Innovation Programs

At AlS, everyone is an educator and to ensure our students have ever more engaging, authentic and meaningful experiences across all grade levels and disciplines, we have created the AlS Innovators program that encourages all members of staff to participate in these cohorts. The cohorts of 12 to 20 AlS staff collaborate in designing impactful, innovative, and authentic learning spaces and experiences to promote the joy of learning.

Our Goizueta Da Vinci Fellowship allows AIS to invite distinguished STEAM practitioners to AIS to develop cross-curricular workshops and learning experiences that combine excellence in science and engineering with diverse perspectives in design and the arts. Corinne Takara, one of AIS’ Da Vinci Fellows, conducted workshops from preschool to upper school focused on integrating sustainability into the curriculum. Takara also offered training for faculty and engaging and creative workshops open to parents.

Our STEAM Lunch and Learn program is designed to give students the chance to learn about various STEAM fields and careers and gain insight into potential future career options.  This is an informal talk over lunch where our students can learn from guest speakers about what they do day-to-day and a little about their educational and career paths. Students learn about our speaker’s day to day work in their field, their interests, current projects, and journey to their careers.  We welcome about ten guest speakers throughout the school year, who talk at our Middle School and Upper School sessions.

The AIS Space Program allows students to apply STEAM concepts to real and complex experiments that can connect them to a universal perspective. This premier program for AIS utilizes deep partnerships, most notably with researchers at NASA, Mercer University, Stanford, Georgia Tech, and MIT. Throughout the year, students can engineer and conduct experiments that launch into low-earth orbit and run on the International Space Station. Our Eaglenauts also share their learning with others in the community by providing space workshops for Horizons and youth groups.

The innovative AIS Summer Internship Program provides rising Grade 11 and 12 students with a two-week unpaid summer internship or job shadow at businesses and institutions in the US or abroad. Internships help our students integrate and bridge knowledge and skills learned at school to opportunities in an industry they are interested in pursuing as future careers or professions. 

AIS encourages all students, not just those who are pursuing a STEM or STEAM graduation IB Diploma endorsement to seek internship experience. 

Since its launch in October 2020, W-AIS TV (open to Grades 4 and 5 students) has been broadcasting to the whole Primary School every month. Students have the option to be a part of the crew on the field, camera operators, graphics team, writers or any other needed roles to aid in producing the weekly broadcasts.