IB Continuum & Holistic Education

Step into an AISG classroom and you will see genuine engagement. Across the IB continuum, from the IB PYP to the IB DP, AISG has redefined what education looks like for today’s world. Classrooms are spaces for voice, action, agency, curiosity, and connection. Here, learning is personalized, holistic, and designed to build thinkers, leaders, and doers.

Every student is challenged academically and supported personally. Through inquiry-based projects, interdisciplinary challenges, and service as part of the curriculum, students discover how to take ownership of their learning and their impact. It’s about being ready for university, but also it’s about being ready for life.

AISG places academic excellence at the center of the learning experience, while also equipping students with the tools to lead balanced lifestyles. Through intentional support and structured opportunities, students learn how to manage their time, care for their well-being, and grow as leaders. Whether they’re presenting original research, designing sustainable communities, or driving a personal project, AISG students are developing the self-management skills and emotional intelligence needed to thrive in and beyond the classroom.

As Deputy Director Jaime Robb shares, “AISG fosters an environment where students feel heard, respected, and valued, creating a dynamic educational atmosphere. The school empowers students, giving them ownership of their learning, allowing them to pursue paths aligned with their passions and interests.” Robb continues, “AISG's approach encourages autonomy and self-direction, while also prioritizing student wellness, enabling students to thrive socially, emotionally, and physically. AISG promotes academic excellence, inspiring students to achieve their full potential in all areas of their lives.”

Faculty at AISG are mentors. Through advisory programs, flexible pathways, and collaborative and supportive classroom environments, students are given space to grow in confidence and character. Every conversation, every connection, is built on trust.

At AISG, learning is immersive, reflective, and action-oriented, preparing students to lead with compassion and make a lasting impact in the world.

Career Pathways & Lifelong Skill Development

At AISG, preparing students for the future means giving them the tools, experiences, and confidence to navigate life beyond school with confidence, compassion and resilience.

Through programs like the Social Practice Program and the annual AISG Career Fair, students are exposed to a broad range of career pathways, guided by real-world mentorship and authentic engagement with professionals across industries. These opportunities help students explore their interests, refine their passions, and start building the skills they’ll need in any path they choose.

From medical researchers and entrepreneurs to architects and sustainability leaders, the Career Fair hosts an inspiring lineup of speakers who challenge students to ask bold questions and reflect on what impact they want to make in the world. The Social Practice Program complements this by inviting students to experience local organizations firsthand, allowing them to apply learning beyond the classroom and contribute to their communities.

For Grade 12 student Alex Madigan, one of those opportunities was a turning point. When a biotech CEO visited AISG, something sparked. Through the Social Practice Program, Alex joined a one-week internship in Shenzhen, working alongside PhD students in a biotech lab. There, he explored cell research, studied organ development, and began to see science not just as a subject, but as a pathway.

That single week brought years of IB science, curiosity, and mentorship into focus. Coupled with guidance from his biology teacher, hands-on lab work, and the freedom to explore his passions, Alex found clarity in his direction. “I was curious. AISG helped me turn that into something real,” Alex says. “The freedom to try is what helped me decide.”

Through the IB Approaches to Learning (ATL) framework, students at AISG develop essential life skills such as time management, collaboration, communication, and ethical decision-making. These skills are intentionally woven into every subject area and stage of learning, creating a seamless journey from the Middle Years Programme (MYP) to the Diploma Programme (DP).

As Ralph Emmerink, AISG MYP Coordinator, explains, “The ATL skills span across all subjects and equip our students to contribute meaningfully to society. Our graduates leave AISG not only academically successful, but ready to face life’s challenges with confidence and character.” This holistic approach ensures that skill development is embedded into the way students think, learn, and grow.

John Kennett, AISG DP Coordinator adds that, “we use the ATL framework to intentionally guide students through this journey. By the time they reach the DP, they’re not starting fresh, they’re building on years of growth that have helped them become resilient, reflective, and ready to thrive in a complex, ever-changing world.”

From PYP presentations to MYP Personal Projects to the Extended Essay in the DP, students are continually challenged to think critically, act with integrity, and practice the skills that will serve them well beyond the classroom.

At AISG, we believe students should graduate with more than a diploma. They should leave with the mindset, values, and life skills to lead, adapt, and make an impact, wherever their future takes them.

Local Impact Connected to Global Advocacy

At AISG, community service is embedded into our way of thinking, our actions, and the way we lead. It begins with meaningful action in Guangzhou and extends around the world through our students, alumni, and families.

AISG students learn that real impact begins with empathy and grows through action. Through programs like the Global Citizenship Education Program (GCED) and student-led initiatives, learners engage directly with their local environment, their communities, supporting the elderly, promoting health education, or addressing environmental challenges. These experiences nurture agency, compassion, and the courage to lead.

As they move beyond AISG, students carry those values forward, becoming alumni who drive global change. From refugee resettlement to sustainable enterprise and health innovation, our graduates apply their learning in service of something greater.

From building homes in rural China as a teenager to sitting on the Board of Directors for Habitat for Humanity Hong Kong, Thomas Huang’s journey is a powerful reminder that the seeds of global impact are often planted locally. For Thomas, it was his time at AISG which set him on this track.

As a student at AISG, Thomas took part in Habitat builds that were more than just service projects, they were personal. His mother’s story of surviving homelessness as a refugee from Cambodia shaped his understanding of what it means to serve. What began as a high school initiative evolved into a lifelong commitment to housing justice, social entrepreneurship, and community resilience across continents.

“AISG taught me that service isn't something you do, it's who you are,” shared Thomas Huang, Class of 2012, now working in refugee resettlement in Europe.

At AISG, we believe that the future belongs to those who understand their role in a diverse, interconnected world. This is a place where learning is meaningful, relationships are valued, and impact is intentional. As one Alumnus said, “AISG is the perfect balance of local culture and international aspirations.”

This is the AISG Impact: where service is foundational, voice is celebrated, and every member of our community is empowered to make a positive impact both locally and globally.

A Community Where Every Voice is Heard

At AISG, every voice matters. Across classrooms, community events, and conversations big and small, students, caregivers, and faculty are empowered to speak up, advocate, and contribute. Because when every voice is seen, heard, and valued, a school becomes more than a place to learn, it becomes a place of belonging.

Grade 5 student Eaphy Zhang shared, “AISG didn’t just teach me how to speak up. They showed me that my voice mattered.” That kind of student agency, from contributing ideas in class to leading change in clubs, is deeply embedded in the AISG experience.

Caregiver Alex Koberstein described it this way: “AISG didn’t just support my kids, they supported me too. The teachers know my boys. They reach out. They care.” This kind of relationship, where feedback turns into dialogue, and dialogue into trust. This is what sets AISG apart.

In classrooms, teachers foster not just academic growth, but personal confidence. Ashley Faulkenberry, Elementary School EAL teacher, shared: “I'm leading school-wide initiatives, because AISG encouraged me, they empowered me to.” That same empowerment is modeled for students every day.

AISG alumna Lisa Mo put it simply: “AISG taught me to be confident in my ideas and take the opportunity to try.” That encouragement, and the experience of being truly heard, helped guide her toward entrepreneurship and discovering a career that aligned with her passions and strengths.

The AISG Impact is this: a community where everyone, regardless of role or background, has a voice, and that voice matters. At AISG, advocacy is built into the culture, which shifts learning to being transformational. And when every voice is heard every person is seen, and valued, the entire community grows stronger, together - with confidence, and with impact.