Student ambassadors from BIS Hanoi heading to Houston, Texas for the Nord Anglia Education-UNICEF Student Summit

Three of our year 11 students from BIS Hanoi, participated in the annual NAE-UNICEF Student Summit in Houston, Texas. More than 120 Nord Anglia students from around the world joined the 2024 NAE-UNICEF Student Summit, which took place this year at The Village School and the British International School of Houston.

Houston was chosen for its designation as the first officially recognized "Child-Friendly City" in the United States. This was the first time the summit was hosted in this city.

The theme of this year’s summit was "Innovation," and students gathered to discuss ways they’ve been working to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to step up their efforts in creating change within their local communities.

Student ambassadors engaged in workshops led by UNICEF, the World's Largest Lesson, and Generation Global to build advocacy skills, develop leadership qualities, and positively impact their communities. They then presented projects at the "Global Issues Solutions Fair," addressing problem statements created by UNICEF on important topics such as nutrition, learning, and health. Additionally, they led peer talks to share how they have been taking action as leaders in their communities through social impact projects focused on sustainability, climate change, and social equality. They also participated in local community volunteering in Houston.

This year, there were professional learning sessions for attending educator chaperones to better support their students and schools in enhancing their social impact efforts.

Dr Leslie Williams, Senior Programme Lead for Social Impact and Giving at Nord Anglia Education, said: “We’re thrilled our student leaders are making their way to Houston to join our flagship event, which will inspire positive actions in their schools and communities. At the heart of our education philosophy is a vision to shape a generation of creative and resilient global citizens who will change our world for the better, and events like the Summit ensure our students are developing into real changemakers.”

According to Ms. Cooper, Head of Secondary Enrichment at BIS Hanoi, the previous UNICEF Ambassadors, Robyn and Dain, really enjoyed last year's summit in New York. They learned the skills to lead significant projects in school, like our celebrations of World Children’s Day and Earth Day.

"After formal applications and interviews, we agreed that Katie, Julie, and Nguyen Anh from Year 11 were the strongest candidates to become next year’s UNICEF Ambassadors. We look forward to seeing what they achieve in the upcoming academic year after returning from Houston," said Ms. Cooper. 

Reflecting on the unique experience of attending the summit, Katie Nguyen said that at the event, she was given the opportunity to collaborate and connect with young future leaders from all around the world who share the same interest and passion to create a social impact. She immersed herself in an environment full of intellectual knowledge and versatile skills to make a difference in our community.

"I also learned a lot from the workshops hosted by experts from public agencies such as UNICEF about the SDGs," added Katie.

Julie Shin has experienced many unexpected things that helped her structure the actions she needs to take in her school to make changes and address real-world issues. She enjoyed the workshops where she could listen to others and share her thoughts. This helped her broaden her views on the issues discussed.

"Beyond the workshops, I also enjoyed the time spent with peers at the summit through various activities that helped us to connect. Everyone there was so nice and friendly, making the experience comfortable and enjoyable," she said.

Nguyen Anh emphasized that it was one of the most memorable experiences for her. At the NAE-UNICEF Student Summit, she met and exchanged cultures with many talented peers from other Nord Anglia schools. She has also improved her public speaking skills as well as learning other valuable lessons through a variety of workshops such as dialogue skills, systems thinking, data analysis and advocacy skills.

Julie also added that through conversations with peers, she noticed that many people are trying their best both in and beyond their schools with a passion for changing their surroundings. Moreover, she learned that they are still far from achieving the world's SDGs. Despite the numerous actions already taken, they have only achieved a small percentage of the SDGs, which made her realize that they need to take more concrete actions to move closer to these goals.

The NAE-UNICEF Student Summit is not the only way students get engaged with the SDGs and social impact efforts at Nord Anglia schools. Through the Social Impact Distinctions, schools work toward three levels of accreditation (bronze, silver, and gold) showcasing how they have embedded children’s rights and the SDGs. Each year, students can also receive funding from the Social Impact Grants to expand and enhance their community activities addressing the goals. Notably, our students this year had the honour of receiving the funding totaling $9,000 from NAE Social Impact Grants to support their student-led social project, Chalk Road.

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