The new shift in the education paradigm is a more in-depth way of approaching the way students learn. Students need to develop life skills as they study their regular subjects. The skills of collaboration, critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, and communication are core to success of students in education and throughout their professional lives.

It was with this direction that Alhuda Academy embarked on implementing this paradigm shift. Alhuda Academy invested in training with Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) Educators’ Professional Development Department to become the first Islamic school to be a Certified STEAM School. STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics, but for Alhuda Academy, we decided that we would be a STREAM School, adding religion to the component, as this fits the school’s mission of excellence in education that builds better citizens and better Muslims.

Alhuda Academy developed a multi-year strategic plan for implementing the shift in our education paradigm. This was done under the guidance of the WPI trainers. Some of this plan includes updating our curriculum to be aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards, collaboration amongst teaching units while infusing the moral and religious components into them, project based learning, strategic partnerships with STEM organizations and much more.

The school administration and faculty are excited about this venture and are working hard at implementing this plan and tweaking it as we move forward.