CGA Community News: September

As CGA is an online high school, a question we often get is how students develop and maintain social relationships in a remote learning environment. Despite the distance, students have many ways to meet and interact with each other, both in person and online, so they can maintain an active social life like any other high school student.

CGA’s Vibrant Social Day

Every month, we choose a location for students to gather and meet each other in person. Some are local, while others fly in for the special event! Students also join online for a hybrid mix of activities, inspirational talks, and games.

This past month, we welcomed over a dozen students in person in Dubai and online around the world, and we were joined by not one, but two student speakers!

Adam El Rafey, our fireside chat speaker, is living proof that we should assess students based on ability, not age. He started studying robotics at age 4, gave a TEDx talk at age 8 and is now a second-year university student at age 13.

Adam shared inspiring insights about fostering curiosity, which does not always come naturally, and exploring different interests deeply, which he compared to how a dolphin dives into the ocean. He also shared his own story of overcoming ageist assumptions by applying to different fellowships and programs despite the age restrictions, and his best piece of advice was to simply ask, because the answer just might be yes!

A CGA student, Isabella Silva, conducted a workshop about the power of personal branding. She shared the story of creating her community, Teens Matter, and how we can all develop the confidence to put ourselves out there. In Isabella’s words, “Confidence isn’t the absence of insecurity. It’s knowing your worth despite your insecurity.” To get started on their own personal branding, students completed a SWOT analysis and an ‘about me’ page as a way to identify and leverage their own strengths and opportunities.

The day wrapped up with a lively game of Among Us, an online game that students could play together, whether they were in Dubai, Australia or South Africa! These monthly events contribute to a great sense of community around the world, and we look forward to our next event in Tokyo, Japan.

Diverse Extracurricular Opportunities for Every Student

In addition to social days, students can join a variety of clubs. Some are teacher-led, such as economics and debate, while others are founded and run by the students themselves!

From video editing and creative writing to Spanish conversation practice and video games, CGA students have a wide range of choices. At the same time, students are free to start their own clubs if they can’t find one aligned to their interests, so new opportunities are always becoming available.

Other Opportunities

Finally, if a student wants to interact with others in-person, our team has gathered a comprehensive list of global online, and local in-person activities across many of our student hubs, such as Tokyo, Singapore, Auckland and Sydney. Categories include speech and debate, the arts, sports and politics. The list is continuously updated with new ideas so students can explore their interests no matter where they are in the world, and begin building great portfolios for university applications!

Making Friends Has Never Been Easier at CGA

Whether you’re already homeschooled or a student athlete with an unusual schedule, there are many ways to meet other students and make friends at CGA.

We also have an upcoming Career Fair, which is a great opportunity to learn about future career paths and network with top professionals in a variety of fields. Check out our event page to learn more!