizzes With Detailed Marking Schemes

The short quizzes across the six subjects will mostly tackle the most challenging areas for learners and will be accompanied with marking schemes to aid the revision process.

 

Study/Revision Timetable and Study Tips

As part of the package, you will also be able to access a customizable timetable with base-level foundational tips on how to structure private study time and the optimum times to adhere to. Students and parents will also be able to access tips on how to build a conducive learning environment that will enable them to thrive during their private studies.

To learn more about our K.C.P.E study packs, feel free to email us at admissions.ke@novapioneer.com.

To sign-up for the K.C.P.E study packs, click here to complete the interest form and a member of the admissions team will reach out to you to clarify any questions you may have and with the next steps.

 

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.