AISG Announces Grand Opening of Science Park Campus

AISG officially opened its Science Park campus, which was designed with a clear "Vision for Learning". This vision aimed to create a world-class learning environment that supports student-centered learning for a variety of learning styles. The campus offers student choice on how, when, and where they learn, facilitating deeper learning that can happen in a variety of learning spaces. Thus, the theme for the Grand Opening event on August 30, 2023 was "A Vision for Learning - Realized".

The event was attended by local government officials, consul generals, strategic partners, board members, media organizations, caregivers, students, faculty, staff, and distinguished guests, making it a historical milestone that will forever be a part of AISG's legacy.

The Grand Opening event featured student performances and speeches by AISG Director, Kevin Baker, U.S. Consul General. Lisa K. Keller, and Deputy Head of the Guangzhou Education Bureau, Mr. Chen Minsheng. Their speeches highlighted the importance of education that empowers learners and the pivotal role AISG plays in providing a world-class education to students in Guangzhou.

 

Mr. Chen Minsheng's speech highlighted how AISG will help the city of Guangzhou by saying, "AISG has made significant contributions to improving the business environment as Guangzhou expands. I believe that the new school building will create a safer, more comfortable, and warmer learning environment for both teachers and students. This is bound to attract more overseas talents to innovate and start businesses in Guangzhou, thereby further enhancing the city's international appeal."

Following the speeches, a traditional lion dance led guests to the central plaza for the official opening ceremony. Personalized campus tours were then conducted, showcasing the state-of-the-art facilities and flexible learning environments.

A luncheon was then held to celebrate the occasion, and the event concluded with a student-focused Sports Festival to commemorate the opening of the Athletic Center. The festival included a dragon dance, sports competitions, and activities in the gymnasiums for all students to enjoy.

AISG School Director, Mr. Kevin Baker, says, “When AISG embarked on our ambitious Master Facilities Plan, we envisioned a one-of-a-kind facility built to support the learning outcomes we desire our students to achieve. We boldly sought to create a modern and flexible building to prepare our students for the future, to provide a home for inspirational learning that will transform student lives, now and into the future. The results of this project have exceeded our expectations! Providing inspiring, dynamic, connected, innovative learning experiences has been the hallmark of an AISG education since 1981. This new facility will only enhance and accelerate this impact for all learners, and it solidifies AISG premier position in international education in Guangzhou and beyond.”

The total area of renovation was over 38,000m2, which included construction of buildings, landscaping, and repurposed outdoor space. The renovated campus showcases an increase in key spaces:  

The renovated Science Park campus includes the Central Plaza, the Elementary Building, the Secondary Building, the Performing Arts Center, and the Athletics Center.  Currently, the campus only accommodates Secondary students from grades 6-12. However, next school year, students in grades 4 and 5 will also start attending.

Central Plaza

The Science Park campus has a magnificent entrance, which includes a large plaza with a partially covered roof and an oversized natural skylight that immediately captures your attention. The backdrop of the plaza is a 54-step grand staircase with built-in benches, which is a popular spot for students to socialize and connect on sunny days. The Central Plaza serves as the heart of the campus and plays a crucial role in hosting school-wide activities, photographs, and events. It is both inviting and breathtaking, making it a focal point of the campus and leaving a great first impression.

Academic Buildings

The Elementary and Secondary Buildings offer world-class learning environments with an open-concept design that includes glass walls and doors, as well as flexible furniture and accessories. The hallways are spacious, and there are meeting rooms of various sizes outside the classrooms that offer a range of seating options, such as sofas, booths, and study boxes. Inside the classrooms, students have access to cutting-edge Seewo TVs with touch screens, flexible furniture with wheels, dry erase tabletops, and seating and standing options.

AISG recognizes that students have individual strengths and needs  and learn differently. The diverse options for where, when, and how they learn aim to accommodate these various learning styles and promote deeper learning. The open-concept design encourages collaboration, resulting in learning that takes place throughout the school rather than just inside a classroom.

AISG’s Secondary Principal, Dr. Amos Lyso says, “It has been amazing to see how this new space has enhanced collaboration and enabled different learning experiences for students. From the wide variety of breakout spaces to the enclosed glass study boxes, you can literally see learning happening EVERYWHERE!”

Performing Arts Center

The Performing Arts Center was the first building to undergo renovation on the Science Park campus in 2017. Its completion served as an inspiration, leading to the decision in 2018 to embark on a Master Facility Plan to renovate the rest of the campus.

The facility supports AISG's Performing Arts program, which offers a well-rounded and comprehensive education that nurtures curiosity, fosters creativity, and promotes an appreciation for the arts, including theater, band, orchestra, choir, and dance.

 

The Performing Arts Center offers an immersive and authentic experience, featuring a state-of-the-art 499-seat theater with a professional sound and lighting system. The black box, music classrooms, and practice rooms are all purpose-built with high- performance acoustics, allowing students to use their critical listening skills to reach optimal performance levels.

Athletic Center

The Athletic Center is set to support AISG's most comprehensive athletics and activities program of any international school in South China. The athletics program competes against other schools both internationally and within China and now has an outstanding facility to host games and tournaments for a variety of sports, including swimming, soccer, touch rugby, badminton, table tennis, basketball, and volleyball.

The athletics facilities include one of the largest natural grass soccer pitch of any other international school in Guangzhou, an indoor 25-meter swimming pool, two gymnasiums, a fitness room, a dance studio, an external climbing wall, an indoor running track, two rooftop spaces for outdoor learning, and a full educational suite for instruction.

The Athletic Center is a testament to the school's commitment to providing students with a holistic education that includes physical fitness and well-being. The facilities are designed to cater to all levels of ability, promoting a healthy and active lifestyle among students, faculty, and staff.

Corey Kydd, AISG Athletics and Activities Director, says, "Today marks a new chapter in our community's commitment to athletic excellence. Our purpose-built, state-of-the-art athletic center is a testament to our dedication to providing the best possible facilities for our athletes. We are thrilled to celebrate this momentous occasion and look forward to the many successes that will come from this incredible new center."

Award-Winning Partners

AISG collaborated with Perkins&Will, a globally recognized and award-winning architecture and design firm known for their innovative educational spaces. The decision to partner with Perkins&Will was based on their shared vision of creating flexible environments that incorporate interdisciplinary, personalized, and hands-on approaches to learning. To ensure AISG’s Vision for Learning was executed to the highest standard, AISG brought in top contractors, project management teams, surveyors, and other firms like Long Yuan, Arcadis, and Currie & Brown. This collaboration helped bring the project to fruition on time and within budget.

The Director of Facilities and School Services, Mr. Paul Lefebvre says, "The remodeling of the Science Park campus is a culmination of many moving parts and exceptional teamwork. The conceptual design was provided by our architects, Perkins&Will, that led to further input from the many workshops with our faculty, staff, and administration. These ideas were then put into action over thousands of hours from Long Yuan (general contractor), Arcadis (project management team), Currie & Brown (quantity surveyors), and our own support staff and management team. As a result, the project was completed on time, and we are especially thankful to the students, caregivers, faculty, and staff for their adaptability during the build. We can all agree that it was worth it!"

Exceptional International Education in Guangzhou

AISG's Science Park campus is a state-of-the-art facility that is unparalleled to any other school in southern China. As Guangzhou focuses on promoting itself as a city with talent, technology, and education, AISG stands out as an essential part of the city's educational landscape. With its exceptional faculty and staff, outstanding facilities, and transformative learning experiences, AISG attracts foreign talent and serves the community by providing outstanding international education to families seeking exceptional education for their children in Guangzhou.

Jamie Robb, AISG Deputy Director says, "Our exceptional facilities and uniquely designed spaces provides an optimal environment for teaching and learning that attracts high quality faculty and serves as the school of choice for international families in Guangzhou."

The completion of Science Park's Master Facility Plan demonstrates AISG's dedication to providing innovative learning spaces and supporting students to reach their full potential. More importantly, this realization is not the end of AISG’s pursuit of its Vision for Learning, but rather a continuation as it strives to set the standard in creating unique, transformative learning journeys that will forge a globally connected community.

Science Park Campus Highlights

Academic Buildings:

  • Centralized library under a 12m-high atrium
  • 85+ modern classrooms
  • Classrooms with adjustable walls
  • Flexible furniture
  • 5 science labs
  • 4 innovation, design and technology labs
  • 1 cooking lab
  • 57-step internal grand staircase
  • Wide hallways for various seating options
  • Various sized study spaces
  • Café
  • 300-seat cafeteria
  • Multi-purpose rooms
  • Roof-top play space

Performing Arts Center:

  • 499-seat theater
  • 1 musical pit
  • LED Screen
  • State-of-the-art sound system
  • Professional theater lighting
  • 3 music classrooms
  • 4 music practice rooms
  • 1  black box theater

Athletic Center:

  • 25-meter indoor swimming pool
  • 50-seat swimming pool spectator area
  • 6,510 m2 natural grass soccer field
  • Covered garage
  • 2 gyms, 3 full-sized courts
  • 200m indoor running track
  • 2 outdoor climbing walls
  • Fitness room
  • Dance studio
  • Multi-purpose rooms
  • Outdoor amphitheater
  • Roof-top courts
  • LED screens and scoreboards