A new Google-inspired HSC learning centre has opened its doors with a mission to train the brightest young minds in Sydney for stellar careers in science, medicine, mathematics and English. The first of its kind in Australia, the Talent 100 centre is the brainchild of Richard Chua – a former Business Strategy Associate at Google’s Mountain View Headquarters in Silicon Valley.
With design thinking that focuses on 21st century learning, the new centre delivers a holistic and aspirational learning environment. The fusion of everyday mindfulness with digital technology, including digital yoga, brain training via smart screens and interactive screen technology will be available to students along with informal open community learning spaces – a famous feature of Google offices around the world.
“We are bringing the best of Google home to Sydney, leading the way for greater innovative learning, demystifying the HSC for students and helping them identify their career path in what can be a challenging time in a student’s life,” says Mr Chua, who achieved a perfect 100 UAI when he was a student at Sydney Grammar. “I was inspired by my time at Google – where we had fun, creative communal workspaces that fostered some of the greatest minds on the planet. They call this ‘work-life blend’ in Silicon Valley – the idea that when you’re really passionate about something, there doesn’t always need to be a distinction between your work and your personal life.”
At Talent 100, the centre aims to build on the successful ‘third place’ concept – an innovation introduced to Talent 100 by CEO, Sarah Spiteri, and practiced by education experts around the world – that creates a unique space between school and home.
The centre features:
- Inspirational classrooms with ergonomic IDEO chairs
- ‘Pixel Burst’ benches designed by Yves Behar (founder of San Francisco design studio fuse project) for the Botanist series
- Recharge and refocus areas offering mindfulness, meditation, digital yoga and brain training via smart screens
- A fully functional open plan kitchen that forms the central hub of the centre – designed to encourage community learning and sharing
- Interactive iPad stations, LCD’s and iBeacons to augment their experience
- Break out spaces and pods allowing USB port connectivity to study alone or in groups
- Recharge and refocus areas offering mindfulness, meditation, digital yoga and brain training via smart screens
- Digital innovation such as interactive ipad stations and information zones, interactive LCD’s and iBeacons to augment their experience
- A fully functional open plan kitchen that forms the central hub of the centre designed to encourage informal community learning and sharing – a significant feature of all Google offices and a major design feature for the Talent 100 centre
- Inspirational classrooms with moving ergonomic chairs designed by ideo one of the world’s leading creative innovation and design thinking companies
- Break out spaces and pods where you can connect via USB ports to study alone and in groups
- Integrated technology learning experiences with a digital e-learning platform so students can have support and materials anytime, anywhere
- Carpet tiles delineate and define spaces
The new Talent 100 learning centre is based at Chatswood, Sydney, with classes being offered after school and on weekends seven days a week.
