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Keeping pace with times

Here are five emerging trends in independent education: 1. The Arts In the 21st-century classroom, schools are redefining what it means to be “smart” through unconventional means: the arts.

Here are five emerging trends in independent education:
1. The Arts
In the 21st-century classroom, schools are redefining what it means to be “smart” through unconventional means: the arts.
Research shows that studying the arts may not only help students get good grades, but is linked to social and emotional development, problem solving, cognitive ability, critical thinking, creativity, empathy, innovation, collaboration, leadership and a wide range of higher-order thinking skills.
Exposure to the arts, namely music, has been found to help children in academic areas including math and languages, while also boosting their intelligence, attention and memory.
2. Science & Technology
As technology evolves at a head- spinning pace, many independent schools forge ahead as digital innovators.
With the financial resources in place, independent schools are equipped to move ahead with the adoption and implementation of new technologies to prepare students for university and beyond.
Taking technology to the next level, private schools have been opening students up to some of the best learning opportunities, including robotics co-curricular programs, interactive software in the physics lab and innovative online classes.
3. Environment
For today’s digitally savvy youth, nature is often far from their minds. Spending more time with video games, smartphones, computers and TV has contributed to the widespread onset of nature-deficit disorder, a term coined by author and environmental activist Richard Louv, which links behavioural problems in young people to lack of outdoor exposure.
Independent schools across Canada have made it an integral part of their mission to teach environmental education. Many now realize that in order to get students to care about environmental protection and sustainability, they must first help them build a hands-on relationship with nature.
4. Global Environment
A new generation of global citizens is being educated in independent schools across the country. Whether travelling abroad to help a community in need, learning a new language or developing diversity awareness initiatives in their own classrooms, independent school students have more opportunities than ever to broaden their knowledge and understanding of international perspectives to help them integrate into a multicultural world.
5. Health
A school’s responsibility is to raise healthy students, not just educate them. That’s what psychologist and mental health advocate Dr. Adam Cox believes is essential to fostering healthy schools.
Health and wellness has become more of a priority for schools today given the significant increase in stress, anxiety and depression among North American youth.
, coupled with numerous high-profile cases of suicides and bullying. While many factors such as genetics and biology contribute to mental health issues, environmental influences, including an increased pressure to succeed and fit in, are weighing on many young people.
When it comes to stamping out bullying and nurturing a supportive community, private schools have stepped up to the plate with extensive health and wellness programs, counseling services, and mental health resources to help students get support, cope and thrive. With a focus on prevention, private schools are able to boost self-confidence, self-awareness, and engagement in learning and wellness.
“We recognize and accept that children and adolescents struggle with similar emotional, social and mental health issues as adults do, and these can significantly impact their academic experience if not supported appropriately,” says Jana-Lynn Caines, a psychologist and school counselor at Rundle Academy in Calgary.
Many private schools are also giving students the opportunity to discover their own purpose and meaning in life-the key, according to Dr. Cox, to a happy, well-adjusted child. It’s no longer just about treating stress, anxiety and other mental health issues, but also about helping students move beyond the pressures they’re experiencing to a place of personal empowerment.
According to Dr. Cox, who works with private and public schools across North America, the new focus is to help students find their vocation by having them participate in self-guided projects and service-learning opportunities of their choice, from volunteering at a hospital cancer unit to working alongside marine biologists. “It helps to develop the child’s self- awareness, and reinforces that happiness and a sense of purpose is less a matter of luck than design,” he says.
In the end, empowering youth to take responsibility for their learning has proven beneficial to their overall mental health. In many private schools where teachers provide individualized attention, students are being given hands-on opportunities to learn and grow at their own pace, helping to boost their self-confidence.