Welcome to "The APEX" of Learning at New BCIS Tech Lab

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On Jan 26, Beijing City International School (BCIS) inaugurated its APEX Lab on school premises, heralding a step into the future of education at the International Baccalaureate (IB)-accredited school. The opening event was the culmination of a week’s worth of interactive robotics experiences and also hosted local award-winning innovator and founder of Tiangong Robotics, Xiao Jun, in a panel discussion with students, teachers, and parents alike.

Functioning as both a tech-driven space and an intelligent robotics learning hub, the BCIS APEX Lab (also referred to as “The APEX”) aims to deliver a unique teaching experience and hands-on engagement for teachers and students. 

The APEX is a natural step up from the elementary school’s Maker Space and the middle school’s Design Technology Lab. It serves as a hub for learning, showcasing, and competitions, extending the school’s existing technology education initiatives. The word “apex” signifies the highest point, and in this case refers to the pursuit of academic excellence at BCIS as well as the school’s commitment to achieving outstanding accomplishments in fields such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The aim is to lead innovation, adopt cutting-edge technology, and ensure the school remains at the forefront of tech education.

A week before the launch event, coffee-making and SRT fruit-sorting robots made their debut in the school cafeteria to spark students’ curiosity and encourage them to understand robot performance characteristics through observation and operation. The school also collaborated with industry-leading robot education project developers to share insights with high school students on the “journey from maker to entrepreneur” and how they transform a passion for robots into viable entrepreneurial projects.

BCIS believes that future education is not about describing the future but inspiring students to create it. True to that belief, student representative Jiarong revealed the collaborative efforts of teachers and students in designing The APEX. The construction involved converting an unused space into the envisioned learning environment, with students participating in 3D modeling and planning. Over the course of two years, the center was equipped with classroom robots, including existing LEGO EV3 and VEX V5 for both in-class and extracurricular teaching. Industrial robots were also introduced to emphasize practicality and problem-solving capabilities, inspiring students to think about future exploration areas.

With the launch of The APEX as a starting point, BCIS students will explore unmanned warehouses in e-commerce platforms, teachers will continue to iterate and upgrade tech courses, and the school will host large-scale robot competitions, focusing on cutting-edge technology to contribute to the deep integration of technological innovation and socio-economic development in the education industry.

Tom Egerton, principal of BCIS, states: “The APEX fits with our strategic direction of a personalized approach to education, developing collaboration and leadership skills. It challenges, inspires, and empowers our students to dream big, aim high, and reach their pinnacle. We hope in time, ‘Meet you at The APEX’ becomes a common phrase at BCIS for parents, students, and teachers to gather to learn.”

Images: Courtesy of BCIS

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