At RAKAA, we recognize that Grade 12 is a pivotal point in a student’s life. They will soon be leaving their comfortable school environment to embark upon further education before joining a rapidly changing workforce. We feel that it is of utmost importance to ensure that our students are well equipped to deal with the challenges they may experience both in university and in the workplace.
We endeavor to produce graduates who have real life experience of a work environment, who have proven themselves as responsible and intuitive and who are in possession of excellent communication skills.
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Students from Grade 9 – 12 are delegated various tasks in order to develop their skill sets. These tasks include hallway monitoring, helping with KG students in the morning, preparing for events such as Sports Day and National Day, lunch time duty and the ‘Buddy’ transitional programme for Grade 6 students.
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All students complete an Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP) in order to evaluate their career options, track their progress in assessments such as MAP, IELTS, SAT etc. and to determine which university course will be best suited to their personal interests.
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Students from Gr. 9-12 are encouraged to undertake community service with the Takatof organization. This allows them to build upon the skills they have acquired during their in-school leadership duties. Students assist in numerous different events and are often given responsibilities pertaining to public safety.
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Students from Gr. 9-12 are encouraged to take part in the Harvard Model Congress Dubai where they are given the opportunity to work with Harvard students in a government simulation. This event provides students with the chance to develop their speech writing and presentation skills.
Students from Gr. 11 and 12 participate in the national TROIFE competition, an entrepreneurial simulation which requires students to work together, engaging their critical thinking skills to overcome the obstacles of a start-up business.
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Students from Gr. 11 and 12 have secured internships in a variety of sectors including healthcare at Rak Hospital, government departments such as the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry for Health along with other private companies. Going forward, we aim to enrol all Grade 11 and 12 students on internships. In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, we are establishing tutoring groups where Grade 12 students will aid elementary students in guided reading via Teams. This means that students who are unable to attend an internship due to Covid restrictions will still have a chance to hone their organizational and communication skills.
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The final step of our Career Pathway is college campus visits and guest speakers from universities. Each year, our students go on a number of campus tours to universities in Ras al Khaimah, Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. They are also visited by guest speakers who discuss a wide range of topics from studying abroad to scholarship applications. This is in addition to our annual Careers Fair. Unfortunately, many of these events will not be viable this year due to the Covid-19 restrictions but we have utilized our online platform to arrange talks with university representatives along with career talks with professionals in the areas of finance, healthcare and engineering.
The NYU Summer Academy is aimed at our current Grade 10 students. It is a two year programme in which students take five courses in critical thinking, writing, leadership, Math and SAT prep. At the end of the two years, NYU will work with the students to help them prepare their college essays and college applications.
It is open to all students, not just those who are interested in attending NYU. At present, the Summer Academy will be conducted online. However pre-Covid students were given the opportunity to stay on campus in NYU (with chaperones) so that they can really get a feel for college life.
This is the first time that the programme has been open to the Northern Emirates. In order to apply, students must write a personal statement explaining why they would like to take part in the programme, be able to commit for two years and provide a recommendation letter from both the school counsellor and their English teacher.
The Young Filmmakers' workshop is a workshop in collaboration with Image Nation. This is a three-week course run in the summer which is open to all Emirati students under the age of 18 who are interested in making movies. Due to the current circumstances, it is currently going to be online, but when Covid restrictions ease, students will be able to visit NYU and avail of their film equipment etc. Some graduates of this programme have gone on to have their short movies shown in UAE cinemas.
Students are highly encouraged to enroll in the above programmes as they will be highly beneficial for them and would tie in nicely with the skills passport on our SIP.