Dubai: GEMS Education has announced the opening of GEMS Nations Academy as a new paradigm for education in the UAE. Opening in September 2016 in Al Barsha, the school will offer an enhanced American curriculum that combines rigorous academic preparation and innovative teaching methods.
GEMS Nations Academy will provide students with an unparalleled American academic experience, preparing them to fully realize their potential and contribute meaningfully to the communities where they live. In the first year of operation, GEMS Nations Academy will offer places for students from Kindergarten through Grade 8, with natural expansion to higher grades over time.
Dino Varkey, Group Executive Director and Board Member, GEMS Education, said, "We're seeing a rising need across the globe for a learning experience that brings together the latest advances in educational thinking and new technologies. With GEMS Nations Academy, we aim to provide that next generation educational environment for students, preparing them with 21st century skills for a dynamically evolving world."
Tom Farquhar, currently Dean of American Curriculum Schools with GEMS Education, will lead the school as the Founding Head. Mr Farquhar has previously led some of the most prestigious K-12 schools in the United States, including Sidwell Friends School in Washington DC, where he helped draft a strategic map for the American curriculum of the future.
"I've been working with schools in the U.A.E. and elsewhere in the Gulf region," Tom said. "I am impressed by the exciting combination of a diverse international student population and the deep commitment to achieving world-class innovations in teaching and learning. With this background, it is clear that Dubai offers the ideal setting for a new school that will go beyond the old limitations, with a faculty drawn from the brightest and best, a design for schooling that is innovative and inspiring, and a program that capitalizes on every child's potential for creativity, cognitive growth, and academic achievement."
The new school will build on the internationally acclaimed success of GEMS schools to create a learning environment that blends innovative program designs and advanced teaching pedagogy based on Harvard Project Zero, a system developed at Harvard University School of Education dedicated to enhancing the development of learning and thinking skills.
The world-class academic leadership and teachers drawn from the top ranks of American educators will form a faculty of educational expertise previously unseen in the region.
The enhanced American curriculum will include a balance of academic rigor and a broad range of extra-curricular experiences to develop intellectual, social, emotional, artistic, and physical competencies. GEMS Nations Academy will offer its students a personalized learning experience-- the individual needs of each student will be identified and appropriate experiences will support both academic and social outcomes.
Arabic language learning is a key area of focus and the school will offer engaging and modern teaching of Arabic to all students, tailoring the program to challenge those for whom Arabic is a first or second language.
Computer programming language will be a focus in the school for all students, providing them with extensive experience in machine control languages, digital creation, and maker fabrication. Coding, robotics, projects and inquiry-based learning will enrich the program.
This commitment to developing the whole person and exploring the full potential of every child, is supported by facilities designed to maximize opportunities for deep inquiry and collaboration. The campus, when completed, will include a full provision for athletics and performing arts, with a 50-meter Olympic sized pool, 400-meter running track, large gymnasium, playing fields, theatres, and dedicated studios for music, arts, and design for all grade levels.
Students from GEMS American curriculum schools have been accepted into some of the best universities and colleges in the world including 7 of the 8 Ivy League schools in the United States as well as 12 of the top 15 in the world. They have also received recognition and won numerous awards at international, regional and national level in academics, sports and arts.
-Ends-
About GEMS Education
GEMS Education is a pioneering education company. Through our schools, consulting practice and our charitable foundation we are advancing education for all. Every day in our schools around the world, we prepare thousands of children of all ages for real world success. We are a catalyst and delivery partner. We work with governments, donor agencies and private clients to improve education systems, and provide vital training for young people in an increasingly competitive world. Through the Varkey Foundation we campaign for, and support initiatives that change lives through education.
For more information, please contact:
Sweta Sewa Chatterjee
Ketchum Raad ME
Tel: +9714 425 8907
Email: sweta.sewa@ketchum-raad.com
Kimberly Lobo
Ketchum Raad ME
Tel: +9714 425 8979
Email: kimberly.lobo@ketchum-raad.com
© Press Release 2015
