We’re the first international school in the world to partner with IDEO, one of the world’s leading design and innovation firms in San Francisco, to develop our school’s conceptual blueprint and DNA.
VERSO learners have an insatiable curiosity to learn about the world around them, leading them to explore widely within and outside the school’s walls and themselves.
VERSO learners care to make use of what they learn in school, and are ready to actively shape and participate in the world around them.
VERSO learners know how to dig into a new setting and bring their learning and confidence anywhere. They have a level of academic achievement and preparedness that leaves all doors open to them.
VERSO learners have strong social skills, effortlessly connect with others, and eagerly learn about different cultures and ways of living, wherever they go.
Engaging with the world enables our VERSO learners to gain empathy and understanding of cultures around them. Through an immersive and experiential approach to learning, VERSO students will find their places in the world and make a meaningful contribution and build authentic relationships.
Applied learning experiences (ALX) are designed for our VERSO learners to build skills and knowledge in project-based, multidisciplinary environments. When our learners consistently apply what they learn, they master future focused skills and critical thinking.
Each of our learners navigate their own learning through an interactive and digital Course Compass (CoCo) platform. They are offered multiple paths to set and achieve their goals and can track their own progress over time. This gives VERSO learners the confidence to make choices and map their own learning, both within and outside school walls. Parents can access and support their child’s learning journey through the CoCo.
At VERSO, feedback and reflection happens constantly. Regular and diverse ways of learning gives learners an opportunity to demonstrate learning. Students demonstrate and share their learning through regular public exhibitions and showcase events. We value the curation and celebration of students' work with specially designed gallery and exhibition spaces throughout the campus.
Nam-jai is a Thai word that literally means “water of the heart” and is an important value in Thai culture. This refers to genuine acts of kindness and generosity that come straight from the heart, without expecting anything in return. We intentionally encourage acts of kindness to foster empathy, compassion and humility in our students. At VERSO, our students learn to connect deeply with others and experience a sense of belonging.
We identified an urgent need for schools to become much more adaptive, innovative, and responsive to change. When we looked at the horizon, the signals were clear. Our world was evolving faster than at any other time in human history, yet our educational systems and schools remained unchanged. To make a difference, we had to think differently. That’s when we asked the amazing people at IDEO, the world’s leading design and innovation organization to help us.
Our groundbreaking work with IDEO, included visits to more than 25 innovative schools in the United States, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Thailand. In 4 months of intensive travel and research, we learned a lot.
We asked important questions about our context and how we might create a school that is responsive and inspired by Thailand. We embraced the idea of innovation and the importance of finding ways to protect and encourage an evolving and experimenting learning environment. We got curious about the value of international education and how we might help students, parents, and educators to see beyond visible features and make the most meaningful aspects of the school experience tangible. We also explored the idea of ownership and how we could create an expectation that everyone in the school takes part in the education we deliver?
Using a human-centered design process the IDEO designers skillfully synthesized all of this research into prototype models that we tested with families in Bangkok. The insights we gathered from those conversations eventually produced the three simple beliefs that VERSO is built on.
There is a demand for an international education rooted in a strong sense of personal and cultural identity.
Global citizenship means having the passion and ability to actively engagement and contribute both at a local and global level.
Tomorrow’s world demands the confidence and skills to lead your own journey, both in school and beyond.
4 MINDSETs
5 LEARNING JOURNEY