HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

American Pacific International School officially approved as IB World School

EarthRights School to hold 7-month training session for environmental activists

American Pacific International School officially approved as IB World School

APIS in action – total and enjoyable engagement in a Grade 5 Music class.

Kathryn Phillips
Chiang Mai’s first internationally-accredited boarding school is proud to announce that, in addition to accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and its accreditation by the Royal Thai Government’s Office of Education Standards and Quality, it is now officially an IB World School.
The authorization to deliver the International Baccalaureate’s Primary Years’ Program (IBPYP) is the result of three years’ work in developing curriculum, training teachers and teacher assistants and recruiting staff who already have experience in enquiry-based learning. The visiting team commended the school for its vibrant atmosphere, collegiality and enthusiasm, its commitment to continuous development, its ‘safe, secure and stimulating environment built on understanding and respect’ and the pedagogical leadership offered by the Headmaster and the PYP team.
The school operates on two campuses – the Main Boarding Campus on the Hangdong-Samoeng Road catering for Grades 1-12 and the Kindergarten in World Club Land for Nursery-G1. In order to prepare appropriately for the full implementation of the PYP, a number of developments have been made in the facilities on both campuses. These have included the provision of additional spaces for art and science and the purchase of resources which facilitate enquiry-based learning. The school’s professional team works together to achieve school-wide learning objectives and, as the school has grown, new classrooms have been built to reflect the changed needs of students.
However, these developments are not just about kindergarten and elementary students. As important is the impact that the introduction of PYP has had on the curriculum of classes in Middle and High School grades. Gradually, the attributes which are encouraged in the PYP Learner Profile are being reinforced with older students. In this way, they are becoming more aware of how they are learning as well as of what they are learning. They are more reflective learners and, importantly, they are learning to acknowledge and value their own achievements. This means that students who graduate from APIS will be well prepared for life beyond school and for further learning. They will understand, and have experienced, the importance of being knowledgeable, thinkers, inquirers, caring, balanced, open-minded, reflective, risk-takers and principled communicators.
If you would like to see APIS in action for yourself, you are welcome to visit the Main Boarding Campus, near Suan Bua resort on the Hangdong-Samoeng Road, on Friday next, January 16 from 9 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. Transport is available from the Kindergarten. For further details please call 081-289-5366 at any time or 053-365-303/5 or 053-131-232 during regular office hours.

EarthRights School to hold 7-month training session for environmental activists

CMM reporters
A unique training session will take place in Chiang Mai from June 2009 until December, which will focus on large dams, infrastructure projects and international financial institutions. The EarthRights School’s Mekong training programme is intended for environmental activists from the Mekong region, and is open to applications from residents in China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.
The focus is on environmental issues and human rights, with the seven month-long training program using experiential learning methods to equip participants from the region with skills required to conduct research, gather data, and effectively campaign around environmental issues affecting the region. Successful applicants will receive housing, transportation and a modest living stipend.
The program will provide students with research, writing, and intercultural skills, and the substantive knowledge and experience to voice their individual and collective concerns about IFI-funded projects and related transparency and participation issues within the Mekong basin. Graduates of the program will form a strong network of environmental advocates who, acting together, can effectively campaign on behalf of affected communities who are currently underrepresented.
The goals of the 2009 session are for students to understand both the negative and positive impacts of current and past international financial institution-funded projects and how affected communities in the Mekong region and other nearby countries have responded; to develop relevant knowledge and a practical skill base in research, advocacy and campaign work, and to develop strong relationships, networks and concrete campaign plans for implementation upon graduation and return to their respective countries.
The training program is divided into two months of instruction in the classroom followed by a two months practicum in which participants will return to their home countries to undertake research and documentation work on key projects. After the practicum, the participants will return to the school for a two month session focussing on media messaging, advocacy and campaign planning.
For more information, please contact the Mekong School Coordinator at [email protected] earthrights.org.

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