is magazine 8.1 - Autumn/Spring 2005 - International Schools ...

Welcome to Campus des Nations
Welcome to Campus des
Nations
Lesley Stagg describes Ecolint’s new purpose-built
school in Geneva
September 1st 2005 marks an important day in the historical calendar
of the Foundation of the International School of Geneva.
For the first time in its 80 plus years of existence, the Ecolint (as
it is fondly known by locals, staff and alumni) opens a new purpose-built
school. Campus des Nations comprises the existing
Pregny Site (which has been a primary school first for the UN
and then for Ecolint since the 1970s) and a new building known
as Saconnex Site.
Pregny is for the Early Years children aged three through seven
and Saconnex offers primary and secondary education for students
aged seven through 18. Located in the heart of the
International Sector of Geneva, between the International
Labour Organisation, the World Health Organisation and the
World Council of Churches, Campus des Nations is but a stone’s
throw away from the Palais des Nations and overlooks the
International Baccalaureate Organization offices.
The structurally exciting and educationally innovative new
building is the result of an architectural competition won by
CCHE architects from Lausanne. It creates varied learning
spaces, has potential for future development and is light and airy,
as well as sensitive to the ambience of the environment. Despite
being in an urban environment, there is plenty of outdoor space
for play, sports and recreation, and a Jardin du Monde (Garden of
the World) has been incorporated into the landscaping design.
There are also stunning views across Geneva and to Mont Blanc
from the upper floors!
The Campus des Nations offers a fully international programme
for its international student body. It is widely known that
Ecolint was the first school to adopt the IB Diploma programme,
and the PYP has been adopted extensively throughout the
Foundation, with Pregny receiving authorization since 2002, but
it is only with the creation of the new campus that the MYP has
been chosen for the education of students aged 11 through 16.
Thus, Campus des Nations has become the only campus in the
Foundation offering the full range of IBO programmes for students
from three to 18 and is working very hard to prepare itself
for authorization for MYP and the Diploma programme.
This has a positive benefit of offering even more choice for
Ecolint parents when selecting their child’s learning opportunities.
Campus des Nations met its student enrolment targets for
September 2005 four months ahead of schedule and has created
some additional, previously unexpected, new classes to accommodate
the growing educational needs for families in Geneva.
Pleasingly, none of this new development has had an adverse
effect on other parts of Ecolint, where demand for places remain
healthy!
The new site has been built in close cooperation with the
Ecolint Board and school community, with the commune
(Grand-Saconnex), with the Canton of Geneva and with sponsoring
individuals and companies, all of whom have contributed
in various ways to create the vision, facilitate land space, support
necessary legislation and provide funds. There has also been a
great deal of help and advice offered from the international
school community, where schools have opened their doors,
allowed us to visit and shared ideas, to help us to distill our initial
vision into workable plans for Nations.
One area of particular architectural and pedagogical interest is
the third floor. This houses the cafeteria and multi-media centre.
It is surrounded by a terrace and has walkways leading to the upper
outdoor recreation areas. The cafeteria has been furnished according
to different psychological needs of students when eating!
There are single seats at a ‘bar’, pairs of seats, small groups for four
or six students to eat together and a long table for classes or sports
groups. There are also several open spaces outside the cafeteria for
gallery and performance areas, as well as for just ‘hanging out’
together. The architects have incorporated a ‘wall of expression’
where students may share their artistic and literary ideas and
thoughts.
Nations is a predominantly Anglophone campus, as research
showed that to be the greatest need for the potential families in
this part of Geneva, but with a strong emphasis on maintaining
the Ecolint aims of producing students with bilingual standards in
the French and English languages. The majority of the teachers
have moved to Nations from within the Foundation, thus maintaining
stability and the Ecolint ‘spirit’, but also many new members
of staff have been externally recruited, through a carefully
phased recruitment plan, thus ensuring new ideas and fresh
approaches.
Interestingly, the main attraction for parents (who are naturally
a little hesitant in signing up their off-spring for such a new
project) has been the emphasis that all decisions made for Nations
have been made to promote, facilitate and improve student learning.
From the very first architectural plans to the selection of furnishings,
from the choice of the IBO programmes to the hardworking
members of the various committees that have met, everyone
has agreed that everything undertaken at Nations is focused
on the students and their learning needs.
This has also led to the development of the Pregny Learning
Centre, previously for primary aged children with moderate to
severe special learning needs, into three Nations Learning
Centres offering Learning Centre provision for all students whose
needs cannot be met in the mainstream classroom but who have
an entitlement to an inclusive education.
Lesley P Stagg is Principal of the Campus des Nations and has been
involved with the project since August 2004.
The Ecolint website at www.ecolint.ch offers a great deal more
information about the Foundation and its campuses.
‘There has also been a great deal
of help and advice offered from the
international school community,
where schools have opened their
doors, allowed us to visit and
shared ideas, to help us to distill
our initial vision into workable
plans for Nations.’
28Spring
is Autumn 2005