Imagine a school where your individuality is celebrated, your passions are encouraged and your needs are nurtured. A school where the idea of personalized learning is taken to a whole new level. A school where personalized learning is the foundation and the B.C. curriculum is built upon it like walls on a house. You don’t have to imagine too hard, because a school like this exists and it’s called SelfDesign Learning Community.
There are learners at SelfDesign doing incredible things in this world. They are artists, activists, TEDx speakers….and they’re living proof of what’s possible when you’re allowed to pursue your passions.
Personalized learning is a 21st-century approach to education that puts the needs of the child first because they are a unique individual with their own learning style. At SelfDesign Learning Community, it means the child takes the lead in their own learning.
Principal of SelfDesign Learning Community, Nikki Kenyon, explains SelfDesign learners are the author of their own learning journey and set their own learning path based on their unique passions, interests, skills, and more.
“We follow the B.C. Ministry of Education curriculum, in a way that puts learners at the centre of their learning journey. Learning is a process, not a product, and it’s centred on relationships.”
From Kindergarten to Grade 12, we acknowledge that not all learners learn at the same pace, in the same learning environment, with the same learning style.
SelfDesign’s educators work together with the families to find out what their child’s passions are and create an individualized learning plan. Educators see the parent as the expert; they know their child best – and they seek to support the personalized goals created together with the family.
Kenyon said the learning plans speak to each individual’s unique learning journey and the act of building these individualized learning plans builds partnerships between educators, parents and learners.
“We support each learner individually to meet learning outcomes through the pursuit of their own passions and interests,” said Kenyon. “We support learners of all ages and abilities in authoring their own lives and designing their own learning.”
At SelfDesign, passions are important and in every moment, children are encouraged to explore their interests. It’s not something that has to wait for after school or weekends, it’s a part of each and every day.
Check out this video to find out more about how SelfDesign encourages individuality and nurtures each learner’s passions, interests and skills.
