YK Pao School organises various professional development programmes to encourage the sharing of best practices among schools in Shanghai and beyond, such as the annual Global Education Forum (2023 Global Education Forum | Global Citizen, Chinese Heart) and Job-A-Like event on IB, both of which were held on campus this academic year（Professional Development at Pao School）. These training programmes provide educators with opportunities to engage with cutting-edge educational theories and methods that can enrich their daily teaching practices.
In the past week, across our three campuses, YK Pao School had the privilege of hosting Suzanna Jemsby, the Head of School at Washington International School (WIS), and Jim Reese, the founding Director of the Summer Institute for Teachers (WISSIT) and Professional Development Collaborative at WIS. Executive Headmaster Iain Kilpatrick was delighted to welcome Suzanna Jemsby and Jim Reese to YK Pao School's campuses. He stated, "It was fascinating to discover how similar our schools are in terms of culture and values. Suzanna and Jim generously shared their time and experience, especially in discussing the work they have been involved in with Project Zero, a pedagogical approach affiliated with the Graduate School of Education at Harvard. I am excited about nurturing the friendship that has been established."
During their visit, Suzanna Jemsby and Jim Reese toured the three campuses of Pao School, observed classes in English, exploratory units, music, physical education, and information technology across various grade levels in the elementary school. They engaged in detailed discussions with the elementary and middle school campus management teams regarding the curriculum and teacher training.
Additionally, they explored the IB Diploma program in a bilingual setting with the high school teaching team during a seminar titled "The IB Diploma in a bi-cultural context." Like Pao School, WIS also implements the International Baccalaureate Program. Upon enrollment at WIS, students opt to pursue a curriculum in either Spanish and English or French and English after enrollment. By sixth grade, students have the opportunity to further enhance their language skills by studying other languages such as Mandarin.
WIS is an international school renowned for integrating the Harvard research study "Project Zero" into their students' learning. Jemsby and Reese visited YK Pao's Hongqiao and Songjiang campuses to engage with teachers and staff in discussions about how Washington International School has successfully incorporated Project Zero into their curriculum. Project Zero is a research study initiated by Nelson Goodman at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 1967. Its primary focus is to comprehend learning within and through the arts, with the research now comprising over fifty projects. Their program, WISSIT, has contributed to the professional development of more than 2,300 teachers.
