Press release: The British School of Geneva’s newly-launched programme, The Ark, is unique in Geneva: an English-language centre for autistic teens, part of a mainstream school, teaching the English National Curriculum as well as the life skills these students will need as they prepare for adulthood.
Launched in September 2020, this specialised unit is dedicated to providing English-speaking teens with autism an opportunity to develop their academic, social, personal and employability skills. Students in The Ark follow a curriculum based on their Individual Education Plan (IEP) which is reviewed each term.
In addition to delivering the English National Curriculum, BSG is registered with ASDAN, whose programmes and qualifications help young people develop knowledge and skills for learning, work and life. Based on students’ levels and needs, ASDAN modules taught could include such topics as Expressive Arts, Preparing for Adulthood and Living Independently.
The daily schedule in The Ark is designed to best accommodate students’ learning, sensory and social skills needs. Accordingly, morning sessions are geared toward developing English language and Mathematics skills from a functional perspective, and advancing in other academic subjects including French.
Afternoons, the focus is on expanding practical skills with the aim of achieving greater independence and employability. Activities, each conceived with a specific goal and delivered to best suit the level and learning profile of each student, include cooking, social skills outings in the community, managing a small budget, and shopping trips using money.
The Ark’s dedicated space was designed to address the learning needs of our students, with particular attention paid to providing a suitable sensory environment. The school has two classrooms: one with traditional layout for teaching a small group, and the other in which students can work at TEACCH stations for more independent sessions and learning consolidation activities.
This centre also has a kitchen in which students practise cooking and related life skills, as well as a messy play area, and a sensory room for breaks and quiet time. Importantly, as The Ark is not rigidly structured around the timetable of the broader school, teachers have the flexibility to adapt and shape students’ days as required.
BSG is committed to both inclusion and reverse inclusion. The Ark is an integral part of BSG, and students enroled in this programme enjoy breaks and lunches with their mainstream peers, and participate in school-wide events and activities. Some students in The Ark may choose to join mainstream lessons, if and when it is appropriate. Happily, The Ark welcomes select students from across the school to participate in life skills sessions and other small group activities, such as cooking and crafts.
The Ark is an integral part of the British School of Geneva and adheres to the same standards of excellence, student safety, care and respect as the school as a whole.
The Art Centre for Autism
BSG The British School of Geneva
Av. de Châtelaine 95A
1219 Châtelaine, GE
022 795 75 10
info@britishschoolgeneva.ch
https://britishschoolgeneva.ch/#p7
We recently found out about a local mother that has started a YouTube channel dedicated to educating children, well, actually the parents, on how to talk about sex in an age-appropriate manner. We caught up with Kathleen Hema, It's Time for the Sex Talk for Parents, and asked her a few questions. She told us, "I make these videos for free because I believe the information is important and will help parents be the primary sexual health educator for their child."
Why did you start? What has been the inspiration?
I moved to Switzerland with my 2.5 year-old and 3 month-old in order for my partner to pursue his career goals. I left my career, in Public Health focusing on Human Sexuality and Sex Education, in order to support my partner. Fast forward 2 years, I decided to return to work and began looking for work when COVID-19 and a worldwide pandemic hit and brought with it limited job opportunities. After a lot of introspecting, I decided to pursue my favorite public health interest on a platform I had always wanted to try out. Hence, It's Time for the Sex Talk for Parents was started!
Have you been working on this idea forever, or was it something that came to you recently?
I had taught Sex Education and Human Sexuality in public and private schools as well as at universities in the USA and Australia to undergraduates and I loved teaching about it. I have always been very comfortable in talking about sexuality with my children and it dawned on me one day at the playground. I saw my 2 year old, who was being potty-trained, holding her vulva and quickly asked her, "Do you have to go pee-pee? You are touching your vagina like you have to go pee!" And the mom who was there with me looked shocked and asked me if I say the word 'vagina' with my children all the time. It quickly reminded me that many parents are uncomfortable with the 'sex talk' and that I could bring my expertise to more parents through YouTube on a regular basis.
PRESS RELEASE September 23, 2020: EU Business School MBA Program recognized as #42 in Europe and in the top 140 worldwide by QS*.
- EU Business School’s (EU) MBA climbs positions to rank in the top 140 MBA programs in the world and #42 in Europe in the QS MBA rankings 2021.
- EU’s MBA program continues to rank #1 worldwide for class and faculty diversity in recognition of its multicultural community of 100+ nationalities and proportion of female students and faculty members.
- EU increases its global position in employability, return on investment and entrepreneurship, reflecting the success of EU graduates across all business sectors.
EU Business School (EU) is proud to announce that its MBA program has climbed the QS MBA rankings 2021 and now ranks as one of the top 140 programs worldwide and #42 in Europe. These rankings are testament to the outstanding education offered by EU Business School and the commitment and dedication of its faculty.
EU was ranked the worldwide leader in class and faculty diversity for the third year running, achieving high marks for the number of nationalities in its classrooms, gender balance and proportion of international faculty. EU is very proud of its multicultural and diverse community and continues to foster a flexible, open mindset in all its students to prepare
them for a successful career in global business.
Introducing vokapi – created specifically for the PER curriculum in the Swiss Romandie.
With the surge in digitalization, the mobile application scene is buzzing with a huge number of tools that claim to help users develop new skills and learn new languages. What seemed to be lacking was learning apps created for young students that were based on the curriculum and textbooks used in class. That was until vokapi came around.
vokapi is an e-learning mobile app available on Android in the Google Play Store (and very soon, iOS) that helps students in grades 7 through 11 in the Swiss Romandie ace their English language tests. The idea started when storm digital experiences co-founder and in-house developer, Mathieu Latin, created a very early version to help his dyslexic son practice English vocabulary in a way that worked for him. The storm team saw it as a real opportunity and ran with the idea, creating vokapi and tailoring it to the “programme d'étude romand” (PER). The aim is to help students practice exactly the words they encounter on their tests while they learn at their own pace.
By Hugo Moore, Cognitive Enhancement Centre
In 2012 Mrs. Rita Margarita, now European Representative of Arrowsmith Program and Founder of the recently opened Cognitive Enhancement Centre in Chambésy, Geneva, was desperately searching for an answer to her son’s debilitating difficulties in school. The quest for a cure took her around the globe and on finding a powerful solution from a critically acclaimed program in Canada, Rita was compelled to share the life changing benefits of Arrowsmith Program with Geneva and Europe so that other students and their families may benefit.
“When my son Kareem was four years-old he struggled to cope with the mainstream academic program. His first symptoms were difficulty following instructions and poor motor coordination such as being unable to follow gym class or stay in the queue with other children on outings. He would always be out of place or off task. At that time the school he was attending in London told us they were unable to accommodate him any longer and advised us to find a school for Special Kids. Here started our long journey in search of a solution as we investigated all of the possible options.”
Rita cutting the ribbon to the newly opened Cognitive Enhancement Centre in Chambésy
