At Nova Pioneer we are focused on developing a generation of leaders and Innovators.
The Hallmark course is a unique course designed for learners at Nova Pioneer.
The Hallmark course focuses on students’ character, capabilities and connection through purposeful weekly lessons and culminating projects each term.
All Nova Pioneer secondary students attend two Hallmark lessons each week centrally designed by a team of learning designers, post-school success teammates, and instructional leaders. It’s facilitated by a dedicated team of teachers at each campus. Each Form has a different focus- we hope you enjoy learning more about each year’s course below!
Form 1: Looking Inward
In Form 1, students hone in on Character, reflecting deeply on their values and beliefs, how their life experiences have shaped them, and their personal strengths. They work to deepen their connections with one another, exploring how they can work with others, appreciate others’ diversity, and resolve conflicts with one another. Finally, they look outside of themselves to identify a cause they care about that they want to pursue further.
Form 2: Learning From Our Past, Re-Framing Our Future
In Form 2, students develop their Capabilities through the Big Africa History Course, exploring world history from an African perspective and learning how the past has shaped our present. In the first two terms, students study the history of the Continent, global interconnection, and economic and technological acceleration.
In the final term, students look to the next threshold and explore how they as young Africans can reclaim the African narrative and shape the African century.
Form 3: The Many Ways of Making Change
Form 3 students complete the Change maker Academy course with a focus on further developing their Capabilities, learning how to solve real-world problems through the frameworks of innovation, social entrepreneurship, and leadership.
In the Innovation pathway, students practice using the human-centered design process to tackle a community problem.
In the Entrepreneurship pathway, students get acquainted with the Business Model Canvas tool and design their own social business.
Finally, in the Leadership pathway, students learn leadership competencies such as ethical leadership and decision-making, communicating effectively, managing and leading others, and mobilizing change.
At the end of their Changemaker journey, students select a Changemaker pathway to pursue into their Form 4 Capstone Experience.
Form 4: Putting Ideas in Action
In the Form 4 Capstone Experience, students make Connections beyond their immediate school environment by identifying a real-world problem they’d like to solve, putting together a project plan and proposal for their solution, and then implementing their projects throughout the course of two terms.
Each week, students work with their Capstone groups on their projects, documenting their work and checking in with their Capstone Mentors to tackle any challenges that arose during implementation.
At the end of implementation, students then present their projects to the greater Nova Pioneer community in a Capstone Showcase event.
We are currently piloting Nova Pioneer’s first Capstone Experience at our Tatu Boys campus this term with our Form 3 students, and will launch with our Tatu Girls Form 3 students in January. Stay tuned for a more in-depth blog post on their progress!
