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Today ISTP is at an inflection point, in a place of great promise and excitement. We believe the time is right for ISTP to transform itself from an excellent school into a respected institution, playing a prominent role in Silicon Valley’s educational landscape.

To do this we must focus on what matters most – the academic evolution of our school to provide the best possible 21^st century education for each of our students.

As the world continues to change, our students change as well. We must constantly evolve to utilize the pedagogical techniques and philosophies that best serve today’s students. To do this, we need to expand the professional development opportunities available to our faculty. 

In particular, we would like to be able to provide our teachers with additional training opportunities in inquiry learning, a rich pedagogical technique that some ISTP faculty already use quite successfully in their classrooms.

Assistant Head of School Kate Lussen explains, “Inquiry learning is a shift from the traditional classroom, where the teacher has been seen as the ‘sage on the stage’ to a more democratic and student-influenced classroom where the teacher acts as a facilitator of learning, or a ‘guide on the side.’”

Inquiry in the classroom allows students to question deeply and seek answers themselves, teaching them how to learn instead of simply teaching them about a certain topic.

An inquiry-based lesson looks at a subject through many different lenses. For example, students may study Greek civilization from the perspectives of literature, history, science, and mathematics, thus encouraging a broader view and helping students make their own connections for deeper understanding.

 Students have the opportunity to focus on what they find most interesting about a subject, inspiring curiosity, wonder, and a lifelong passion for learning.

This year’s Fund-a-Need will go towards providing our 100+ faculty with professional development opportunities to help them effectively implement inquiry-based approaches in their classrooms, taking an ISTP education to the next level. Your generosity will allow us to bring educational experts to our campuses and to send our teachers to conferences and seminars to hone their skills.

Donations will also fund IBO (International Baccalaureate Organization) training – inquiry learning is central to the highly respected IBO educational program, and our faculty will benefit from the richness and diversity of these trainings, in addition to being able to meet and learn from teachers from other international schools.

We believe that what will define ISTP as an educational institution is the quality of graduates we produce. By giving our teachers the tools they need to provide an exemplary, inquiry-based 21^st century education in their classrooms, we will create exceptional graduates who have the skills to question, analyze and explain the world around them, skills that will allow them to excel in whatever they pursue after ISTP.