City Links
City Links taps the extensive resources of the City to produce a broad-based experiential learning process that supplements theoretical knowledge gained from conventional classroom and curriculum learning. In these circumstances St Andrew's students add learnt and observed knowledge to conventional education situations.
City Links offers more than a new alternative to gain knowledge and broaden learning. City Links involves a fundamental re-orientation in the methodology by which students gather information, how they assess resources for learning and how they sharpen their personal and interpersonal skills. City Links offers new ways of assembling and evaluating knowledge and experience.
While this participatory role is highly informative because City Links is interactive, students are introduced to the wider field of personal development which broadens young people's personal, psychological, communication and social skills. These skills equip students for tertiary study or students gain greater appreciation of workforce employment conditions or work expectations. The process of interaction, positively reinforces students' personalities, experiences and learning expectations.
City Links expands students' personal, inter-personal and motivational skills and develops all-round maturity all of which are highly desirable qualitative outcomes in the context of learning and employment in the new millennium.
These new learning processes are implemented under the School's strategic plan to engage the City in three main ways:
- The School is implementing an integrated and sequential teaching and learning programme within nominated curriculum guidelines incorporating key competencies and generic employability skills as prescribed within the national goals for schooling. The progressive development of this innovative programme will lead to the School seeking course accreditation through the Board of Studies for programmes related to Stage 4 and 5 curriculums. A Primary component for Stage 3 studies will be designed and implemented to produce an integrated teaching and learning package for younger students.
- The integration of such learning will be accompanied by professional development and staff training schemes that will involve, among other initiatives, staff placements, shadowing, mentor and exchange programmes with local and international organisations and businesses.
- Year 10 and 11 students will participate in an expanded placement programme with city organisations to develop inter-personal skills, communication and project management skills plus research and investigative opportunities related to either tertiary study or workplace employability awareness.
David Hawkes
City Links Coordinator
