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/ 

 

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.  🙂

Just as most of us have had to adjust ourselves to these uncertain times, YYAS (Yale Young African Scholars) has not been an exception. YYAS – was supposed to be my opportunity to meet other Africans who are passionate about our continent as well as their respective countries, and to share ideas and interact with new people from very diverse backgrounds. Even though we had to have our session online due to the pandemic, I have still learned so much and had an unforgettable experience.

 

Applying for YYAS

 

My friend Esther Wachira, had the chance to attend YYAS in 2019. From all the great stories she told me, coupled with her experience, I knew that I too would love such an experience, and thought, why not give it a try. I did my research through their website to learn more about the program and the application process and requirement and from there I began the application process. 

The essay questions were not only thought-provoking but also super fun. One asked about our favourite fictional character, the second asked us what in our country’s history we would change and the other, which was my favourite, asked us to write on a rumour about our country and whether we agree or disagree with it.

It was a bit challenging trying to think about the rumour question but the best part was finding and settling on a topic about Kenya and from there, writing a 500-word essay even felt limiting. I also had help from one of the school Post School Success mentors who read my essays over and over and helped me articulate my thoughts in a much concise way. It was a tough process but worth it in the end.

On 9th April I opened my email from YYAS. “Congratulations! I am thrilled to offer you admission…” I saw those words and started to jump all over the house and I cried because I really couldn’t believe it! That was probably one of my highest moments in this quarantine period. I called my number one cheerleader and classmate Chelsy, who was there for me throughout the application process. Let’s just say she sounded like she was more excited than I was!

 

Finding a balance 

 

A live program is obviously much better than an online one, but it was well planned either way in order to give us the YYAS experience despite the current pandemic. Additionally, I had exams at the same time as the program, which meant juggling between both. An online program also meant that we had shorter sessions and we weren’t able to have too many interactions if we were going to get all the information YYAS had to offer. We were sent materials to familiarize ourselves with the program content before it started. 

During the program, we had two types of sessions, the seminars and group sessions. I especially loved the group sessions because that’s when we got to talk in smaller groups and get to know each other better. I met so many passionate people. People who are aware of the issues happening around them; people who wanted to help bring positive change to their communities; people who were not afraid to confront the challenges that we face as Africans and provide solutions to those problems.

 

Valuable lessons

 

“If we are the ones we’ve been waiting for, why are we still waiting?” This is a statement that stood out for me. It was from a video on Leadership, by Africa Matters. It is a call to us the youth to begin being changemakers and to stop waiting and just start doing whatever we can, however, we can, to impact Africa. Another perception that changed for me was my view on applying to universities in America. Previously, during our Post School Success sessions, I was clear that I was not going to go to the US to study, but now some of its schools are among the top five on my list. 

 

All in all, YYAS gave me an opportunity to learn more about myself as well as pushed me to be better. It encouraged me to start thinking about what I can do now to help my community while equipping me with the skills I would need to do so. Lastly, I loved the people I met and enjoyed learning about all those different cultures and sharing my own. I got to expand my network and make friends for life from all over Africa. YYAS was great and I highly recommend it!

 

Join us

 

Interested in enrolling your child at Nova Pioneer? Click down below to apply

My journey and decision to enroll my son Yasin at Nova Pioneer was not an easy one, for lack of better words, I would say it all started in earnest. Assessing some of the traditional factors a lot of families I know consider as metrics in selecting High Schools it was clear that this choice was very unconventional. 

Yasin emerged among the top candidates in the 2019 K.C.P.E exams in Bungoma County. He scored 426 marks and was offered a much coveted spot at The Alliance High School. My friends, colleagues and family members thought I had lost my mind to forego that chance for Nova Pioneer. Most of them had never heard about the school and kept wondering how I would afford it. 

In light of the societal pressure that came with my son joining Nova Pioneer, I have spent the first half of this year reflecting on his experience so far and what he has been able to achieve, and my heart is filled with immutable joy and pride. As much as the Ministry of Education has declared this academic year null, the virtual learning experience he has gained in the past five months will never be taken away from him. He is better prepared for the information age. 

 

Yasin’s Nascent Interests and How We Got Here

 

Since childhood, Yasin has always been very inquisitive and curious about machines. I remember how he would make makeshift airplanes from carton boxes. Yasin’s favourite tv channel has always been the discovery family ‘Ultimate car build off’ Henceforth, I discovered that Yasin had a  passion for engineering. He had the ability to focus and concentrate on his projects for long. 

As a child, he turned our study room into his mini workshop where he would stay all day and late into the night working on his inventions whenever he was not attending school. Having paid close attention to his consistency and resolve, I was always left with many questions: what do I want for my son? Why do I want it? How do I make it happen? It was clear to me that a more unique educational approach would give him better exposure and develop his passion. 

When Yasin was 11 years old his passion for engineering had developed so much that he insisted on going for the National Science and Engineering fair which was held at Kibabii High School in Bungoma. Whenever I would go with him to the school where I currently teach, he was always drawn to the physics laboratory where he would check out the school projects and apparatus.

With the discovery of his interests, it was crucial to find a school that would hold space for his love for building and discovering and further guiding and shaping his curiosity. As an educator, I had been following Christopher Khaemba’s unique education approach from Friends School Kamusinga to Alliance High School and then to The African Leadership Academy in South Africa. With Mr. Khaemba at the helm of Nova Pioneer’s leadership team,  I was confident that Nova Pioneer’s focus on Project Based Learning, innovation and leadership, will add an insurmountable amount of value to Yasin’s life.

 

Making It Work: Overcoming The Hurdles

 

As a family, we were already head over heels in love with the school after bringing Yasin for his interview at the Tatu City campus. It was clear to us after he got his offer that it would be an uphill task to tell Yasin that the cost of attendance at Nova Pioneer would be prohibitive. From the look of things, our modest earnings as teachers would not allow us to foot the cost of Yasin attending Nova Pioneer.

As normal parents would do, we had to pull our resources together and figure out a way to make it work. Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve. Armed with determination and supplemental income from dairy farming and poultry keeping, I joined a merry go round, table banking group of six ladies called Blessed Sisters where we contribute thirty thousand shillings per month. Through the help of this group, I managed to complete the full year fees for Yasin by July.  This has given me much flexibility to plan ahead and ensure that I’m consistently ahead on payments. “No Human is Limited” – Eliud Kipchoge.

 

Learning During A Pandemic.

 

When the government closed all learning institutions in March, learning at Nova never stopped. They simply transitioned to virtual learning. As a teacher in an inadequately resourced school, I was unable to facilitate virtual classes for my students and therefore took this time to attend my son’s online classes. This experience has been nothing short of amazing and eye-opening. The things Yasin is able to do on the laptop make me very happy given he didn’t learn any computer in primary school. 

My personal favorite sessions have been the morning barazas. I vividly recall Dr. Benson Kairu(The school Principal) on one of the barazas talking to the young men about the Marshmallow experiment. It was very gripping to see how his points on exercising patience, self-control, and putting off instant gratification, were delivered in such a simple and relatable yet very practical manner.

I have also learned a lot just by observing the teachers. They have been extraordinarily consistent in their commitment to serve the learners at times, even late into the night. I remember a time when Yasin was doing revision for his midterm exam and encountered some difficulties in his calculations, he immediately sought help from his teacher of Mathematics (Mr. Carlos Ominde) who gave him feedback through email at around 11 pm. He often called Mr.Katumo his teacher of English late in the night for consultation and always got sorted. 

The delivery of lessons has been world-class. Their lessons are always interactive and the teachers always go above and beyond in ensuring the classes, albeit virtual, are conducive for learning. It was very endearing to see how even in the virtual classes, the collaborative approach to learning is adhered to. The break out rooms, class presentations and projects enhance the Joy of learning. My snaps and shout outs go to all F1S1 teachers: Mr.Abucheri, Mr.Hisabu, Mr.Kerabu, Ms.Wafula, Ms.Shanyisa, Mr.Nyamu, Mr.Ngahu, Ms.Kimetto and all the others.

Furthermore, the young men carry out projects either individually or in groups assigned to them by the teachers. The projects have helped Yasin develop research skills and he’s now more capable of doing such things on his own without supervision. The projects that are done as a group have enabled Yasin to embrace the culture principle; greater together. In fact, together with his classmates like Kizito, Okoth and Muhando, they have gone as far as creating their own zoom meetings to discuss and prepare for exams in the evenings. They are now working on the Post School Success Project with Mr.Hisabu as their faculty member.

Through the virtual learning that the school has implemented, I can stand as a proud parent to say that Yasin has developed a high form of discipline and self-startership. He always shows up for all the classes in time and has never missed to put on his uniform even for a single day. To add on to that, the school through the end of term report card has shown that everything that takes place in the classroom counts. This is seen when the report card entails the opener exam, quick quizzes, quizzes, midterm exam and projects. Through this, the young men are able to understand that they need to take everything seriously since they sum up to the final result.

The Nova Pioneer curriculum designers have gone out of their way to support teachers with truly engaging lesson plans. There’s the incorporation of audio-visual resources such as eye-catching videos and pictures. The reading of novels that are not KCSE set texts is worth mentioning. This term for example the Form Ones studied Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. I remember recently when I wanted to buy a cooker Yasin engaged me on the possibility of buying it online. I showed much valid apprehension to his idea as I wanted to see it first before I made the purchase. Yasin was able to draw a relatable comparison with a character from Chinua Achebe’s book that left me tongue-tied. He insisted I should not be like Okonkwo and that I should consider changing with the times! As a teacher of English and Literature myself, this comparison made me proud. It speaks to the level of relatability and relevance the content they are being exposed to really is.

This is indeed a great journey of hope and faith. I am certain that by the time Yasin gets to Form Four, he will have developed tremendously. My prayer is that he later joins an Ivy League University to pursue Engineering. I have faith that through Nova Pioneer’s robust international exposure modules courtesy of the Post School Success Team, he will be able to make it.

I highly recommend Nova Pioneer for any parent out there who has big dreams for their child. Champions are truly made from a desire, a dream and a vision!

 

I love teaching because I am helping shape the life of a learner. Watching my learners accomplish milestones is always rewarding to me. Some of the accomplishments include: seeing a child learn a routine to a point where I don’t have to give reminders,  watching a once reserved child stand before a whole class or a school and do a presentation, a skit or lead a baraza, seeing a child hold a writing tool and write letters or their name, read a word, create a car using objects and most recently witnessing the impact of the virtual learning program in my students. Teaching is truly a blessing.

My career in teaching began nine years ago when I had my second child. This was sparked by my interest to know more about children and their growth. The more I read, the more I became fascinated. My first course was in Management of Information Systems. I then enrolled for a certificate in Child Development and Education and that’s how my teaching career started. I later went back to do a Diploma on the same. It was amazing, Children are amazing.

 

 

Adapting to change

 

When the announcement was made that schools would close in March, it didn’t seem so serious at the time. We thought it would only be a few days or weeks. It took a different turn and it felt so surreal. Not being able to interact with your students on a personal level is not easy. Having to shelve the goals you have on student growth especially when it comes to skills such as building collaboration was also not easy.

But just like with all circumstances in life, we must learn to adapt. As a school, we decided to make the switch to online learning. Being an innovative school we were able to adapt so well and so quickly to virtual learning. All teachers have laptops and are tech-savvy which came in handy as we made the switch to online learning.

Virtual learning means putting in more effort at connecting with your students as they won’t be seeing you the whole day as they have been used to. It also involves ensuring values and virtues are instilled so they can continue the good behaviour at home, connecting more with their parents and creating content that they can understand and work on with minimal supervision. It’s a whole new level of growth for both teachers and students and I have fully embraced it albeit, I  miss my homeroom.

 

Helping learners get on board

 

My students found it hard to understand why they needed to stay home because all they wanted was to come to school. We had to take time to really explain and make them understand why they couldn’t come to school or spend time with their teachers and friends. It is important to us that we empower our students with all the necessary information on current happenings.

We did a lot of educating on coronavirus as well, and preventive measures. The school counselor also prepares weekly bulletins to help students manage different challenges during this period and it’s going on well.

In the beginning, there were some challenges as both teachers and learners adapted to virtual learning. One of the challenges was classroom management, use of technology for the students and finding a balance with the parents especially those with young ones who need close supervision, for both parents working from home and those leaving for work.

Another challenge is not having all your students for a meeting and especially if it’s a meeting where you want to set expectations for the week, talk about a value that needs to be lived out that week and a culture principle to be shown at home.

 

Timetables and Schedules 

 

For the lesson delivery of our virtual learning program,  I go through the lesson plan and internalize it. I then check on what I need like props and prepare a background or realia for the lesson.

I then prepare a powerpoint that I can share with the students during the lesson and we go through it with my line manager to see if there are any additions or omissions that I can make for excellence. The powerpoint in my case has to be child friendly with relevant videos and images as I prepare lessons for 4-5 year olds.

After that, I do a recording of my lesson using zoom and then upload it to google classroom where all students can access it.

We have our morning meetings with the students via zoom for 30 minutes from 9 am. This is where we set expectations and introduce topics and themes for the week.

Students then access lessons via google classroom and these are pre-recorded for ease of access at any time during the day. We also have live lessons that run through the day with breaks in between for the upper grades.

 

Impact of Virtual learning

 

Virtual learning as I said before is a blessing. There has been tremendous growth in our students especially in regards to technology. 

Some students are able to log in to their classroom or own meetings and join with minimal supervision. We have students uploading work and submitting assignments on google classrooms. This has made us realize that our students are go-getters, problem solvers and true innovators.

Students have also learnt to be self- managers and this is where our weekly values come in. They want to show integrity, responsibility and honesty so they do their work even in the absence of their parents especially those who are away at work.

And for a primary school student to be able to join an online class, work on assignment and submit it via google classroom, that is a great achievement. It means we are truly getting it right when it comes to developing a school of innovators and leaders.

 

Adapting & learning at the same time

 

Online learning has come with some great advantages as well. I have noticed that my students have adapted some skills that they would not necessarily have easily grasped within the normal classroom set up.

 

Time management skills: Being at home means a lot of distractions and for students to adhere to the strict timetables set is an achievement. Being able to log into a meeting or online class ,find time to do assignments and submit before the deadline and not getting distracted by things like TV and movies is real growth.

Technology: Students being able to log into meetings, learning to use the mute and unmute feature when answering questions, learning to put their hand up if they have a point to put across or if they want to answer a question, submitting work online. These are real achievements that students have come to learn as they adapt to online learning. 

The other day a student asked if I could log into my computer and see her helping her aunt to bake a cake. I was so impressed because this is a four year old who already knows that nothing is impossible when it comes to technology. Of course, I enjoyed watching her cook as she explained to me everything that she was doing.

 

What we have achieved so far

 

Continued learning : Our students have been able to learn and gain more knowledge despite the pandemic. We have had great projects going on ,built reading skills, had fitness programs and the list is endless.

 

Keeping connections alive: I can’t imagine not being able to connect to my students for such a long time. Virtual learning had enabled this and it’s been amazing.       

                                                                                                 

Close parent-teacher interactions: We have managed to connect more with parents due to virtual learning and this helps us understand students’ background. Getting to know each other and build relationships and connections which are in turn beneficial to the students.

 

Favorite Moments

 

Students enjoy the live meetings, seeing their friends and being able to ask and answer questions from home.

Some students are also happy to be spending more time with their parents and while initially it was difficult because of ‘My teacher doesn’t do it like that’ syndrome, they have become accustomed to it and are now happier.

Students also love the projects that they get to do at home. Two weeks ago we tasked them with creating a weather chart, recording weather for the day and becoming a meteorologist. At the end of the week, they were required to give a report of the week’s weather. They were quite excited about it.

The idea of having their own email addresses has also been well received ,the independence that comes with owning your own address where you can log in and access lessons as well as submit assignments.

I am remarkably proud of our students, on the Joy of Learning & High Expectations exhibited from the inception of our virtual learning program up until now. They are truly the future innovators and leaders that will shape the continent.

It’s hard to get to terms with the fact that we are way past the half-year mark in 2020. There are literally four full months left for us to find our way into 2021. Whether or not most of us persevered through our new goals for the year is a whole other conversation that we can tackle later. There lies a deeper, much more comprehensive question about our relationship with perseverance, fortitude and ability to remain consistent in holding ourselves accountable. In this session of Nova Pioneer connect we speak with our educators and parents on how they are building grit during trying times.  

On our previous episode of Nova Pioneer Connect, we had a heartfelt conversation with our Resident School Counsellors, Sophie (NP, ELdoret Kenya) and Christian (NP, Ormonde SA) about grit from a mental health perspective and how we can build healthy habits around allowing ourselves to flex and grow our grit muscles. 

Ethan (NP, Tatu Boys, F3) and Sinovuyo (NP, Ormonde, Grade 10) touched on their personal experiences flexing their grit muscles the past few months. We were also blessed to have a parent, Mr. Titi (NP, Ormonde) gave us a much needed parent’s perspective on supporting a child and useful tools parents can use to affirm their children and themselves to emerging stronger by building grit during trying times. 

Click on the link below to watch a recording of the session.

 

My friend John Nderitu a classmate, a brother and my final roommate at Nova Pioneer took a moment to share with me all the memories he had at the Yale Young Global Scholars, YYGS program that he was fortunate enough to attend in June-July of 2019 and I couldn’t help but put myself in his shoes and feel what he felt and see the things he saw. I wanted to go beyond imagining it to actually experiencing it in person and so I did.

 

Landing on YYGS

 

I vividly remember sitting with him in the student lounge and planning my summer plans as I looked towards challenging myself academically and treating myself to an amazing experience in the summer of my junior year at Hillcrest. We explored several summer programs from prestigious universities all over the world. The caliber of the Harvards and Oxfords of the world. It was a thrill. I even remember emailing them personally to ask specific questions about the program. 

For me, the single most important factor was financial aid. The programs we encountered were amazing but very expensive and so we settled on YYGS. They are a world re-known program with tailored experiences for every student depending on their interests and most importantly they offer need-based financial aid.

There were two options when applying for the program: Early Action and Regular Decision. I definitely went for the early action choice in which you apply as soon as the portal opens and submit your application earlier (by November 12th) and are notified by December 22nd of your application status. I applied through October, balancing my KCSE preparation with my new found love- the YYGS program. I submitted my application and was notified by December that I was accepted to the program with a very sweet financial package.

 

Adapting to Change

 

Ideally, the program would take place at the Yale University for two weeks and that is what we all expected to happen but as we got closer and closer to the start of the program in June, we all prayed that the program would not get cancelled. By we I speak for myself and all the amazing friends all over the world that I made through our WhatsApp groups and other social media platforms. Fortunately, they managed to keep the program afloat and unveiled the first ever YYGS Connect program– shifting the entire on campus experience online. 

The program was split into two sessions AM and PM according to your time zone. I was in the AM session and the program would start from 2pm to 7:30pm every day. The YYGS experience consisted of five key components every day: Family Time – where you get to spend time in smaller groups with your new friends, Seminars – where we experienced short lectures in our different tracks according to our different interests, Simulation – where we actively applied all we were learning in the program to solve an active problem in our different societies, Lectures – where we had professors and other highly qualified staff address certain topics from climate change to economics and energy sustainability and the Impact Panels and OAYs (Opportunities Across Yale)  – where they brought together YYGS alum, Yale University Staff and other young entrepreneurs to help us think through making an impact in our different societies and guiding us on how to navigate those spaces and taking us through different Opportunities Across Yale.

 

Key Takeaways

 

Throughout the two-week program my insatiable curiosity was put to the test but most importantly, I look back and appreciate all the amazing connections made and the people I met. People who challenged me and my thinking, future entrepreneurs, doctors, policy makers, scientists, artists and generally people who are passionate about whatever it is they have put their mind to and people who want to influence their communities and change the world and I am proud to be part of this team and to have had this experience with them.

 

Behind every great school is a team of passionate educators leading it forward and most times, we rarely get the opportunity to hear from these profound individuals who ensure that our students receive adequate support while in school. We always aim to provide a platform for our prospective families to interact with our learning team as they prepare to join us in the new year and one of them being a virtual meet and greet with our Eldoret principals.

On Saturday, 25th July 2020, the Nova Pioneer Secondary -Eldoret campus hosted its first ever virtual school leader meet & greet. The session gave prospective families an opportunity to learn more about Nova Pioneer’s unique learning environment through its founding school leaders. This is an annual event that is hosted across all our campuses for our prospective parents to interact with our learning team and some of our current students.

The session was graced by Andrew Meraba who leads the Nova Pioneer Boys Secondary – Eldoret and has decades of teaching experience in various capacities and also Martha Tubei who leads the Nova Pioneer Girls Secondary – Eldoret. She has over 29 years years of experience teaching at different capacities within Kenya. They’ve both been part of the Nova Pioneer Eldoret community ever since its inception in January 2020. 

During the virtual meet and greet, they highlighted some of the ways we collaborate with families in shaping Africa through innovation and leadership and how we are preparing our students for the new normal by shifting mindsets. 

Click on the link below to watch the complete recording.

 

Contact Us

 

Have any questions about the Eldoret campus? Feel free to contact Sheilla via 0703421670 or send as an email on admissions.ke@novapioneer.com