Dulwich College Beijing (DCB) has been recognized at the International School Awards 2019, the only school in China to be honored. Their SE21 initiative won the award for Creativity in Learning at the ceremony in London last week.

SE21 is an enterprise-driven approach to teaching STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math). Students form teams and pursue their own projects for eight weeks, learning real-world skills through experimentation. To find out more about SE21, read our Schooled feature from beijingkids November 2018 issue here.

Simon Herbert, Headmaster of DCB, said: “To win the Creativity in Learning Award is a thrill and reflects so well on our teachers. We know that our whole community will be delighted by this recognition of DCB’s continued success.”

Photo: courtesy of DCB

Two Beijing schools have been shortlisted for the prestigious International School Awards. Dulwich College Beijing (DCB) and Western Academy of Beijing (WAB) are both recognized in two categories for their innovative educational approaches.

DCB are shortlisted for the Creativity in Learning Initiative category, for their bold move in replacing GCSE Design and Technology with a new course focused on real-world problem solving and global competitions. SE21 stands for STEAM, Entrepreneurship and 21st Century Skills, STEAM in this context representing an integrated approach to Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics. Students choose their own projects, and then are mentored by specialists, in an environment designed to simulate real-world technological and entrepreneurial environments. SE21 was the subject of beijingkids’ Schooled feature in November 2018; read more here.

Their work with SmileAngel Hospital was also recognized, in the Community Initiative category. SmileAngel provides free cleft palate surgery for low-income families, and DCB students worked with them to produce site-specific, culturally sensitive artworks for display throughout the hospital. The large artwork produced by Year 12 students for the hospital’s reception area was launched at a community event in May.

DCB Headmaster, Simon Herbert, is delighted by the double shortlisting. “To be shortlisted for Creativity in Learning and also for Community Initiative indicates the breadth and depth of DCB’s provision and determination to prepare our students to be caring, creative and open-minded citizens of the world,” he said.

WAB are shortlisted in the Strategic Leadership Initiative category for “The Future of Learning at WAB,” or FLoW21, a project to transform education at the school, and also for Teaching Initiative, for a scheme in which Grade 7 students co-created their own individual schedules for a month.

“We are so proud of our entire community — students, faculty, parents, and staff — which supports our school’s mission, as well as our innovative approaches to teaching and learning,” said John D’Arcy, Deputy Director, Western Academy of Beijing. “We are honored to be shortlisted to win these awards, which is further recognition by the global community that WAB’s journey to transform and reimagine education is an important one for our future.”

The awards ceremony takes place in London on Friday December 14. beijingkids wishes both schools the very best of luck.

Photo: www.islmagazine.com