- Citizens School becomes first school in the world to adopt co-creation and design thinking methodologies to develop an enhanced learners’ curriculum through the Citizens Learning Labs
- Citizens Learning Labs will redesign the current curriculum using innovative and entrepreneurial techniques typically used in Fortune 500 companies
Dubai, United Arab Emirates; 13 April 2023: Citizens School and GHD, the professional services consultancy, have today announced a new partnership aimed at restructuring how the School continuously develops its offering.
Citizens Learning Labs will seeCitizens School, working with GHD, providing a collaborative space and engagement programme for staff, parents and thought-leaders. The program’s goal is to continuously enhance all aspects of School operations starting with the reiteration of its curriculum and re-imagining the traditional curriculum design experience.
In this first-of-its-kind project, Citizens School and GHD are adopting approaches, thinking and methodologies typically applied in the corporate world and adapting them to an education institution.
Citizens Learning Labs will bring together not only staff but will also involve parents and subject experts working together to enhance the overall learning experience for learners. This will include design challenges, innovation coaching and collaborative facilitation assignments aimed at creating a culture based on empathy and collaboration and encourages innovative mindsets.
Dr. Adil Alzarooni, Founder of Citizens School said: “At Citizens School our learning philosophy is aimed at enhancing quality of life by building future-ready mindsets, in both our learners and staff. Mindsets that are ready to seize opportunities, lead change and understand that success and failure are necessary for personal growth. Through this partnership with GHD, we will be working on further developing our curriculum using agile venture building methodologies, to enable us to create an enhanced learning experience giving staff and learners alike an approach to education that includes purpose-led innovation”.
Hisham Hodroge, CEO at Citizens School added: “In order for us to achieve our goals of reimagining education for our learners, we need to challenge the conventional way that schools operate. By empowering our staff and community in developing a culture of co-creation and design thinking, we reinforce the entrepreneurial mindset required to innovate and continuously reiterate our offering to the benefit of our learners and in response to their needs. Partnering with GHD will provide our staff with a framework to collaborate and the resources and support required for such a shift in mindsets.”
Hind El Aoufi, Practice Director Innovation (D-Lab) at GHD, said: “GHD’s innovation practice focuses on purpose-led innovation and transformation, while Citizens School is committed to creating learning experiences for a rapidly-changing world. This is a unique project and partnership and by working with Citizens School, we hope to bridge the gap between education and industry through the power of co-design, collaboration with intent, innovation, empathy and creativity. We share passionately the Citizens’ purpose of reimagining education for the next generation to be future ready, and hope to do so by empowering the school and the community with the mindset and skills required need to tackle complex challenges and drive change”.
About Citizens
Citizens is a visionary new school in Dubai, designed and developed by Al Zarooni Emirates Investments. At its core, Citizens focuses on each child’s unique requirements, empowering them with choices to explore themes, expand interests, and determine the routes that they want to go on to reach their full potential, without compromise.
Influenced by some of the world’s leading cognitive scientists and researchers on education, motivation and mindsets, Citizens’ custom-built curriculum is tailored for each child’s unique strengths and approach to learning, with the UK National Curriculum as its framework. The 43,000-square-meter school campus has capacity for 2,600 children between the ages of three and 18 and features almost 3,000 square meters of open playing space. This includes a multi-purpose performing arts and activity hall, a six-lane swimming pool, and football and rugby pitches adhering to FIFA and World Rugby standards. Learn more at http://citizens.me/
About GHD
GHD is a global network of multi-disciplinary professionals providing clients with integrated solutions through advisory, digital, engineering, environmental, design and construction expertise. Its future-focused, innovative approaches connect and support communities around the world, building resiliency and sustainability for generations to come. GHD has a unique value proposition around Future communities, with a strong focus and capability on the future of work and the future of education.
D-Lab is GHD Digital’s award-winning purpose-led innovation consulting practice, partnering with clients to imagine, transform and innovate their future. Their team of innovation specialists and intrapreneurs work at the intersection of people, business, technology, and creativity, to devise strategies and innovative solutions that deliver exceptional results and create new business value.
GHD is proud to be employee-owned. Employee ownership is at the core of its culture, bringing intrapreneurship and collaboration at the heart of their ways of working, with the purpose to create lasting community benefit in partnership with their clients.