Pei Hwa Talent Academy

The Pei Hwa Talent Academy (PHTA), is a programme that aims to develop and nurture students who demonstrate a strong aptitude and talent in academic studies. This programme is a 4-year enriched curriculum specially tailored and differentiated for selected students who display strong passion, great aptitude and keen motivation in the various academic disciplines (English, Mathematics, Science and Humanities).

Our Goals

The Pei Hwa Talent Academy aims to fulfil the following objectives:

1. Stretch intellectual and analytical thinking via exposure to more advanced topics and application in the different subjects
2. Equip our students with competencies such as innovative thinking, collaboration and communication skills which are critical for the future
3. Provide opportunities for students to develop individual strengths, interests and potential in different academic disciplines
4. Nurture students to be future-ready so that they are prepared for entry into Institutions of Higher Learning.

Eligibility

Core Features of Pei Hwa Talent Academy

1. Core Features of Pei Hwa Talent Academy

Each student talent is profiled via various tools so that he or she understands his or her areas of strengths, preferred working style and career interests. The student talents will be able to explore their work values and discover the higher education options that match their prospective career options.

2. Coaching for Success (Project Mentorship)

Pei Hwa Student Talents enjoy the privilege of the small group-based mentoring system in their respective competitive platforms for the various academic disciplines. This provides rich opportunities for in-depth discussions that nurture critical and creative thinking as well as problem-solving skills.

The teacher mentor spends quality time in providing effective, timely and personalised guidance to each student talent through one-to-one reviews based on the student talent’s growth and portfolio. These mentor-mentee interactions create an empowering environment where student talents can discover the profound sense of purpose that underlies their goals.

3. Interdisciplinary Learning

Student talents from PHTA are challenged to examine and form new insights and knowledge through the interdisciplinary application of concepts in some of these programmes. The programme incorporates independent learning and problem-based learning to prepare student talents for the intellectual rigour beyond secondary school. Student talents will be given the opportunity to carry out inter-disciplinary exploration under the guidance of experienced mentors. This allows them to go beyond the textbook and embark on a journey of self-discovery.

4. Work Attachment / Internship Programme

The Work Attachment experience aims to equip student talents with the necessary skills and knowledge for their future professional endeavours beyond their secondary school education. This experiential learning platform provides students with the opportunity to practice and enhance their industry-specific skills while simultaneously gaining valuable insights into effective teamwork and collaboration. Through the programme, scholars will gain greater clarity on his career inclinations and a finer awareness of how the knowledge learnt in school can help them with their future.

Approach and Process

Pei Hwa Talent Academy aims to provide opportunities and platforms for our student talents to excel in the various academic disciplines via the Excite, Experience and Excel approach (Fig. 1).

1. EXCITE

‘Excite’ aims to provide PHTA scholars with opportunities to be exposed to learning beyond their curriculum, and to excite and inspire them to excel and work towards a purposeful goal in the programme. Some of the activities will include conferences, seminars, workshops and learning journeys to external organisations or institutions.

2. EXPERIENCE

Students in the PHTA will experience a series of customised and developmental programmes (e.g. research, competitions, workshops and learning) that go beyond the normal curriculum. They are also enrolled in various vendor-led and/or teacher-led workshops such as communication, collaboration and presentation to equip them with various skill sets to prepare them for the future of work. These workshops are customised according to the readiness levels of the student talents. In addition to these developmental programmes, students will be given various opportunities to exhibit their learning during external competitions and showcase. The platform for competitions and showcase will not only help build their portfolio but also help them benchmark with the best at national and international levels.

3. EXCEL

PHTA scholars will be provided with opportunities to experience authentic learning beyond the classroom. These include industrial work attachments and classroom learning experiences in Junior College. Such platforms seek to expose students to real work environments where they can discover their passion, learn about specific industries and how the workplace deals with challenges whilst developing their interpersonal and communication skills. This will be instrumental to equip PHTA scholars with the knowledge to make well-informed choices for their post-secondary education pathway, i.e. Direct School Admission to Junior Colleges. Prior to graduation, each PHTA Scholar will receive a certificate and alsoand create an e-portfolio detailing the list of activities and contributions that he/she has participated in. In addition, students’ achievements will be updated in the LEAPS accordingly.

4. Work Attachment / Internship Programme

The Work Attachment experience aims to equip student talents with the necessary skills and knowledge for their future professional endeavours beyond their secondary school education. This experiential learning platform provides students with the opportunity to practice and enhance their industry-specific skills while simultaneously gaining valuable insights into effective teamwork and collaboration. Through the programme, scholars will gain greater clarity on his career inclinations and a finer awareness of how the knowledge learnt in school can help them with their future.

Fig. 1: Approach for Pei Hwa Talent Academy