Education has advanced over the years, with the focus shifting from being strictly book-smart to a more holistic level of education. While the world is not yet fully there, Kisma Panthier-Jn Pierre, a veteran teacher of over fifteen years, is placing herself at the forefront of this evolution through her school MJP Academy, which focuses on providing a learning environment that stimulates and nurtures the students’ minds.
Kisma Panthier-Jn Pierre set out to create an educational institution where students think first about themselves while developing an “I can do anything” attitude that will have positive implications in terms of how they see the world around them and ultimately result in building a new generation of resilient and adaptable students. MJP Academy is built on a philosophy bordering around Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development which teaches the importance of recognizing that children do not just “add more knowledge to what they already have as they get older but instead change how they think about the world based on their environment.
At MJP Academy, Kisma Panthier-Jn Pierre is about creating the perfect environment for children to thrive. The school has stimulating classrooms where students from Grade K to 6 learn interesting subjects like coding, goal setting, life skills, and languages like French and Mandarin to open the students’ eyes to the world beyond the one they’re familiar with. MJP Academy also caters to secondary students through its after-school services and adults through its evening personal and professional development programs.
Kisma Panthier-Jn Pierre’s goal is to strengthen the fragility of the education system that the COVID-19 pandemic exposed. She wants to see children get the best education while providing scholarships and bursary opportunities to students who may not be able to afford the tuition at MJP Academy. To realize this vision, a funding process to raise $1.5 million is in motion, with two-thirds of the money raised. Bringing MJP Academy to life means actualizing a teacher’s dreams of seeking to achieve monumental changes in her community and country, Antigua and Barbuda.
As a teacher for over 15 years in the public school system, Kisma Panthier-Jn Pierre has seen firsthand the confused state many students are left in after graduation. They barely have clarity about what to do next because they know nothing about themselves, what makes them tick, and what they can do to thrive as individuals. So she decided to bring her childhood dream to life and build a school that would help bridge the currently existing gaps.
Over the next few years, Kisma sees MJP Academy getting filled up with students learning enthusiastically and developing into more conscientious young people. She hopes to embark on numerous drives to give the school more exposure, recognition and access to funding. In addition, Kisma hopes to rally the support of the public and well-to-do individuals passionate about education to make the school take off.
