Citizens School and GHD, the professional services consultancy, have announced a new partnership aimed at restructuring how the school continuously develops its offering.
Citizens Learning Labs will see Citizens School, working with GHD, providing a collaborative space and engagement programme for staff, parents and thought-leaders. The programme’s goal is to continuously enhance all aspects of school operations starting with the reiteration of its curriculum and re-imagining the traditional curriculum design experience.
In this first-of-its-kind project, Citizens School and GHD are adopting approaches, thinking and methodologies typically applied in the corporate world and adapting them to an educational institution.
Citizens Learning Labs will bring together not only staff but will also involve parents and subject experts working together to enhance the overall learning experience for learners. This will include design challenges, innovation coaching and collaborative facilitation assignments aimed at creating a culture based on empathy and collaboration and encouraging innovative mindsets.
Dr Adil Alzarooni, Founder of Citizens School, said: “At Citizens School, our learning philosophy is aimed at enhancing quality of life by building future-ready mindsets, in both our learners and staff. Mindsets that are ready to seize opportunities, lead change and understand that success and failure are necessary for personal growth. Through this partnership with GHD, we will be working on further developing our curriculum using agile venture-building methodologies, to enable us to create an enhanced learning experience, giving staff and learners alike an approach to education that includes purpose-led innovation”.
Hisham Hodroge, CEO at Citizens School, added: “In order for us to achieve our goals of reimagining education for our learners, we need to challenge the conventional way that schools operate. By empowering our staff and community in developing a culture of co-creation and design thinking, we reinforce the entrepreneurial mindset required to innovate and continuously reiterate our offering to the benefit of our learners and in response to their needs. Partnering with GHD will provide our staff with a framework to collaborate and the resources and support required for such a shift in mindsets.”
Hind El Aoufi, Practice Director Innovation (D-Lab) at GHD, said: “GHD’s innovation practice focuses on purpose-led innovation and transformation, while Citizens School is committed to creating learning experiences for a rapidly-changing world. This is a unique project and partnership and by working with Citizens School, we hope to bridge the gap between education and industry through the power of co-design, collaboration with intent, innovation, empathy and creativity. We share passionately the Citizens’ purpose of reimagining education for the next generation to be future-ready, and hope to do so by empowering the school and the community with the mindset and skills required to tackle complex challenges and drive change”.