Inception Night Spotlights Creativity, Innovation, Ingenuity

Tuesday’s Inception Night exhibition put creativity, ingenuity, and innovation in the spotlight.

Inception is a bespoke, future-focused learning program at ICS which prioritizes personalization, purpose, and independence. With the guidance of a mentor teacher, students can systematically explore a wide range of subjects to inform a decision about their future studies and they can co-create a two-year learning journey that allows them to deeply pursue an area of expertise they are considering as a career.

“Inception gives students the flexibility, individualized support, and out-of-classroom experiences that will accelerate their growth and prepare them for the future in ways that go beyond what’s available in their typical classes and diploma programs,” Inception Innovator Ellie Clark said. “We know that in order to best prepare our students for an uncertain future, we need to evolve the way we think about teaching and learning. Inception is an example of how ICS is committed to leading the way in innovative education.”

At Tuesday night’s showcase, with hor d’oeurves being served and light music performed by their peers, Inception students welcomed the school community to peruse the exhibition hall, observe their creations, and ask questions about their internship experiences.

This year’s cohort featured a range of projects, interests, products, and experiences, including:

• Indira L., who interned in early childhood education and is planning to pursue the profession at university in Spain next year;

• Yuvraj M., whose study of agriculture led him to build gardens, explore food security, and the development of a student group focused on personal development;
• Michael D., whose wildlife photography has led to hosting several professional exhibitions and collaborations with professional artists throughout Addis Ababa,
• Kidus E., whose interest in engineering led to an internship with the construction company leading a project on campus to develop staff residences and an outdoor pool, while facilitating a learning exchange with his family’s construction company;
• Maria M., an aspiring chef who is working at the Hilton Hotel in Addis Ababa and design an industrial kitchen at ICS on her way to study molecular gastronomy in university;
• Eliza F., who is formalizing her study of dance choreography and building a path to her future studies;
• Alem S., whose family history of working with non-governmental organizations inspired her to contribute to empowering women in business in Ethiopia;
• Nura A., who took a deep dive into animation design and the complex software required to produce professional-quality creations,
• and so many more.

Grade 11 student Maria M. is in her first year of Inception. She said the appreciates ICS offering this program because it encourages young people to be more open minded and gain experience through school that they may not be able to get otherwise.

"I decided to take Inception because, for many years, I knew what I was passionate about, and although I always studied it, I could never put it into practice in my school," Maria M. said. "Thanks to the help and support of my teacher, Ms. Ellie, I have had the opportunity to intern at the Hilton Hotel twice a week, which has helped me a lot to have experience in the kitchen, and collaborate to help me create a portfolio and a website so I can apply to the university of my dreams. I will start learning and experimenting with molecular gastronomy, and I am very excited to see the results that the program will bring me."

To find out more about innovative education at ICS, visit our Learn page.