Escola Concept Visit
by Jacky Marchan
For my blog, I will be reflecting on our visit to the Escola Concept, a private school in one of Sao Paulo’s most upscale neighborhoods. When we arrived, it was apparent how different this school visit would be. First, we were greeted by security guards at the door, highlighting the heightened security. This was a drastic change from the University of Sao Paulo, where security cameras were merely apparent. Furthermore, walking into the first space for the day, a conference room, I could not help but notice its interior design with the majority of the room consisting of a sleek wood seating area. The tour that followed our information session further highlighted the beautiful and creative interior design of this institution’s spaces.
However, what stood out to me the most from our visit was the faculty, student body, and approach to education that the school exhibited. From the start, our interactions with the staff, especially the assistant director, were quite pleasant and hospitable. The information session was rich with information and made a welcoming space for us to ask questions. Their decision to introduce to us some of their students right from the beginning was another great component. I appreciate how the information session included student opinions and perspectives, which I thought were effective in giving us first-hand accounts of student experiences here. Through all of this, I was truly able to get a good understanding of the approaches that Escola Concept has when it comes to education and, overall, the kind of institution that this is.
From the information session, I had a couple of takeaways. One of them was how much the school administration perceives and encourages making connections or, what we all know as networking whether that is through partnerships or one on one. Additionally, their global approach as mentioned in their mission statement of cultivating “globally and digitally fluent” learners was something else that stood out to me. I appreciate that this school recognizes how interconnected our world has become and the importance of finding ways to bridge connections, such as by offering English courses for their students. Lastly, and what stood out to me the most, was the emphasis on the retaining of course content. The students did not only show up to school to learn material but actively worked towards mastering it. For example, exam retakes are offered all across the board and, even then, these assessments do not make up a large portion of student grades. As lifelong learners, I think that this is an approach we should all get behind in academic settings and even within our own personal lives.
