‘Personalized Learning Shapes the Future’ says Josh Doubleday

Edarabia had the opportunity to interview Josh Doubleday, the visionary Principal of iCademy Middle East, a leading American curriculum school in Dubai. He is passionate about providing students with a personalized and engaging learning experience that empowers them to succeed in the 21st century.

1. What are your plans for 2025?

We continue to focus on different ways we can build and strengthen our school community, which includes our online students and families as well as our students who come in person to the Knowledge Hub located in Knowledge Park, here in Dubai. Community events such as Sports Day, International Day, National Day and so many more, play a big role in building community and these continue to be successful through the support of our parents working alongside our amazing team at iCademy.

We also will continue our work with other American curriculum schools in Dubai by providing opportunities for their students to recover credits, or take additional courses to strengthen their university applications, such as Advanced Placement courses with us at iCademy Middle East. We offer ten AP courses for High School students, as well as a wide variety of Honors-level courses.

Additionally, we are accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)), and we work closely with NEASC on a continuum of development through their rigorous standards. This work is ongoing and ensures that we remain at the forefront when it comes to offering a flexible and personalized educational program to our amazing students.

2. How do you decide what to focus on academically each year, and which new ideas are you pursuing?

Each year, we make a tremendous investment into reviewing and updating our online curriculum and the way our students engage with it. We want to ensure that our curriculum is relevant but also challenges students to become independent and critical thinkers, problem solvers and strong collaborators.

We are also looking at thoughtful ways to integrate Ai into various aspects of the educational experience, both as a means to develop our learners, exposing them to new and helpful tools,  and to ensure that our students are fully prepared for the future.

3. What challenges do you anticipate in the field of education over the next 5 years?

In the next five years and beyond, more schools will be attempting to offer a more personalized educational experience to their students and this may include offering a digital option. iCademy has been leading in this field for more than 15 years. We have developed an incredible bespoke platform and curriculum that is personalized to each learner and we continue to enhance aspects of the program to compliment the student experience.

4. How do you keep students interested in learning, especially those who struggle or seem unmotivated?

If a student is unmotivated, finding out the “why” is critical, as we strongly believe that there is a reason for every behavior. Taking the time to figure out and understand the “why” is the first step. Ongoing support and communication with families also is a critical component if a student is struggling with motivation. We have a school counseling team that provides support to our students who are online, as well as counseling and academic support in-person at our Knowledge Hub in Knowledge Park.

We keep students interested in learning by providing an engaging and immersive curriculum and learning platform with a wide variety of course offerings and electives. We complement this with the additional layers of support by our teachers, academic advisors, and school counselors, as well as regular progress reporting so that students and parents are aware of their academic standing.

5. How does the school ensure all students feel welcome and have the same chances to succeed?

Ensuring all students feel welcome is so important. One of the ways we have addressed this is by establishing a Student Ambassador program at the Knowledge Hub. Student Ambassadors welcome and work with new students so that they have a peer to ask questions to and who can support them as they acclimate to iCademy. Our homeroom teachers and academic advisors conduct a live school orientation session on the first day of each cohort, so that students and families can become familiar with the online platform and have the opportunity to ask questions.

We also are mindful in providing rich social experiences to both online and in-person students through more than 40 after school clubs and activities, and events such as National Day and Sports Day.

6. How proactive is the school in matters of student stress and bullying?

We understand that stress and bullying are real issues for students. Counselors work closely with students so that they know who to go to for support and to ensure that students have the tools to deal with challenging situations. Additionally, our Student Government and Student Council helps to tackle and discuss the issues of bullying and mental health and how they impact young people. By empowering our student leaders to lead this work, we are able to have a greater impact within our student population that is much more meaningful and long lasting.

7. How do you help students build the skills they need for life after graduation?

As our Mission states: We aim to develop confident, lifelong learners and multilingual citizens who can thrive in today’s interconnected world.

We work to develop students to be independent, self-disciplined, and exhibit critical thinking skills that will support them as they collaborate with others. We feel that these skills will provide our students with the best opportunity to succeed in post-secondary education and beyond.

8. How involved are parents and the community in making the school better?

We have an incredible parent community at iCademy, both for online students and families and for those that participate in-person. I believe our parents truly understand the importance of school in a child’s life, and that by ensuring the school community is strong, everyone benefits. Our parents value being involved and showing a commitment to their child’s educational experience. We are a team and we all have the same goals: the success of each of our students.

9. How do you develop a school culture that attracts and keeps great teachers?

In addition to our UAE-based teachers, we have highly-qualified teachers who reside internationally and teach remotely through our online platform. This allows us to source and retain excellent teachers from around the world. We also have learning coaches, who work in-person with students at our Knowledge Hub in Dubai; forming a cohesive team of professional educators who inspire our diverse student population.

We believe that educators are looking for a challenging, professional experience that also values their contribution and supports their professional goals.

10. Do teachers at your school have growth opportunities for leadership roles?

Absolutely. Our teachers are always encouraged to apply for new opportunities that reflect the growth they have made professionally. We believe that promoting from within is always the preferred option as it reflects our passion for the development of our staff.

11. Which after-school activity would you say has the biggest positive impact on a student’s future?

We have a number of afterschool programs that have an incredible impact on our learners. There are three in particular that I would highlight: First, the Duke of Edinburgh Award Program,which allows our students to engage in a number of personal development challenges. We also offer the Model United Nations (MUN), which is a fabulous opportunity for students to develop their debate and public speaking skills and also gives them the opportunity to collaborate with others. Lastly, I would highlight our Student Council and Student Government. These two activities allow students to impact change, give students a voice in the school community, and allow students the opportunity to to develop their critical thinking, leadership and collaboration skills.

12. As a Principal, what is your definition of success?

As a Principal, I believe we are successful if our students’ time with iCademy has helped them reach their potential through the development of key skills and an engaging learning experience.

13. If you had the opportunity to inspire the world in one sentence, what would that sentence be?

That is a big question. I feel the world needs more kindness on a human to human level. We also rarely understand what each person is dealing with. In that vein, I have always loved the quote by Plato which is: “be kind and caring for everyone is fighting a hard battle”.