Liger Leadership Academy New Zealand

We have some exciting news! As Queenstown continues to grow, so do the educational needs of our community. We’re proud to announce that Liger Leadership Academy is supporting the launch of Queenstown’s first charter school, which will be operated by Manawaroa Education and use the Liger Learning Framework! Just as we have done since 2021, this future-focused charter school will provide innovative, project-based learning experiences embedded in the Queenstown community, helping our young people develop the skills they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world. But we need your support to bring this to life! Manawaroa Education has started a petition to establish the school, and we need your voice to show that Queenstown is ready for more educational options. Please share this petition and post around with your networks! https://lnkd.in/gFQA6CfY In the meantime, Liger will be operating as usual at our current facility in Five Mile. In fact, our founders Trevor and Agnieszka Gile have just announced that they are personally gifting 10 full scholarships for new students who register to enrol for 2025. You can start the application process by expressing interest on our website! www.ligeracademy.org.nz

As technological advancements accelerate all around us, the challenge isn't just how to keep up, but how to prepare learners to lead the way. We're excited to announce the continuation of Liger Academy's Future Series, now reimagined as 'Fridays for the Future.' This initiative is designed to empower our students to become architects of the future by understanding and harnessing the potential of emerging technologies for positive change. We are honoured to welcome AJ Mason, a distinguished Kiwi Technology Strategist and Astrophysicist, to lead this series. Under his guidance, our students will explore cutting-edge fields such as AI & Robotics, Biotech, the Metaverse, and Space technology. They will delve into how these innovations can address global challenges like climate change, social equity, and biodiversity loss. We warmly invite educators, community members, and industry professionals to join us on this exciting journey https://lnkd.in/g6ath5DZ

There are so many benefits when learning is done with, and for, community.

Adam Grant's exploration of prosocial skills in 'Hidden Potential' resonates deeply with our mission at Liger Academy. We're committed to fostering a learning environment where cooperation, empathy, and altruism flourish. Our Exploration courses guide students to engage with real-world issues and collaborate on meaningful community projects. By instilling a sense of collective responsibility and empathy for others, we prepare students for active citizenship and community leadership. At Liger Academy, we believe education extends beyond the classroom, empowering students to make a tangible impact in society. By prioritising prosocial behaviours, we can not only enhance academic success but also grow essential life skills. https://lnkd.in/d4bgvEuy

Thank you Claire Amos for the chance to connect and share a little about our mission at Liger Leadership Academy New Zealand with the DisruptEd community. We are filled with hope and optimism and look forward to connecting with like minded educators in NZ and worldwide.

Hard to believe we are already in April! Check out a great summary of our first term by our Deputy Principal Andrew Corney below. ⬇ ⬇ ⬇

Exciting news out of the USC Rossier School of Education that has important implications for the design of middle and high schools. Engaging learners in civically minded educational approaches supports transcendent thinking and builds cognitive and emotional development. The research found that adolescents who are exposed to regular transcendent experiences can surpass the ordinary boundaries of cognition and emotion. They state, “The more a teen grappled with the bigger picture and tried to learn from the stories, the more that teen increased the coordination between brain networks over the next two years, regardless of their IQ or their socioeconomic status”. It’s great to see this study confirming what Liger Academy has known for a long time; that weaving transcendent dimensions into the fabric of learning creates extraordinary learning experiences, cultivates curiosity, and forges deeper connections through making deeper meaning of the social world. Liger Explorations, our impact projects, connect our learners with issues and people in the real world and have learners grappling with complex perspectives, stories and situations. This is just one way that we support our learner’s emerging capacity to make deep meaning of the world and self. Added bonus, we have seen a huge increase in passion, motivation and unity as our learners develop their civic mindedness and community leadership ability.  What does your school do to promote transcendent thinking? https://lnkd.in/gYzZyJPX

Liger Speak: EXTENSIONS Extensions are extracurricular learning beyond the school day to develop well-rounded, healthy and creative individuals. Liger offers a variety of activities including sports and wellbeing, technology, creative arts, community and philanthropic action, academic studies and passion projects.

Liger Speak: EXPERTISE Expertise classes are opportunities to purposefully engage community and industry experts in the Liger Learning Model. Often focused on STEAM, Expertise sessions enable our learners to engage with a wide variety of professionals, deepening knowledge and undertaking challenges using the design thinking process.

Liger Speak: ESSENTIALS Essentials are a set of core classes providing our Liger students with an academically rigorous, internationally recognized curriculum. These are STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, mathematics) courses blended with language arts, the humanities and physical education.