Learning Framework
Learn How AME Works
Discover how AME moves from foundation to daily practice. It begins with the biological and relational conditions that make learning possible, then shifts from standardization to meaning through a neuroscience-aligned approach, followed by a Curiosity-to-Contribution learning journey. Finally, see how the entire model unfolds in the rhythm of a structured AME school day.
The AME Approach
The Always Meaningful Education (AME) Approach is a neuroscience-aligned, curiosity-driven way of learning that helps students understand how their brain and body learn, why their learning matters, and who they are becoming in the process.​ AME grows from strong biological and relational foundations, moves through curiosity and creation, and culminates in meaningful contribution, identity, and purpose. It is learning designed for human beings — dynamic, relational, and rooted in meaning.
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For example, a learner curious about oceans might research marine ecosystems, create a visual project or presentation, and share their findings through a community exhibition — turning curiosity into real-world contribution.
The Roots
Learning Grows From the Inside Out
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In AME, meaningful learning begins with roots — the biological and relational foundations that make curiosity, attention, and growth possible. Before a learner can explore ideas, they must feel safe, connected, regulated, and aware of themselves.
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The AME roots include:​
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Safety (physical + emotional)
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Relationship & Connection
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Regulation (nervous system state)
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Identity & Self-Awareness
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Self-Care & Daily Practices
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These roots prepare the brain and body for inquiry, creativity, thinking, and meaningful contribution.
The AME Shift
AME moves education from compliance to consciousness. Instead of focusing on what to teach and when, it centers on why learning matters and how students grow through it.
Learning begins with curiosity and relevance — not age or grade level. Students don’t just absorb information; they learn how to learn through neuroscience-based strategies that strengthen memory, flexibility, and real-world application.
This is learning as a lifelong process of becoming — building knowledge, awareness, adaptability, and identity.
Who Learners Become
Growing From the Present Self Toward the Future Self
AME helps learners understand who they are now — and who they can become. Students develop the ability to regulate their attention and emotions, to reflect on their strengths, and to make intentional choices aligned with their future selves.
This journey strengthens self-awareness, purpose, emotional intelligence, and inner capability.
The 3Cs
The AME Learning Journey
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In the AME journey, Creation is the stage where learners take their curiosity and begin to make something with it – designing, building, experimenting, writing, or producing a concrete output that shows their thinking and understanding. It is the hands‑on phase where ideas move from the mind into visible form through projects, prototypes, stories, artwork, performances, and other creations.
Creation – The Seedling
Turning curiosity into something tangible: learners design, build, experiment, and create projects that show their understanding and bring their ideas to life.
Curiosity — The Seed
Learning how to learn through neuroscience:
Mindset • Motivation • Methods
Exploring curiosity through interdisciplinary lenses and developing understanding through input (learning) and output (application).
Contribution — The Fruit
Turning learning into purpose: real-world application, creativity, collaboration, and meaningful impact.
Exploring Curiosity Through Multiple Lenses
How Students Explore What They’re Curious About
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In AME, students explore their curiosity through multiple academic and real-world perspectives:
science, math, literacy, geography, history, art, identity, and purpose.
This interdisciplinary approach deepens understanding and strengthens flexible thinking.
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Combined with the 3Ms — Mindset, Motivation, and Methods — this phase teaches learners the most important skill of all: how to learn.
THE AME FRAMEWORK
The AME Model is a living philosophy and framework for human development — helping young people evolve from self-awareness to self-realization, and from curiosity to collective contribution.
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In the AME learning model students grow themselves in both content and life skills as they discover a new topic born from their curiosity. Once they have dedicated time to inputting new skills and knowledge, they decide how to use the output phase of the learning journey to apply what they learned towards amelioration. Its always meaningful education.
Students learn:
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Neuroplasticity – how their brain adapts and changes through experience.
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Memory – how to encode, store, and retrieve information effectively.
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Cognitive flexibility – how to shift perspectives and problem-solve creatively.
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Emotional regulation – how stress and focus impact learning.
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Metacognition – how to reflect on and improve their own thinking.
Students engage with research in neuroscience and well-being to understand how thoughts, emotions, and physical health shape learning.
This is reinforced through practices such as:
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Meditation & mindfulness – improving focus and reducing stress.
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Journaling & reflection – strengthening awareness and critical thinking.
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Physical well-being – understanding how sleep, movement, and nutrition impact performance.
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Goal-setting science – using habits and motivation strategies to achieve meaningful goals.
By combining science with lived experience, students build self-awareness and learn how to optimize their growth.
Through experimentation, students discover how they learn best by exploring:
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Visualization & mental mapping – using imagery and connections to strengthen memory.
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Kinesthetic learning – learning through movement and hands-on activity.
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Auditory strategies – listening, repetition, and sound association.
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Music & rhythm – enhancing memory through pattern and sound.
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Chunking & pattern recognition – organizing complex ideas into meaningful parts.
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Interleaving & retrieval practice – mixing subjects and testing recall to strengthen long-term memory.
In the Output Phase, students apply learning in real-world contexts — turning knowledge into action.
They develop:
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Communication – expressing ideas clearly across formats.
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Collaboration – working in teams to solve real challenges.
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Strategic execution – planning, iterating, and bringing ideas to life.
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Critical thinking – analyzing problems and designing solutions.
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Creativity & innovation – transforming ideas into meaningful projects.
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Community impact – creating solutions that benefit others.
An AME School Day
For micro-schools, homeschools, and innovative schools who want a full-day model grounded in the AME framework.
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At Always Meaningful Education, each school day is intentionally designed to regulate the body, activate curiosity, strengthen executive functions, build skills, and guide learners toward meaningful creation and contribution.
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We currently serve learners ages 4–15 (so far), though AME is not age-limited. The AME Approach adapts to different developmental stages and supports mixed-age, interest-driven learning across all levels.​
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Morning Self-Care & Regulation
Every AME day begins with somatic and neuroscience-aligned practices that regulate the nervous system and prepare the whole learner for engagement:
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Breathwork
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Qigong and movement
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Grounding and sensory awareness
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Meditation or visualization
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Gratitude
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Journaling
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Emotional / interoceptive check-in
These practices create the brain–body state required for curiosity, focus, emotional resilience, and learning.
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Morning Meeting (Executive Function & Intentionality)
After regulation, we gather for our morning meeting. Here, learners:
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Set intentions and goals for the day
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Practice planning and prioritization
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Organize tasks and time
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Activate curiosity (“What are you wondering about today?”)
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Make their thinking visible​
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We often ask questions like:
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“How do you plan to grow your brain today?”
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“How do you plan to grow yourself today?”
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This intentional routine is grounded in neuroscience: when learners set clear goals in a regulated state, their attention, motivation, and memory are significantly strengthened.
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Independent Learning Blocks (Personalized Skill Development)
Independent learning time supports both academic growth and each learner’s broader AME Learning Journey. During these blocks, students engage in:
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MAP-aligned skill development
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Student-generated data tracking (students collect, analyze, and use their own learning data)
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AI-driven personalized academic growth
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Literacy and numeracy development
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Research and writing
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Interest-based deep dives and projects
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Executive function practice (planning, task initiation, chunking, follow-through)
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Skill mastery cycles (for all ages, based on readiness—not age)
In AME, readiness drives learning, not grade level. A younger learner might be building a museum exhibit or storybook; an older learner might be writing a book, filming a documentary, or designing a project with real-world impact.
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Progress Meeting (Reflecting on Brain Growth & Strategies)
After independent learning blocks, we come back together for a Progress Meeting. This is where we:
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Share what skills we worked on
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Explain what strategies we used
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Reflect on how well we met the goals we set in the morning meeting
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Identify how we grew our brain and ourselves
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Notice which methods helped us focus, remember, and understand
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Adjust plans or strategies if needed
The key reflective questions here are:
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“How did you grow your brain today?”
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“Which strategies worked best for you?”
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“What might you do differently next time?”
This builds metacognition, self-awareness, and ownership over learning. Students are not just doing tasks; they are learning how they learn.
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Collaborative Creation & Contribution Work
After the Progress Meeting, students move into a collaborative block. Here, they:
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Work together toward shared goals
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Plan and build outputs as a group
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Combine strengths and interests
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Solve problems collectively
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Support each other’s roles and responsibilities
This block can focus on: Internal Outputs (within our immediate AME community)​
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Presentations to peers
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Shared exhibitions or classroom “museums”
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Demonstrations of learning
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Peer teaching or explaining concepts
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Drafting and refining creative or academic products
and/or
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Real-World Contribution Work (beyond our immediate AME community)
This is where learners begin or continue the outward-facing contribution phase of their AME Learning Journey, applying their learning in wider contexts, such as:
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Publishing books (print or digital)
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Creating rap videos, music, or performance pieces
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Designing museums and exhibitions for families or the community
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Producing news broadcasts, interviews, or films
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Building YouTube channels or digital storytelling projects
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Designing workshops or teaching sessions for others
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Developing environmental or community service projects
In this block, students are either:
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sharing their outputs within the immediate group, or
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designing, building, or delivering work intended for a larger audience (families, the local community, or global viewers).
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Reflection & Closing Ritual
We end each day with a reflection and closing ritual. This may include:
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Emotional and energetic check-ins
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Gratitude and celebrations
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Sharing wins and challenges
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Reflecting on progress toward personal and group goals
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Revisiting how they grew their brain and themselves
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Memory-strengthening review (recalling key ideas or strategies)
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Gentle down-regulation of the nervous system
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This closing process helps consolidate learning, supports healthy closure, and prepares the mind and body for rest and the next day.
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Mixed-Age Learning (Ages 4–15 So Far)
AME intentionally brings learners of different ages together. Mixed-age learning:
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Strengthens leadership and mentorship
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Deepens empathy and communication
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Mirrors real-world environments more accurately than age-segregated classrooms
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Allows students to learn at a pace that matches their readiness and curiosity
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Enhances social, emotional, and cognitive flexibility
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Our current learners range from 4 to 15 years old (so far), and the approach scales naturally beyond that range.
Weekly Highlights: Class Dojo Reports
This section showcases weekly snapshots of learning in action:
Self-care practices, morning meetings, independent learning, progress meetings, collaborative creation, and community contribution.
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Below you can find summaries of some of the AME Learning Journeys that have taken place around the world. These examples highlight how curiosity-driven, interdisciplinary learning unfolds in real environments, showing how students explore meaningful questions, collaborate, and share their discoveries with their communities.
Stoicism Web App Development
Program Type: Micro School
Location: Philippines
Ages: 11–15
Date: September 2025
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Field Notes:
This micro-school cohort spent the fall diving into Stoic philosophy, personal agency, and the neuroscience of emotional regulation. Their curiosity led them to design and build a Stoicism web app for teens, inspired by their own need for accessible emotional tools at school and at home.
Hybrid Sibling Learning Journey
Program Type: Hybrid School / Home Integration
Location: Medellín, Colombia
Ages: 7–9
Date: July 2025
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Field Notes:
Two siblings working across a hybrid model explored learning through multiple daily AME phases: morning self-care, inquiry, independent skill building, and collaborative creation. Their learning journey included advanced math challenges, science explorations, Spanish-English literacy integration, and social-emotional growth.​
Hybrid Sibling Learning Journey
Program Type: Micro School (3-day collaborative workshop)
Location: Boracay, Philippines
Ages: 11–15
Date: April 2025
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Field Notes:
A group of learners designed and hosted a full Sea Life Exhibition inspired by marine biology, ecosystems, and conservation. Students studied ocean zones, species adaptation, symbiosis, coral bleaching, and food webs through guided inquiry and hands-on labs.​
Future News Network
Program Type: Hybrid School
Location: Spain
Ages: 9–12
Date: August 2024
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Field Notes:
During a hybrid homeschool cycle in Spain, students launched the Future News Network, a student-run broadcast channel. Their interest in space, Peru’s canyons, meteor showers, and current science events shaped the content.
Inspired Artists & Cabarete Art Museum
Program Type: AME Full School Program
Location: Cabarete, Dominican Republic
Ages: 6–12
Date: April 2023
Field Notes:
In the Inspired Artists learning journey, students explored the intersection of creativity, science, and community engagement. Through hands-on inquiry, they studied artistic expression while also investigating scientific principles such as motion, balance, and other foundational laws of physics. The project culminated in a community event hosted at an art history museum, where students shared their learning with families and visitors. During the event, children participated in interactive games designed by the students to help them understand different laws of physics the learners had studied throughout the project. This experience allowed students to demonstrate their understanding while engaging the community in meaningful, playful learning.
Cabarete Coconut Christmas
Program Type: AME Full School Program
Location: Cabarete, Dominican Republic
Ages: 6–12
Date: December 2022
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Field Notes:
Students explored the coconut tree as a system—biology, ecology, cultural uses, sustainability, and entrepreneurship. They made baskets from palm fronds, extracted and processed their own coconut oil, decorated jars, and sold the products during a community holiday event.​
Physics Fair
Program Type: Homeschool Cohort
Location: Boracay, Philippines
Ages: 6–10
Date: July 2022
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Field Notes:
This homeschool group engaged in an ambitious deep-dive into physics—motion, force, electricity, optics, magnetism, sound waves, thermodynamics, and even introductory quantum physics.
SMB Kids Academy: Book, Rap Video & YouTube Channel
Program Type: International Cohort
Location: Turks & Caicos
Ages: 6–13
Date: January–April 2021
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Field Notes:
At SMB Kids Academy, students embarked on a rich, interdisciplinary learning journey that combined storytelling, creativity, and collaborative exploration. Throughout the project, learners worked together to research, write, and publish their own book titled “A Journey of Discovery Through Big Blue.”
The book reflects the students’ curiosity, imagination, and growing confidence as creators and storytellers. Their work culminated in the publication of the book, allowing their ideas to reach a broader audience beyond the classroom.
You can view and purchase the book here:
A Journey of Discovery Through Big Blue
https://a.co/d/05HEDNq2
COVID-19: To Fear or Not to Fear?
Program Type: Singapore International Micro School
Location: Singapore
Ages: 5–9
Date: Spring 2020
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Field Notes:
During the COVID-19 learning journey, students explored the science behind global health challenges by studying biology and microbiology, including how bacteria and viruses develop, spread, and impact human health.
As their understanding grew, students synthesized their research and insights into presentations designed to educate others. The project culminated in students preparing and delivering TED-style talks at a junior TED event in Singapore, where they shared their findings and reflections with a wider audience.
Through this experience, learners practiced scientific inquiry, communication, and real-world application of their knowledge.
Testimonials
What Parents Say
“Love This Thank You AI! Tenzin started doing some local beach cleanup here in Santa Monica with her school as well. Thank You for the inspiration.”
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“Just from observing your usual conversation with the kids, I noticed you always connect even the smallest things to your lessons and make it an opportunity for them to learn. So, I got it from you actually. Thank You.”
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“ Honestly, I would describe it that way. The way I see AME is not an education brand. This is a human development movement that happens to work through education. ”
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Thank You Alex!! Much Appreciated. I really Loved watching the videos of all kids describing how they have changed from last year!! Those were amazing. I didn't realize how self-aware those kids are!
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Awesome, Alexandra! We are inspired by your passion and grateful for your hardworking in creating this school.
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