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This Innovative School’s SHS-to-College Program is so Seamless, You’ll Wonder Why Not All Schools Do It

Throughout the past eight years since Senior High School was integrated into the countryโ€™s educational system, one academic institution seemed to have navigated the transition better than any other school in the country. This Makati-based institution managed to create a Senior High School experience that ties in so seamlessly with their College program, youโ€™ll wonder why not all schools in the Philippines offer the same. This institution? iACADEMY.

iACADEMY Nexus scaledThe new iACADEMY NEXUS building in Makati, built in 2018.

iACADEMY, as an Information and Communications Technology Institution, has always been progressive, with specialized programs that are technology-focused and industry-relevant. Their modernistic approach to education has earned them recognition and graduates that are making waves here and abroad. In 2020, iACADEMY won an international award from the UK-based publication Global Brands. They were recognized as Most Innovative Education Provider โ€” the only school in the Philippines to get such international distinction.

This world-class innovation is whatโ€™s also at the core of their Senior High School and College experience. While other schools and universities treat their Senior High School and College as two separate programs, iACADEMY manages theirs as one and continuing, with their College program tailored to further develop the fundamentals already established in their Senior High School curriculum. They call this their Enhanced Program.

Here are some other factors that separate iACADEMYโ€™s Enhanced Program from other schools:

Students wonโ€™t have to repeat foundational subjects.

iACADEMY 6Students exploring displays at a PBL (Project-Based Learning) exhibit,
which is held every semester to showcase student projects

Because most colleges in the Philippines (including top universities) manage their Senior High School and College departments separately, the tendency is that once Senior High graduates enter College, theyโ€™ll have to take all foundational subjects again. Which is a bit counterproductive, isnโ€™t it? At iACADEMY, students donโ€™t have to retake some foundational subjects once they continue on to college and start with the Enhanced Program.

iACADEMY has modified the standard curriculum and replaced some foundational subjects in their College program with special and advanced subjects instead. These advanced subjects are meant to enhance and add to the fundamentals taught in their Senior High School. That way, the program is not repetitive and will instead allow their students to progress and level up continually. This is how iACADEMY puts it: fundamentals in Senior High, actual problem-solving in College.

Of course, this is only applicable to students who took their Senior High at iACADEMY and are continuing on to college there, too. If a student is a transferee, since they have not taken iACADEMYโ€™s specialized SHS courses, they will be required to go through the standard program and retake all the foundational subjects that are standard and same with other schools.

Their advanced subjects are courses youโ€™ll actually use in the real world.

iACADEMY 2iACADEMY students hands-on learning with Peter Brown,
animator for FOX TV’s Family Guy and Disney’s Lilo and Stitch

Itโ€™s a common gripe youโ€™ll hear from working professionals โ€” they feel their college curriculum didnโ€™t really prepare them for the real world, and most of what they know now as professionals, they just learned from experience.

But not at iACADEMY. That is why their Enhanced Program is so important. It helps deepen their Senior High studentsโ€™ knowledge as they enter College, so they can actually learn advanced and specialized subjects applicable in their field.

For example, in their Marketing Management course, foundational subjects like Principles of Management and Fundamentals of Accounting are modified under their Enhanced Program. They are instead replaced with the subjects Mobile Commerce and Apps and Social Media and Marketing, respectively. Social media and the digital world now play a huge role in marketing, so traditional ways of teaching this subject also need an upgrade. And this is just one example. Itโ€™s advanced customizations like this that iACADEMY puts in place as part of their seamless SHS-to-College experience.

The consistency and โ€œCulture of Care.โ€

iACADEMY 4CNN Philippines featured iACADEMY students after developing the “BEN” app,
standing for “Bullying Ends Now.” The app allows students who are victims and witnesses of bullying
to report incidents anonymously for proper investigation and intervention

Mitch Andaya, The Dean of iACADEMYโ€™s School of Computing, has explained this: โ€œThe primary reason why they should continue [at iACADEMY] is the consistency.โ€ According to him, success lies in consistency and continuity. iACADEMYโ€™s Enhanced Program that covers both their Senior High School and College departments promises exactly this.

There is deliberate continuity established here. Through their curriculum that aims to enhance student experience from Senior High, as they enter college, iACADEMY is confident in their graduatesโ€™ knowledge and skills. This allows them to hone their students further in College by introducing advanced subjects designed to add value to what they already know.

Raquel Perez, Chief Marketing Officer shares, “This type of close attention to detail also reflects the institutionโ€™s culture of care. The attention to the studentsโ€™ needs, as well as the patience and support extended during their transition from SHS to College, are also qualities you wonโ€™t see in every other school.”

As Jake Aragon, the Principal of iACADEMYโ€™s Senior High School, puts it, their aim is not just for their students to finish, but for them to excel.

Why Two Years is Not Enough

i Academy 9

Want to learn more about iACADEMYโ€™s Enhanced Senior High School-to-College Program? Watch this video to understand why two years is not enough in Senior High School and why your child should continue on to College at iACADEMY.

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iACADEMY

Location:
7434 iACADEMY Nexus Yakal St. Bgy. San Antonio 1203 Makati
City

Website:
www.iacademy.edu.ph

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iACADEMY

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@iacademy_edu

Email:
inquire@iacademy.edu.ph