«Despite disadvantages, a good preparation for the Gymi»
Mr Bühlmann, who is the Go Gymi scholarship programme aimed at?
The target group are children and young people from the canton of Zurich who have the potential to successfully pass the entrance exam for long or short-term grammar schools based on their performance, but who are disadvantaged due to their family situation. Their parents are not in a position to pay for preparatory courses or support them in any other way. Individuals can apply for a scholarship, as can schools that are confronted with a variety of educational and social challenges due to their location and still want to offer students a high-quality grammar school preparation programme.
A scholarship provides access to the Go Gymi learning platform. What does it offer?
A wealth of interactive online tasks, exam simulations, access to all old transfer exams including solutions, networking with other learners and an AI tutor. Based on extensive training data, the chatbot can provide answers to specific questions - written, verbal and in various languages - whether it's explaining grammar rules clearly, working out maths solutions step by step or identifying gaps in knowledge.
An assignment for the bot could be: «Ask me questions about the most important grammar rules that appear in the Gymi exam. If I make a mistake, explain to me why the answer was wrong.» Another innovative feature is the essay correction function, which offers a comprehensive analysis of the quality of the structure and content of the essay - including suggestions for improvement. It offers teachers considerable relief when correcting and even analyses handwritten essays if learners upload a photo of them.
Applications for a scholarship are now open. What is important?
We would like learners to send us a letter of motivation in which they tell us something about their goals and motivation for the Gymi and explain why they need our support. The second step is an online interview. Other requirements are above-average grades and at least one letter of recommendation. For schools, their commitment to educational equity, willingness to actively participate in the programme and a clear need for additional resources are decisive.
More information: gogymi.ch/scholarship-programme
