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Humanities Excellence Program

powered by Elite Open School

A completely new and transformative way to experience high school for students who aspire to be global citizens and tackle global challenges.

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Introduction of Partners

Minerva University: Minerva University is a pioneering institution of higher education that offers a unique, global learning experience. With a curriculum designed around active learning and critical thinking, Minerva empowers students to solve complex, real-world problems. The university's innovative approach includes small, interactive online classes and immersive experiences in major global cities, preparing students for leadership and impact in a rapidly changing world.

Elite Open School: Elite Open School excels in humanities education through its targeted approach, college prep success, and holistic perspective, all enhanced by being part of the Elite Education Group. With a track record of guiding students to prestigious universities through its extensive resources, network, and experienced educators, EOS leverages its deep understanding of what top colleges demand and tailors its curriculum to meet these standards. Innovative teaching methods, such as active learning and discussion-based classes, prepare students to navigate and succeed in complex real-world environments.

Minerva Baccalaureate: The Minerva Baccalaureate, the overarching program that offers the Humanities Certification program is an advanced high school program that emphasizes interdisciplinary education and active learning. This program integrates various academic disciplines, encouraging students to develop critical thinking, analytical skills, and a global perspective. By engaging in real-world problem-solving activities, students are prepared for the challenges of higher education and beyond, making them well-rounded and capable global citizens.

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A Transformative Program for Aspiring Global Citizens

Elite Open School proudly offers distinguished Minerva Baccalaureate courses in our Humanities Excellence program for high school students, emphasizing active learning and interdisciplinary education. Integrating various social science disciplines, this program provides a comprehensive understanding of the humanities.

The MBacc Humanities program stands out for its innovative approach to global issues, engaging students in real-world problem-solving activities that develop critical thinking and analytical skills. Students gain a holistic perspective through academic and creative writing, critical thinking, problem-solving, and introspection.

As part of the Elite Education Group, EOS excels in humanities education with a targeted approach, college prep success, and extensive resources. With a track record of guiding students to prestigious universities, EOS tailors its curriculum to meet top college standards. Innovative teaching methods, including active learning and discussion-based classes, prepare students for complex real-world environments.

The program is accessible to a diverse global cohort for a variety of English-level students to enhance their English proficiency while providing a world-class humanities education. Upon completion, students earn a Humanities Excellence Program which demonstrates academic excellence and critical thinking across disciplines, making them attractive candidates for top-tier universities.

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MBacc Humanities Excellence Students will Achieve:

  • 3 years of WASC and Cognia-accredited US High School Education in Social Science
  • 3 Years of MBacc Program Courses
  • 3 Years of State of California High School Requirements
  • Minerva Baccalaureate Humanities Certificate

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Course Progression

Learning Outcomes for Year 1:

  • Literary Arts Fundamentals: Creative writing, critical reading, literary analysis, reading comprehension.
  • Social Emotional Learning: Introspection, self-management, self-awareness, goal-setting, project management, effective communication.
  • World Cultures: Problem-solving, critical thinking, academic writing, academic research, academic writing, intercultural competency, global worldview.

But… How much time will I spend?

  • Each semester runs for ~5 months
  • Fall semester: From September to December
  • Spring semester: From January to May
  • Time commitment per student per week is an average of ~10 hours which makes it easy to pair up with the courses the students are taking for their high-school path.
  • Virtual sessions take place from Monday to Thursday; Fridays and weekends are left for students for their own study time.
  • The course accommodates various levels of English proficiency and academic competency by allowing students to focus on improving their weaknesses. With minimal required time commitment, students can maximize their resources and dedicate more personal attention to areas that need improvement.

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Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Literary Arts Fundamentals

Literary Arts in Context

Literary Arts in Comparison

Social Emotional Learning

Community & Collaboration

SEL - Project Management

World Cultures

Globalization

Comparative Politics

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Courses Offered

Literary Arts:

  • Literary Arts focuses on developing students' creative writing, critical reading, and literary analysis skills. Students engage with a variety of texts, exploring different genres and styles to enhance their understanding and appreciation of literature. The course encourages students to express themselves creatively while honing their ability to analyze and interpret texts.
  • Interdisciplinary Connection: The analytical skills developed in Literary Arts are essential for understanding the historical texts and cultural narratives explored in World Cultures. Additionally, the introspective and communicative skills gained in Social Emotional Learning enable students to craft more meaningful literary works.

Social Emotional Learning:

  • Social Emotional Learning (SEL) aims to develop students' introspection, self-management, and interpersonal skills. Through activities and discussions, students learn to set goals, manage their emotions, and communicate effectively. This course fosters a growth mindset and emphasizes the importance of empathy, collaboration, and resilience in both academic and personal contexts.
  • Interdisciplinary Connection: The skills gained in SEL enhance students' ability to engage with the diverse perspectives and complex issues presented in Literary Arts and World Cultures. Effective communication and empathy are crucial for discussing and understanding literary themes and cultural differences.

World Cultures:

  • World Cultures provides students with a comprehensive understanding of diverse global societies. The course covers historical events, cultural practices, and political systems from various regions, promoting intercultural competency and a global worldview. Students engage in critical thinking and problem-solving activities that highlight the interconnectedness of the world.
  • Interdisciplinary Connection: The historical context and cultural insights gained in World Cultures enrich students' literary analysis in Literary Arts, allowing them to appreciate the cultural background of the texts they study. Moreover, the global perspectives and empathy fostered in Social Emotional Learning enable students to approach cultural studies with a deeper understanding and respect for diversity.

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Understanding Interdisciplinary Learning

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What is interdisciplinary learning?

Interdisciplinarity involves deep, cross-contextual application of concepts, theoretical frameworks, and methodologies drawn from multiple fields.

Why do we need interdisciplinary learning?

Interdisciplinary learning fosters holistic understanding of complex real-world problems by integrating perspectives and methods from multiple disciplines, so students learn to transfer their skills and knowledge, while gaining a thorough worldview.

How does interdisciplinary learning occur?

Interdisciplinary learning requires students to engage in critical thinking, as they must be able to connect and apply knowledge from diverse fields to understand complex issues and solve problems with the deliberate intention of integrating concepts and insights from multiple fields.

When does interdisciplinary learning occur?

Interdisciplinary learning occurs when students integrate skill sets from multiple disciplines through deliberate practice over time. Achieving it in school involves designing curriculum that encourages collaboration across subjects.

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Benefits of Humanities Excellence Program

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  • Flexibility in Certification: Each year yields a certificate. Although the entire program takes 3 years to complete, students are rewarded with a certificate with each year of completion if they choose not to commit to all 3 years.
  • Active Learning: Classes are dynamic and discussion-based, empowering students to actively engage in the vibrant world of humanities, rather than passively receiving information. The MBacc model is based on students learning the subject before the class, and using the class time to apply their knowledge.
  • Growth-focused: Students are always given feedback from every class and assignment extensively, for them to improve their understanding of the concepts being covered rather than being punished by a bad grade.
  • Student-Centered: We do not use an answer sheet to compare students' answers. We introduce them to the learning outcome, and what they need to be doing and evaluate it within the given rubric. Therefore, students have room to be critical and creative about the topic without being limited by the teacher's expectations.
  • Personal Pathway: We understand that students might need additional support on their academic journey. Based on students' progress, academic potential, and needs, we assist their journey with additional asynchronous learning to boost their learning at their own pace.

  • Interdisciplinary Approach: The interdisciplinary nature of the program prepares students to think critically across multiple domains, equipping them with the skills needed to tackle real-world problems with innovative solutions. The Humanities Excellence Program seamlessly integrates various social science disciplines to foster a well-rounded understanding of the humanities.
  • Virtual Sessions: Virtual classes offer students access to a global cohort, enriching their learning experience with diverse perspectives and fostering intercultural competency. This format also provides greater academic and personal time flexibility, allowing students to manage their schedules effectively and pursue extracurricular interests or personal commitments. Additionally, virtual classes enable students to engage with top-tier educators from around the world, access a wider range of resources, and participate in collaborative projects that transcend geographical boundaries.

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Launch into Humanities Journey: To Boost your Way to the Destination

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Humanities Certification harnesses growth mindset in learning by giving room to students to learn from their mistakes and focus on their learning rather than their grades as the only measurement of success.

Growth Mindset

In Humanities Certification classes, students are active participants in class activities and turn the things they learned into habits. Teachers are not allowed to lecture, but they only facilitate student discussions, which builds imperative skills for Humanities fields such as debating, discussing, public speaking self-expression and more.

Active Learning

We know that Humanities field branches out to other academic fields and personal skills. The MBacc curriculum is based on ‘Science of Learning’ that revolves around how students learn and develop strong academic, professional and personal skills.

Science of Learning

Classes take place on the platform Forum. On Forum, every second is filled with an activity, discussion, debate or a poll and student performance is constantly graded and monitored. Class sizes are kept small (<18) for personalized experience.

Forum Classroom

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What is Unique about the Humanities Excellence Program?

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Social Emotional Learning:

Students manage their emotions and pursue opportunities to give back to their communities through individual and collective well-being projects. Benefits include managing emotions and relationships through introspection and reflection.

Learning Instead of Memorizing:

Students forget what they memorize as it also comes with a lot of stress whereas learning is more permanent and habitual. Learning occurs by practicing; not memorizing.

Kick Start to the Humanities Through Transferable Skills

Critical thinking, problem-solving, effective communication, cultural awareness, and analytical reasoning are essential skills for success in the humanities. These skills enable individuals to engage thoughtfully with the world around them.

Matches With What Universities Look for

Standardized tests and traditional curriculums don’t prepare students for the real world. With new emerging technologies recruiters look for skills that are applied across interdisciplinary fields.

Adapt Changing Trends:

Students don’t need to know a lot of information that can be found online. Students need to invest in themselves to be able to fit into the changing job markets that will emerge after they make their college choice.

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Courses + Support From Elite Prep

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Individual-Level

Community-Level

Regular 1:1 check-ins with students to ensure they receive personal and academic support from instructors

Students are offered weekly workshops to co-work and receive feedback from teachers

Students are assigned to a ‘senior’ where they are academically assisted by graduates or seniors of the program.

Community events to bring students together (i.e. playing skits, game days, etc.)

Teachers hold weekly Open Hours to address the academic needs of students

Accommodating national holidays to allow students to spend time and take a break

College preparation guidance and support, based on students' aspirations.

College prep-oriented events (i.e presentations of different occupations)

Giving academic room to students as they need – i.e allowing flexibility in assignment deadlines on a case-by-case basis

Flexible class structure and assignments based on the personal and academic needs of the cohort

Elite Open School is renowned for its expertise in humanities education, bolstered by the excellence of its teachers who are leaders in their fields. As part of the larger Elite Prep Global corporation, EOS benefits from an extensive array of resources that enhance the learning experience.

EOS’s personalized and flexible approach ensures that each student receives tailored guidance, enabling them to pursue their academic and personal goals effectively. EOS is proud to offer this exceptional Humanities Excellence program to students who are eager to take an early and impactful step into the world of humanities, equipping them with the critical thinking, analytical, and creative skills necessary for success.

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Admissions Process

  1. Application Submission
  2. Duolingo English Test with scores sent directly to Elite Open School
    1. Minimum score of 105
  3. Elite Open School Interview
    • Ideal MBacc students demonstrate high motivation, are independent learners & show a willingness to be challenged academically
  4. Acceptance Confirmation
  5. EOS Lead 3-Year Academic Plans per Student
    • EOS & MBacc staff work with the local organization to develop a three-year academic plan for the student

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Join Our Global Cohort Now!