Learnlife's innovative Intensives redefine traditional learning. These immersive experiences pave the way for deeper understanding, critical thinking, and the cultivation of skills essential for success in the dynamic landscapes of education and beyond.
By breaking away from the constraints of short, fragmented classes, learners can focus intensely on a single subject, fostering collaborative learning, social growth, and interdisciplinary exploration.
Intensives, or block-scheduled classes, are learning experiences in which learners focus on a single subject or topic for an extended period of time, typically several hours a day for a few weeks.
Children concentrate on one subject or topic during each block, allowing for in-depth exploration, hands-on activities, projects, and immersive learning experiences.
Quite common in higher education settings, these intensive courses boast advantages over traditional 60 or 90-minute classes. Such scheduling enables a more immersive and focused learning environment, allowing learners to delve deeper into the material without interruptions.
In addition, intensives often incorporate experiential learning, such as projects, field trips, or collaborative activities, providing a more engaging and dynamic educational experience.
At Learnlife, Intensives were developed to promote a deeper understanding of subjects, foster critical thinking skills, and allow for more meaningful interactions between learners, learning guides, and peers.
As much as possible, learners are offered the opportunity for off-campus learning experiences. Taking learning outside the traditional learning environment has its own set of advantages, including opportunities for real-world application and experiential learning, which enhances understanding and retention of information.
Intensives occur once per cycle. Learners choose from a menu of options designed by the Learning Guides to develop specific competencies.
Options may cover more traditional topics, like science practicals or GCSE prep, while others are truly unique interdisciplinary offerings. Moreover, the courses blend learners from all age groups to create greater opportunities for collaborative learning and social and emotional growth.
In Pop-Up Restaurants, for example, learners developed a restaurant from concept to service. In the two weeks, they developed a wide range of skills from ideation and prototyping to cooking and service.
Working in teams to present their restaurant concepts strengthens communication skills while calculating the cost of the ingredients and pricing their menus improves numeracy skills.
At the end of the Intensive, learners present their concept and prepare a meal for their parents and invited guests, providing a perfect opportunity to share their learning in real-world application.
It is an integrated learning experience that develops learners' soft skills like adaptability, collaboration, and problem-solving as well as hard skills like menu planning, knife skills, and culinary techniques.
As Learning and Operations Champion Gaby Albano says, there are many advantages to doing Intensives.
“If you’re doing a Climbing Intensive, for example, and you’re scared of heights, being able to overcome that is incredibly important. It also helps to improve your self-esteem,” she explains.
Learners can explore a completely new topic or use the time to pursue their passions further. In the Music Intensive, learners can practise their instrument, play with a band, or develop a new skill like writing music.
“Something very special I see in the Music Intensive is excitement from learners who otherwise struggle to engage with other sessions.
"You see learners who have tendencies to be disruptive in other sessions become engaged, autonomous, and excited to learn. It’s incredible,” says Learning Guide Iason Chatziioanou.
“This building block is valuable because the skills developed in autonomy, discipline, motivation, and resourcefulness are universally applicable. Most importantly though, progress in this field is progress overall.
Kids can use their love for and progress in music to overcome limiting beliefs about their ability to learn that would otherwise be an obstacle for them.”
Aside from strengthening current skills, learners can also take advantage of the Intensive block of time to develop a future project or prepare for their next step by building their portfolio or applying for university.
Those who need it might focus on their Rite of Passage application, which marks their transition between learning groups, akin to grade level. Intensives leave a lasting impact on the learning process, whether it involves acquiring a new skill or honing an existing one.
Through Learnlife's innovative Intensives, learners embark on a transformative journey of focused learning, collaborative exploration, and real-world skill development.
These immersive experiences empower learners to delve deeply into subjects, acquiring subject-area knowledge as well as essential soft skills for lifelong success.
Learners emerge enriched, resilient, and equipped with a dynamic set of tools for navigating the complexities of our ever-evolving world.
What do learners have to look forward to in the Cycle 2 Intensives? A diverse selection of incredible experiences: