"This unique desert environment provided the students with a wonderful setting to apply classroom lessons in the "real-world""

• Home
• School Without Walls

School Without Walls

Qatar Academy runs an experiential-learning program, School Without Walls, for all students in grades 4, 5 & 6. Held in February and March, students camp with their teachers for 2 days and 1 night in Grade 6; 5 days and 4 nights in Grade 5 and 3 days and 2 night in Grade 4, while applying and extending classroom learning to hands-on situations. Students from Grades 3 and 9 participate in day trips with clear curricular purposes. As School Without Walls closes down after a successful 2008 season, the organizers had a chance to reflect on the experience.

Qatar Academy's curriculum based SWW program was a huge success for the 3rd year of its running. Students thrived in the SWW environment which provided access to a beach, a mangrove swamp, and wildlife which included wild flamingos. This unique desert environment provided the students with a wonderful setting to apply classroom lessons in the ""real-world"". An activity on pollution and its effect on the ocean have far greater impact when the teacher can give real world demonstrations. Among other learning experiences, the students worked in groups to plan and carry-out an experiment on cleaning oil from sea water using an actual sea.

Twice-daily cultural activities were always a source of excitement for everyone. Learning about the rich history and customs of Qatar kept the students challenged and busy, as they learnt first-hand about falconry, coffee roasting, pearl diving and other traditions. Local and ex-pat students alike became engrossed as the presenters proudly taught the children about the history behind their traditions.

Other rewarding aspects of SWW were the personal development and team building components. Students were encouraged as they learnt to accept and deal with new responsibilities; developing their characters as they cultivated skills working in teams and individually. For some, this was as simple as, for the first time, waking up and getting ready for the day without assistance from an adult. Others relished the opportunity to galvanize their classmates into a purpose-oriented team. Arbitrary acts of kindness and inclusion were displayed frequently at SWW, as the students evolved into more mature and caring people.

With all the successes of the SWW program, our plan is to continue expanding into more grade levels. SWW accelerates growth in both curricular and affective domains, and that's an opportunity that Qatar Academy feels should include as many students as possible.