DISTINCTIVES

Students are taught the skills to successfully work together with learning partners.

Working together to solve real-life problems develops students’ critical thinking and communication skills. They come to understand the value of teamwork by sharing their ideas, getting feedback, and experiencing the great satisfaction that comes from their team’s success.

To prepare Hope Academy students for meaningful and productive careers, they are challenged to articulate their learning to multiple audiences.

When such articulation is coupled with project-based learning—the opportunity to dream, to plan, to build, and to present a finished project—students are instilled with confidence and are better prepared for success within higher education and work environments.

Too often we give children answers to remember rather than problems to solve. Hope Academy is building a learning environment in which students can be innovative thinkers, learners and makers as they prepare for the future.

Increasing access to quality hands-on STEM education is inspiring interest in—and developing increased aptitude toward—science and math. We have contracted with a non-profit to supply Lab-in-a-Box experiments, as well as professional development for science teachers.

Students consistently exceed basic recall tasks in Hope Academy’s unique learning environment. To prepare students for today’s competitive world, they are exposed to deeper understanding and higher levels of thinking.

Stanford Mobile Inquiry-based Learning Environment (SMILE) is educational technology that engages students in inquiry, critical reasoning and problem solving. SMILE is designed to push for higher-order learning skills, which include applying, analyzing, evaluating and creating.

Video: https://gse-it.stanford.edu/smile

We strive to inspire students to be thinkers, researchers, and reflectors. We prepare our students to be life-long learners.

For example, each Hope Academy student Std IV and above has their own “Foldscope” with which to independently explore their own ”microcosmos.”

NOTE: Foldscope is the ultra-affordable, paper microscope developed at Stanford University. It is extremely portable, durable, and provides optical quality similar to conventional research microscopes (magnification of 140X and 2 micron resolution).
(SEE: www.foldscope.com)

Hope Educational Society owns slightly more than 6 acres of land. This amount of land is more than sufficient to permit the development of a student garden on site.

We need to start early to teach our children to love, value and tend the soil—as well as the life and produce it brings.

Inclusive education aims at integrated development of children with special needs and typical children through mainstream schooling. All children—whether they are disabled or not—have the right to education; they are the future citizens of India. For Hope Academy, inclusion is a value to be followed.

By use of accessibility ramps and an elevator in HA (2.0), we have the opportunity to make this entire school accessible to children with special needs. (SEE: design plan to provide for inclusive classrooms.)

The ability to run and play is not only key to good overall health but improves balance, coordination, and higher cognitive functions.

HA students learn that ample physical activity, healthy choices and balanced nutrition will set them up for longer and healthier lives.

There is nothing like a great friend! Our students learn to work together, to share, and to help one another. They develop into compassionate, generous members of their communities.

It is important for students to have times of quiet and peace, times for personal reflection and opportunities to seek hope and meaning for their future.  We explore topics such as identity, community and integrity. We discuss the benefits and costs of personally emphasizing service to others in work and family. We enable our students to reflect on, freely consider, and come to their own informed conclusions about religious beliefs and spiritual practices.  Our intention is to live out the essential characteristics of Hope Academy—while demonstrating sincere respect for the diversity that is found within our student body and community.