Dover Court International School students Joon and Lucy in Year 12, and Amalya in Year 10, attended the annual NAE-UNICEF Student Summit, which took place this year at The Village School and the British International School of Houston.
This year’s summit had a focus on the theme of INNOVATION. Over 120 Nord Anglia students from around the world gathered to discuss how they’ve been working to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and to step up their efforts to create change within their local communities.
The summit's agenda included various workshops and activities.
On the first day, students focused on developing advocacy skills, such as having challenging conversations with community stakeholders and amplifying student voices in local communities. On the second day, students visited the Houston Museum of Natural Science to learn about energy science and the growing importance of renewable energy sources in line with SDG 7: ‘Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all’.
On Day 3, students learned about leading positive change and holding challenging conversations with support from UNICEF. Day 4 included a tour of the British International School of Houston and inspiring ‘Peer Talks’ about local community initiatives addressing the SDGs. Day 5 included a workshop on inclusive language and advocating for change, followed by volunteering at the Houston Food Bank. The students packed enough boxes for 19,040 meals. On the final day, the students presented strategies to address 'problem statements,' with solutions including lobbying local governments to create information booklets and hosting educational sessions.
We look forward to seeing our students put their newly learned skills into action and how they contribute to social impact projects and implement change within the Dover Court community.
“I knew the summit would allow me to hear different perspectives from my peers as everyone comes from different contexts and backgrounds. Being able to listen to everyone’s ideas has inspired me to become a stronger advocate for change when I return to my own community.”
Joon, Year 12 student
“The biggest skill I’ve gained during the summit for me has to be systematic thinking, which is the process of taking a big problem and looking at the causes and solutions that feed into it. It means we can look at what creates the biggest impact in ways that are more manageable.”
Lucy, Year 12 student
