I-Track: A Model for Innovation
At Geffen Academy, we embrace the transformative power of creativity. Research demonstrates that innovation occurs when creativity is nurtured in individuals within the right environment — one in which there is freedom to experiment without fear of mistakes and with a constructive irreverence and playfulness.
Geffen Academy’s I-Track program functions as the school’s research and discovery lab. Students have the freedom to create a course of study that aligns with their specific interests and, through this opportunity, own their education.
The I-Track Innovation Model Helps Students Develop:
Students will acquire expertise in design-led inquiry, systems literacy, physical computing and presentation. These skills will be learned from problems originating from course work in other departments, external projects and student-conceived projects.
Creative Thinking Skills
I-Track projects are structured as open-ended projects where students problem-solve rather than generate correct solutions. A variety of problem identification and solving methodologies will be presented from different disciplines and cultures.
The I-Track curriculum leverages students’ passions to promote deeper engagement with learning by exploring problems of their own choosing. The central idea is that innovators are self-motivated by a desire to see their passions applied to a purpose greater than themselves.
A Way to Balance Humanism and Technology
I-Track recognizes that innovation happens in cultural and technological spaces. As a result, the program encourages student projects in humanities, arts, computation and science.
Possible electives include:
GAME DESIGN • COMPUTER GRAPHICS IN FILM & GAMES
• CREATIVE CODE • TECHNOLOGY & PERFORMANCE
• MUSIC FROM OUTER SPACE – ANALOG SYNTHESIZERS
• INNOVATION FOR SOCIAL CHANGE • COMMUNITY DESIGN • SPECULATIVE DESIGN
“I-Track is at the intersection of creativity and innovation, the place where passion, purpose and play collide to create something altogether new.”
RHAZES SPELL, Ph.D., I-Track Chair