GAC Newsletter
Sign Up to Receive the
GAC Newsletter
In the fall semester of 2023, GAC launched a new module Personal Finance & Entrepreneurship, GAC034. This course is a component of the GAC curriculum 2.0 Holistic Education for the Future Program. Following the launch of three new GAC courses in 2022:
- Social Emotional Learning through Project Based Learning
- Education and Career Navigation, Finding your Pathways, and
- Project Based Learning and Research Methods
Personal Finance & Entrepreneurship creates another opportunity for GAC students to develop essential skills and competencies for the changing world. In this course, students develop the knowledge, mindsets, and skills in personal finance and entrepreneurship, supporting their growth as financially independent individuals who thrive in work and careers.
GAC034 is designed to build students’ self-confidence, independence, and cultivate collaborative problem-solving mindsets and behavioral habits. From the past decade, it has become increasingly clear that schools, students, and parents yearn for education that truly prepares students for the future. To meet the needs of our schools, this new course offers 21st century essential skills, including deeper learning, going beyond theories and concepts, and enabling students to become creative, engaging, and independent leaders and owners of their learning journey.
Student-Centered Approach
In this course, we designed content for students to work independently, with a partner, and as a group for discussion and brainstorming, checking each other’s answers and providing feedback. Throughout the course, teachers approach the course materials as facilitators of students’ independent learning, allowing learners to develop English language communication skills in a collaborative learning environment.
After taking this course, students will have learned how to become successful entrepreneurs and complex problem solvers. They will:
- create innovative solutions to solve customer problems
- communicate ideas
- collaborate with others
- stimulate risk-taking
- challenge and question assumptions
- integrate ideas and people to provide products and services
- look into the future for growth, expansion, and new frontiers
Relevant readings:
The inaugural ACT Educators Forum, organized by ACT Education Solutions (AES), was successfully held at the Beijing Foreign Studies University auditorium on July 26 and 27, 2023. Andrew Taylor, ACT’s vice president of product, made a notable appearance during the morning session on the 27th. During the session, Mr. Taylor awarded the ACT Test Prep Certification to 26 certified trainees and presented certificates to six trainers, acknowledging their professionalism, dedication, and contributions to the program. In his closing speech, Andrew Taylor addressed attendees’ questions about the ACT test, along with the future development of the GAC (Global Assessment Certificate) program.
Emphasizing ACT's commitment to continuous improvement, he unveiled that there will be an announcement about the changes coming up in the next few months. Regarding the GAC program, Taylor reinforced that it is guided by the objectives of Knowledge, Behavior, Skill, and Navigation (KBSN), with a focus on enhancing updates and research in GAC modules. This commitment aims to provide an improved and comprehensive educational experience for students.
The event culminated with a group photo, symbolizing the successful conclusion of the first-ever ACT Educators Forum. As educators and professionals gathered to shape the future of assessment and education in China, the event left a lasting impression on all participants.
As part of the start of the school year, virtual training was carried out for teachers from more than 15 different GAC centers, with the participation of almost 100 teachers from different GAC modules. The workshops offered were Introduction to GAC, Backwards Planning, Assessments' Evidence, Filling the CRB, Closing Strategies, Essays - New Guidelines, and Support Manuals - four of the workshops being completely new. In the survey applied to attendees, 100% said the workshop was useful and the facilitator was knowledgeable, and 97.5% said they had new tools for their classes.
Mr. Fang Zheng
- President of Living Word Education Group
- Founder of Living Word Shanghai and Suzhou Schools
"The GAC program was introduced to Living Word Shanghai in 2019. After four years of embedding GAC courses into the school’s curriculum, Mr. Fang Zheng believes that the GAC courses have benefitted students in the following aspects:
The GAC covers a range of subjects, such as academic English, mathematics, communication skills, science, psychology, SEL, etc., and thus could be better integrated into the school’s curriculum. The integration provides students with a broader academic development space and international learning experience with Chinese and Western educational concepts and subject content.
The GAC curriculum emphasizes the cultivation of students' independent thinking and problem-solving skills. Through projects and research tasks in the courses, students are encouraged to think and solve practical problems, and develop communication skills and critical thinking.
GAC courses provide strong support when students apply for universities overseas. During the application process, students can apply the skills acquired in the GAC, such as academic ability, cross-cultural communication skills, problem-solving and other capabilities, as well as an ACT test score, to showcase their competitiveness and improve the chance of being admitted to the universities they apply for."
- Mr. Fang Zheng
Ms. Avi Sariantina
Founder of Kinderstation School
"It has been the third year we have applied to the GAC program here at Kinderstation Senior High (KSH). Although they need to also cope with the national curriculum, the students have generally performed significant improvements in public speaking and academic writing skills, as seen from their ability to produce research essays and reports and present them properly in certain courses. Through enrolling in the GAC, they also learned a lot about how to manage their time and priorities effectively in order to meet the expected outcomes of the program. The moderation system applied to some of the assessment events also allows a more standardized scoring procedure for assessing the students’ work.
Moreover, the GAC program provides equal opportunities for all of our students to join international events and competitions, in which they can collaborate and compete with other students across the globe. It is very important for us to make sure each student can contribute and be involved in these events since it may add some valuable experience to their CV and portfolio used for university application. In terms of business studies the students had since level 2, the course does not only provide the theoretical concepts but also the practical application of it as seen from the activities held such as the project-based learning and cross border competition in collaboration with Skyline School (Vietnam) as well as the Business Simulation Competition held last year."
- Ms. Avi Sariantina
| Name | City |
|---|---|
| Shandong Heze No. 1 Middle School | Heze |
Sekolah Bogor Raya (SBR), a renowned educational institution committed to excellence, is proud to announce the launch of SBR track with GAC Program!
Founded 28 years ago, SBR consistently strives to provide high-quality education to its students from Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12. With a reputation as a leading SPK (Joint Cooperation School) institution in Bogor and its surroundings, SBR is known for its strong commitment towards the best quality of education. The launch of the ACT GAC program was not only part of organizational development but also the organization's commitment to providing the best educational services for the wider society, said Andri Nurcahyani, Quality Assurance, Learning, and Development Manager of Sekolah Bogor Raya.
Arning Rani Wulandari, Principal of Sekolah Bogor Raya conveyed that GAC Program was designed to complement the IGCSE Cambridge Assessment International Education curriculum and the existing IB Diploma Program at SBR. The GAC program will be taught for 3 years starting from the 2024-2025 school academic year and will be open to grade 9 and grade 10 students from both SBR and from other schools.
Fransisca Susilawati, Sekolah Bogor Raya Academic Director said in her speech that from 2010 to 2019, SBR embarked on a remarkable journey with the ACT-GAC curriculum, setting the foundation for SBR students' success. Kevin Erning - SBR’s first cohort and GAC valedictorian graduate and many GAC students graduated from SBR with satisfactory results. They were a very good example of the GAC curriculum’s success story.
The soft launching event was attended by class parents from Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12. The event was closed with the signing of GAC agreement between ACT Education Solutions, represented by Eng Han Tan, ACT Vice President (Asia) and Sekolah Bogor Raya, represented by Fransisca Susilawati, SBR Academic Director.
Acsenda School of Management
Situated in the vibrant business district of Vancouver, Acsenda School of Management is leading Canada’s independent, postsecondary institutions by prioritizing an educational journey that connects people with professions. With a philosophy of “international thinking, individual focus”, Acsenda is an institution designed for international students interested in studying in Canada, and possibly gaining work experience here upon the completion of their degree program. With students from more than 50 countries, many of which are still working on overcoming the cultural and linguistic hurdles of studying in a new country, Acsenda School of Management helps students to develop the confidence, skills, and credentials necessary to pursue professional life in Canada.
Scholarships
- All international students are eligible for an Acsenda School of Management Study Grant, which ranges from $2,000 to $15,000.
- GAC graduates are also eligible to apply for Admissions Grants.
- Acsenda also offer term-based leadership, program, and EAPP scholarships.
Academic Requirements
- A passing grade of ≥60% or C (GPA 2.0) has been obtained
Minimum English Proficiency
- TOEFL PBT 560 or iBT 84
- IELTS Academic 6.5 (with no Band less than 6)
- (Temporarily) Duolingo English Test (DET) 110-120
Transfer Credit
- Up to 8 courses of credit exemptions / advanced standing into our undergraduate programs
- This will provide 24 credits towards our degrees which are 120 credits in length. (Please note the number of credits that will apply to a degree will vary between programs and concentrations.)
Information regarding GAC admissions is listed on our website here: https://acsenda.com/gac/