Innovation at AIS
At Agnes Irwin, you'll find kindergarteners coding robots, fifth graders building 3D models of the Nile River, eighth graders designing video games to explain the principles of Reaganomics, and upper schoolers using design-thinking principles to construct product prototypes.
We encourage our girls to create, explore, and innovate. Collaborate. Think about problems from a new angle. We have two campus spaces dedicated to discovery, and partner with teachers to bring innovative teaching practices to life in our classrooms.
The iTeam partners with teachers to create new projects, or revamp existing projects, to better engage students in meaningful, authentic learning experiences. They offer brainstorming help, design projects, or provide resources and extra sets of hands to transform ideas into reality.
Throughout the year, the iTeam organizes and leads professional development opportunities for teachers to learn about new tech tools, project ideas, or teaching approaches. In addition to organizing workshops for several inservice days, the team also regularly hosts informal "pop-up PD" sessions during teacher lunch hours and other free periods.
The iTeam also oversees Agnes Irwin's Legacy Through Leadership program, an innovation-focused faculty fellowship funded by an E.E. Ford Foundation grant. The iTeam mentors our Innovation Fellows throughout the three-year program. (More on that below.)
Legacy Through Leadership Program
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“Innovation” encompasses much more than the use of technology. Project-based learning, design thinking and interdisciplinary instruction are all key aspects of an AIS education, along with other tools for teaching in student-centered and meaningful ways.