This Pioneering IT and Design School Is Celebrating 20 Years of Game-Changing Education

Leading IT and Design school, iACADEMY celebrates and prides itself with 20 game-changing years in education resulting in 96% job placement rate and world-class recognition.

iACADEMY was the first to offer Software Engineering, Game Development, Animation, Music and Sound Design degree programs in the Philippines and they continue to spearhead cutting edge programs and learning designs. Now in its 20th year, iACADEMY vows to continue to address the mismatch of graduates and the needs of the industry. iACADEMY remains mission-oriented as it sets its sights on expanding its reach by training more innovative game-changers, strengthening its ties with the industry, and contributing more positive changes through its projects and initiatives. 

ALSO READ: This Modern Campus in Makati Has a 96% Placement Rate for Students and Honestly, Sana All

Adaptability and responsiveness 

Pronounced the most progressive school by the World Economic Magazine in 2021, most innovative education provider by Global Brands Awards, International Business Magazine, and Global Brand Review Magazine, iACADEMY boasts of its swift response to the global challenge that threatened the continuity of education in 2020. 

During the halt of onsite learning, iACADEMY quickly rolled out GOAL or Guided Online Autonomous Learning, which prioritized outcome-based education and incorporated adjustable and adaptive learning arrangements with the main focus on the student’s welfare. In the following year, iACADEMY also launched its pioneering homeschool program DRIVE which allowed non-traditional and unique learning methods, self-paced learning, and flexible learning schedules.

“Needless to say, the pandemic really challenged all of us in so many ways we didn’t imagine. But one of the things that made it easy for us to adapt quickly to our online learning environment is really the foregrounding of iACADEMY students in technology and the digital world. Which I believe, some schools were just learning to adapt when the pandemic happened”, says Cecilia Sy, Vice President for Academic Affairs. 

Alongside the pressing challenges in the socio-economical landscape, iACADEMY constantly innovated its educational programs and collaborated with thought leaders from the industries to ensure graduates will have the core competencies to demonstrate program expertise, professionalism, and the resilience being demanded in the 21st century. These global partnerships include Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (ACCA) for Accountancy, Dolby and Avid for Music Production and Sound Design, Toon Boom for Animation, and Unity for Game Development, among others.

Creative solutions to real-world problems 

Swiftly after the Philippines was put under the community quarantine status, iACADEMY immediately came up with a mobile application called Maze, which was coined the first Physical Distancing App in the Philippines. It aimed to help users determine the density of people present in a particular place real-time and devise a plan to distance themselves from other users. 

The Department of Tourism, which served as iACADEMY’s partner in the rollout of the Maze app, also expressed great delight on how quickly innovators and creative problem solvers in iACADEMY have responded to the call for solidarity during the pandemic. 

Co-Create, iACADEMY’s collaboration with the industry players, also targeted to train iACADEMY students to come up with creative solutions to support the goals of the specific industries they are assigned to partner with. This initiative enabled the students to experience working with professionals, pitching ideas to actual companies, and receiving first-hand feedback from practitioners to improve their skills. 

“This has always been the thrust of iACADEMY, we want to make sure that when students graduate, they are fully equipped, empowered, and highly skilled to bring positive changes to the community. We knew we needed a revolutionary approach to education – one that will guarantee the readiness of our students to face real-world challenges. iACADEMY is definitely one of the few institutions in the Philippines that braved that path and stayed committed to that goal for twenty years”,  shares Raquel Perez-Wong, Chief Operating Officer, iACADEMY. 

Vision Creative Unit 

Elevating the game further is iACADEMY’s latest collaboration with the country’s most sought-after creative professionals, Vision Creative Unit. Consisting of the best and brightest students in the field of arts and design, the Vision Creative Unit aims to closely train and mentor students alongside renowned filmmakers, visual artists, animators, and more. 

To date, the group has held mentorship sessions with Jerrold Tarrog, Director for General Luna; AJ Briones, Animation Director, VFX, and Sequence Supervisor for the AVATAR film; Avid Liongoren, director behind the hybrid live-action and animation feature film Saving Sally; Budjette Tan, co-creator and writer of indie comic sensation Trese; and Whilce Portacio, the legendary comics artist for MARVEL and DC Comics on the Punisher, X-Factor, and X-Men books, and co-creator of fan-favorite X-Men character Bishop, among others. 

Vision Creative Unit also aims to come up with special projects and submit works to various film competitions both here and abroad.

A culture of care 

For 20 years, iACADEMY has stood strong to break the barricades of convention and conformity. Apart from veering away from traditional methods of learning, iACADEMY also provided a safe space for emerging non-binaries (i.e, members of the LGBTQ community), and students who have varying personalities. 

To encourage self-expression and creativity, iACADEMY students are permitted to report to classes in civilian clothes, wear various hair colors, and articulate their experiences through the various out-of-the-box activities in the school. 

A sturdy support system is also ensured through initiatives like DigiPeers and Therapets, where students may voice out concerns and receive guidance and support from their peer counselors, and students are given animal-assisted guidance for comfort, companionship, and inspiration

“We are not just a mere institution. Parents who entrust their children to us are entrusting changemakers to whom we have a task of molding to become key players and great leaders in the future. Students gain a strong support system in iACADEMY and learn life skills from the influences in our community. Their values are shaped by culture in our school. They are spending their formative years with us and we will not let that opportunity to groom creative geniuses and innovative leaders go to waste”, says Alexandra Gozum, Senior Manager for Admissions, Corporate Communications, and Alumni Relations Office. 

Game-changing heroes 

This 2022, iACADEMY celebrated its 20th founding year anniversary with the theme “Discover Game Changers: Heroes Unleashed”, with the goal to recognize the people behind the institution’s success for the past two decades. 

“We have played the long game because we really owe it to the concerted efforts of our staff, teachers, alumni, students, parents, and partners. After the countless awards and recognitions we have not rested on our laurels. We continued to toil day and night, consult experts, and think about the next big thing. I think it’s a good disposition in life – to know there’s always something to learn. I’m happy and proud to say that iACADEMY has established that kind of culture. Having said that, I’m certain we will go far and beyond”, shares Vanessa Tanco, President and CEO of iACADEMY. 

In 2021, iACADEMY was also recognized internationally as the Best New School for Music Production and Technology by International Business Magazine Awards, Most Innovative Design School by Global Brand Awards, and the Leading Computing, Business and Liberal Arts, and Design Education Provider by World Business Outlook. Focused on changing the game in its 20th year and beyond, iACADEMY continues to seek potential change-makers in SHS and College and hone them to be the next key players and leaders that will transform our communities, our country, and the world. 

For more information, visit iACADEMY.edu.ph.