In the globalized world we live in, beyond studying traditional curricula, it is important for children and youth to develop life skills, such as speech, problem-solving skills, creativity and critical thinking.

Since 2015, the school has offered Canadian High School, a curriculum addition program in which students take Canadian subjects during grades 1 and 2 of high school, increasing their chances of studying abroad.

Working closely with the Province of New Brunswick, Canadian and American professors teach a variety of subjects, seeking to develop skills and convey Canadian cultural values ​​that resonate with the province. At the end of the program, students receive Brazilian and Canadian diplomas.

“In 2014, Colégio Santo Agostinho received an invitation from the province and from Atlantic Education International (AEI), a Canadian government agency. They evaluated our entire curriculum and looked at everything that could be validated against the Canadian curriculum and what could be added. When they confirmed the quality of our teaching, we closed this internationalization partnership and began offering Canadian High Schools in 2015, in the Nova Lima unit, and 2016, in Belo Horizonte”, said Clarissa Azeredo, supervisor of International Relations at Colégio Santo Agostinho.

Education focuses on developing skills

Students take courses on leadership, entrepreneurship, world affairs, media studies, developing creativity, decision making, cooperation, communication, and therefore the focus is on the course as a means of developing skills. This double degree certainly allows for better opportunities for academic and professional growth domestically and around the world.

“Canadian High School influences the lives of young people beyond English, but for cultural and skills issues, preparing students for the constant change of humanity and broadening their worldview. We have stories of students who literally made a career jump after the program and were in the best universities in the world,” said Clarissa.

Bruna Cançado, a medical student at the Faculdade Ciências Médicas de Minas Gerais, who attended the Canadian High School at Colégio Santo Agostinho, classifies the course as a turning point in her education. “Not only for fluency in English, but also for the development of skills related to speech, management and personal organization, which are important for good performance in college. In addition, direct contact with other cultures and with disciplines that are exclusive to the Canadian curriculum provided me with unique experiences that serve as a big difference in my curriculum,” he says.

For Pedro Neves Manzalli Oliveira, a law student at UFMG, the experience he has in the program contributes every day to his professional life. “In addition to the huge improvement in my fluency in English, I feel, today, that the dynamics of presenting works and projects, especially as they use other languages ​​- takes us out of our comfort zone – strengthens my dialectic and that of my audience. speaking, fundamental in the course I chose”, he said.

For him, the program also brought differences in the curriculum. “Even after choosing to study here in Brazil, I’ve been told by my former boss that one of the reasons my CV was selected for the interview stage was a Canadian High School, I believe this can open more doors in my career, future professionals. “

Internationalization: teaching that opens borders with the world

Globalization and its changes have broadened the perspective of training young people towards global citizenship, who must learn to act in a multicultural world and view diversity as wealth. In addition to Canadian High School, Colégio Santo Agostinho offers, through its Internationalization department, activities in five areas so that young people become true citizens of the world.

In addition, the College has been the center of Cambridge test preparation for over 10 years. The Cambridge English Language Assessment partner school was chosen for its high quality standards in the English language programs it offers. In addition, for over 25 years, it has offered two short-term student exchange opportunities: to Spain, in year 9, and to Canada, in year 2 of secondary school. In both cases, the experience takes place over the July school holidays and students are accompanied by Augustinian teachers and collaborators, and by the team at the chosen destination.

The internationalization sector also provides services in the student application process at international universities, assisting students and their families in the interface between schools and higher education institutions abroad.

In other words, there is no shortage of opportunities! “Turning students into citizens of the world is one of the premises of the internationalization program of Colégio Santo Agostinho. We seek, through different actions, for our students to be able to read and interpret different social situations, develop critical views of different realities, and become agents of change , based on their reading of the world. Through an integral and complete education of students, in all its dimensions, we contribute to the building of a more just, solidarity and fraternal world, in such a way that we can leave a legacy for society.” concluded Clarissa.

Join the Canadian High School program