AZLera
Social Entrepreneurs
Curriculum
The curriculum at Projecto Oceano is the manifestation of AZLera’s broader philosophy and approach. The concepts of entrepreneurship, leadership, innovation, and critical thinking are the foundation of all classes and activities that Projecto Oceano rolls out through its robust and carefully established curriculum.
AZLera has worked to continually develop Projecto Oceano’s curriculum over the last five years, to ensure that the classes offered enable our students, who are progressing through to further education, to be ready for the demands that they will face once they leave the island and start their university degree. Our current curriculum strongly encourages our students to ‘think’. We are making them question and analyse issues and debates that affect their lives on the island, in Mozambique and their position within a growing global community of young ambitious entrepreneurs who realise that they have an opportunity and a responsibility to make a difference to the future of their country.
As well as our existing modules that focus on issues relating to critical thinking, current affairs, IT and languages there is also a need to ensure that our core group of students are prepared and trained in a range of important academic and professional skills, allowing them to get the most out of their opportunity at university and to compete with other students who may have received a higher quality and more professional education prior to arriving at university. Furthermore, such skills are vital in every field of professional life and these skills will ensure that our students take personal responsibility for their success beyond Projecto Oceano and Ilha de Moçambique.
AZLera has worked to continually develop Projecto Oceano’s curriculum over the last five years, to ensure that the classes offered enable our students, who are progressing through to further education, to be ready for the demands that they will face once they leave the island and start their university degree. Our current curriculum strongly encourages our students to ‘think’. We are making them question and analyse issues and debates that affect their lives on the island, in Mozambique and their position within a growing global community of young ambitious entrepreneurs who realise that they have an opportunity and a responsibility to make a difference to the future of their country.
As well as our existing modules that focus on issues relating to critical thinking, current affairs, IT and languages there is also a need to ensure that our core group of students are prepared and trained in a range of important academic and professional skills, allowing them to get the most out of their opportunity at university and to compete with other students who may have received a higher quality and more professional education prior to arriving at university. Furthermore, such skills are vital in every field of professional life and these skills will ensure that our students take personal responsibility for their success beyond Projecto Oceano and Ilha de Moçambique.
• Academic Skills: Compulsory classes focused on ‘Core Academic Skills’ of essay writing, note taking, research and revision techniques and study skills, to prepare the students for the demands of further education beyond the island
• Current Affairs: In order to expose the students to events and ideas happening both directly around them and in the world at large, the Current Affairs classes occur twice a month in the project and are lead by the students themselves. Articles from diverse areas such as science, politics, health, culture, religion, education, etc. at a local, national, and international level are chosen and discussed – past discussions have ranged from scientific discoveries aiming to curb the epidemic of obesity to poor hospital care in Mozambique.
• Community Newspaper: Monthly publication of an innovative community newspaper written and managed by our leading students. The newsletter, adeptly named ‘Voz Jovem’ translating to ‘Young Voice’, provides the students at the project with a platform through which to discuss issues affecting the project, the island and Mozambique more generally.
• Critical Thinking: Classes to encourage students to analyse problems from an early age, to challenge the ‘status quo’ and to develop coherent solutions to prevalent local, national and global issues
• CVs and Employment Classes: Courses focused on progressing from secondary school education to tertiary education or employment, including CV writing. Projecto Oceano provides one-on-one classes with the core members, supporting them with their applications for University, for Internships and into employment.
• Extra-curricular Activities: Positive recreational activities, including art classes, sport tournaments, & traditional dancing exhibitions (Capoeira) (read more about our Community Projects)
• Information Technology: These courses are focused on teaching the basics of Windows, Microsoft Office (Word and Excel) and LOGO. Taught in three different levels, the courses are designed so that a student graduates from each level only after they have fully mastered the skills and programs. Projecto Oceano has a fully functional computer laboratory at the disposal of the course heads and available for all students who have mastered the three levels as a way to further practice their information technology skills. Because Projecto Oceano began initially as a programming and IT initiative (see “History of Projecto Oceano”), the IT courses are an integral part of the project and continue to serve as the backbone of many of the activities.
• Languages: Beginners level of English, Spanish and French are offered at Projecto Oceano dependent on the availability of teachers in the various languages. The courses focus on teaching students practical phrases and grammar that will be useful in everyday life. Additionally, English classes for younger children are taught twice weekly as a very basic introduction to the language, mostly through songs and reading.
• Mathematics and Science: Courses such as Mathematics and Science occur at the project on an ad-hoc basis, depending on the availability of teachers. Maths courses focus on algebra, as well as giving the students insights into real-world applications of these maths concepts. Science courses are primarily focused on Biology and Chemistry, both as an academic discipline and as a more practical introduction for the students to the world around them.
• Photography Class: A more recent addition, Photography classes are being offered at the project in order to develop skills with cameras and editing and to give students the opportunity to explore their creative side. A goal of the this course is for the students to develop their own personal reflections on the world around them and their own community through photography.
• Social Debates: Projecto Oceano provides a platform for the students to discuss a range of pertinent issues that affect their current and future lives. The debates are led by the students themselves, although guest speakers and the wider community are often invited to participate and contribute to the depth and quality of the discussion. Project members are required to write up formal reports from the debates and they are presented here
• Study Groups: Space provided throughout the year for students to study outside of school hours and to be mentored by Projecto Oceano’s best academic students. Study Group allows access to supervised use of our libraries and I.T. systems
Beyond the technical and academic opportunities, we constantly encourage our student Project Members to take ownership for different aspects of Projecto Oceano’s curriculum. This approach ensures that our local students have maximum input into our areas of focus. It also teaches valuable life-skills around the importance of personal responsibility, people and task management, as well as the harder I.T. and organisational skills necessary for success in student and later life.
• Current Affairs: In order to expose the students to events and ideas happening both directly around them and in the world at large, the Current Affairs classes occur twice a month in the project and are lead by the students themselves. Articles from diverse areas such as science, politics, health, culture, religion, education, etc. at a local, national, and international level are chosen and discussed – past discussions have ranged from scientific discoveries aiming to curb the epidemic of obesity to poor hospital care in Mozambique.
• Community Newspaper: Monthly publication of an innovative community newspaper written and managed by our leading students. The newsletter, adeptly named ‘Voz Jovem’ translating to ‘Young Voice’, provides the students at the project with a platform through which to discuss issues affecting the project, the island and Mozambique more generally.
• Critical Thinking: Classes to encourage students to analyse problems from an early age, to challenge the ‘status quo’ and to develop coherent solutions to prevalent local, national and global issues
• CVs and Employment Classes: Courses focused on progressing from secondary school education to tertiary education or employment, including CV writing. Projecto Oceano provides one-on-one classes with the core members, supporting them with their applications for University, for Internships and into employment.
• Extra-curricular Activities: Positive recreational activities, including art classes, sport tournaments, & traditional dancing exhibitions (Capoeira) (read more about our Community Projects)
• Information Technology: These courses are focused on teaching the basics of Windows, Microsoft Office (Word and Excel) and LOGO. Taught in three different levels, the courses are designed so that a student graduates from each level only after they have fully mastered the skills and programs. Projecto Oceano has a fully functional computer laboratory at the disposal of the course heads and available for all students who have mastered the three levels as a way to further practice their information technology skills. Because Projecto Oceano began initially as a programming and IT initiative (see “History of Projecto Oceano”), the IT courses are an integral part of the project and continue to serve as the backbone of many of the activities.
• Languages: Beginners level of English, Spanish and French are offered at Projecto Oceano dependent on the availability of teachers in the various languages. The courses focus on teaching students practical phrases and grammar that will be useful in everyday life. Additionally, English classes for younger children are taught twice weekly as a very basic introduction to the language, mostly through songs and reading.
• Mathematics and Science: Courses such as Mathematics and Science occur at the project on an ad-hoc basis, depending on the availability of teachers. Maths courses focus on algebra, as well as giving the students insights into real-world applications of these maths concepts. Science courses are primarily focused on Biology and Chemistry, both as an academic discipline and as a more practical introduction for the students to the world around them.
• Photography Class: A more recent addition, Photography classes are being offered at the project in order to develop skills with cameras and editing and to give students the opportunity to explore their creative side. A goal of the this course is for the students to develop their own personal reflections on the world around them and their own community through photography.
• Social Debates: Projecto Oceano provides a platform for the students to discuss a range of pertinent issues that affect their current and future lives. The debates are led by the students themselves, although guest speakers and the wider community are often invited to participate and contribute to the depth and quality of the discussion. Project members are required to write up formal reports from the debates and they are presented here
• Study Groups: Space provided throughout the year for students to study outside of school hours and to be mentored by Projecto Oceano’s best academic students. Study Group allows access to supervised use of our libraries and I.T. systems
Beyond the technical and academic opportunities, we constantly encourage our student Project Members to take ownership for different aspects of Projecto Oceano’s curriculum. This approach ensures that our local students have maximum input into our areas of focus. It also teaches valuable life-skills around the importance of personal responsibility, people and task management, as well as the harder I.T. and organisational skills necessary for success in student and later life.
“Learn. Teach. Inspire. Achieve.”
Overview
Core Components of Projecto Oceano’s Curriculum