Inspiring #SCIL - @Stephen_H

It was a pleasure to receive an unexpected email from Stephen Harris today. Stephen is Principal at SCIL (Sydney Centre for Innovation in Learning), he visited IPACA back in October 2014 and lead a very special INSET day for us (you can read more about that day here).

Stephen shared with me the below video created by two of his Year 10 students, it highlights SCIL's new community precinct 'Manhattan and the City' -

The building generates its own electricity and water systems. It is designed around notions of community, connection, relationship and 'spontaneous space', rather than traditional classrooms. 

One section (a large open workspace) has been established as a co-working space where we have mixed senior students, staff who choose to opt in and invited external start ups or similar all together in the 'Manhattan Co-working space'. 

Stephen tells me that the concept is working extremely well and that senior students clearly benefit by being immersed in a real work space.

Yet again Stephen's work inspires me. It really shows what is possible when you put learning first.