International News

First Teaching Center in Toronto Launches

The Global Academic Pathway has become the first Approved Teaching Center for the Global Assessment Certificate (GAC) program in Toronto. It is an international private high school registered with the Ontario Ministry of Education that provides academic programs to students who wish to study at universities and colleges in Canada or elsewhere. It is one of three GAC Approved Teaching Centers in Canada. Here, Gaye Pullyn (right), general manager of ACT Education Solutions, Limited, meets with Sam Kim, director of the Global Academic Pathway, to finalize the agreement.

Ottawa, Canada, School Expands ACT Program Offerings

One of ACT’s oldest Approved Teaching Centers has added a new program to its curriculum. The Young People’s Language School in Ottawa, Canada, has provided ACT’s English Proficiency Program (EPP) to students for the past five years. Starting in September 2011, the school will begin offering the Global Assessment Certificate (GAC) program. The school is affiliated with the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board.

Students at the Young People’s Language School in Ottawa, Canada, work together to improve their English language reading skills. They are participating in ACT’s English Proficiency Program.

The EPP is an academically oriented English language program designed to prepare students for further studies in English, including the GAC program. EPP focuses on key language skills—reading, writing, listening, and speaking—and offers grounding in grammar and pronunciation.

The GAC is ACT’s nine-month university preparation program taught and evaluated in English that helps students in non-English speaking countries develop the language and academic skills needed to obtain admission to, and succeed at, English-speaking colleges and universities.

The school uses the EPP to prepare international students who have limited English language proficiency for entry into Canadian high schools. More than 60 students from 22 countries in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and South America took the EPP in the 2009–10 school year. Most graduates of the program move on to high schools in the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board.

“We rely upon the EPP as a vital component of our high school foundation program,” said Greg Duggan, director of studies at the Young People’s Language School. “With the help of ACT, we are sure that the GAC will be successful in preparing international students to thrive at Canadian universities.”

GAC Helps Mexico School Fulfill Its Mission

The Global Assessment Certificate (GAC) is a natural fit for a school in Mexico that’s dedicated to preparing bilingual students for postsecondary education.

The Escuela Sierra Nevada School is the first GAC Approved Teaching Center in Mexico City. The school began offering the GAC program in August 2010 to approximately 50 students on one campus. It will offer the program on a second campus starting in August 2011. Students will graduate with two qualifications—a Mexican high school diploma and a GAC.

Students at the Escuela Sierra Nevada School collect items to help Haiti.

The GAC is ACT’s nine-month university preparation program taught and evaluated in English that helps students in non-English speaking countries develop the language and academic skills needed to obtain admission to, and succeed at, English-speaking colleges and universities.

Students take the ACT at the conclusion of the program. Upon successful completion of the program, they can continue their studies at GAC Pathway Universities in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Mexico, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

The GAC program will help Escuela Sierra Nevada School administrators and teachers fulfill their mission of ensuring that students graduate with the knowledge and skills they need to study at any college or university, said Alfredo Zenteno, director of the school.

“We are focused on broadening our students’ learning of the English language through a bilingual program that is reinforced through competencies development, human values, and problem solving,” said Zenteno. “Our teaching and learning process merges naturally with the GAC program, which helps students develop the skills for research, independent learning, problem solving, and teamwork that they will need to function in a modern, high-tech world. Our students are excited about earning their certificates.”

Arab Open University Adds GAC

The Arab Open University-Bahrain Branch (BAOU), located in Manama, launched a new English Orientation program in October 2010 that is based on the Global Assessment Certificate curriculum. Meeting to finalize the agreement are, from left, Mr. A. Hameed Ahmed A. Rahim, assistant director for administration and finance; Gaye Pullyn, general manager of ACT Education Solutions, Limited; and Professor Samir Qasim Fakhro, branch director for BAOU. The English Orientation program helps students succeed in core courses, which are taught in English. A total of 140 students are participating in the current session of the program, and university officials expect more students to register for upcoming sessions. The university offers bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, and certificate programs. BAOU is one of seven branches of the Arab Open University, which is headquartered in Kuwait. The other branches are located in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, and Oman.