Ambassadors in Houston for the UNICEF Summit

Shanghai, 21 June 2024 — As part of Nord Anglia Education (NAE), one of the world’s leading international schools groups, NAIS Pudong is proud to have three students attending this year’s NAE-UNICEF Student Summit, hosted for the first time ever in Houston, Texas. 

A total of 123 students have been selected from across Nord Anglia Education’s global family of schools to attend this year’s NAE-UNICEF Student Summit. 

Through Nord Anglia Education’s global collaboration with UNICEF, students have been raising awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through social impact projects. The SDGs are a collection of 17 goals set by the United Nations regarding social and economic development issues. 

Each year, students from Years 10-12 from Nord Anglia’s international schools come together for the NAE-UNICEF Student Summit. This year’s theme is ‘Innovation’, and student ambassadors at the Summit will: 

Join workshops led by UNICEF, World’s Largest Lesson, Generation Global, and subject matter experts on the SDGs, building advocacy skills, impacting change in their communities, as well as student leadership. 

Present a project at the “Global Issues Solutions Fair” working with their international peers to address problem statements created by UNICEF on important topics such as nutrition, learning, and health. The partnership between Nord Anglia Education and UNICEF aims to support UNICEF in further developing freely accessible learning materials on the SDGs, while helping Nord Anglia students gain the knowledge and skills required to make positive changes within their communities. 

Lead “peer talks” to share how they are taking action as leaders in their communities through social impact projects focused on sustainability, climate change, and social equality. The students will also take part in local community volunteering in Houston. 

New this year, attending educator chaperones will engage in professional learning to better support their students and schools in enhancing their social impact efforts. 

The event is being hosted at Nord Anglia’s two schools in the city: The Village School and the British International School of Houston. Houston was chosen as the ideal location for the Summit thanks to being the first officially recognised “Child-Friendly City” in the United States of America. 

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.” 

NAIS Pudong Principal, Diane Vaughan, is incredibly proud of the dedication within school over the course of this year and leading up to the event: “Three diligent students, Joey S, Victoria F, and Callum L, have been chosen as ambassadors to attend the summit on behalf of our school. Their relentless preparation involves immersing themselves in understanding the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), examining our school's environmental impact, and devising a comprehensive strategy to foster awareness and education about the SDGs among our student body and community.  We’re excited for them to return to school after the summit to help inspire and lead our other students in continuing to find new and innovative ways of embedding the SDGs in our community wherever possible.” 

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.  NAIS Pudong was the only school in China to have been awarded at least silver accreditation this year and aims to work towards the gold award in the coming academic year. Further, each year, students can also receive funding from the Social Impact Grants to expand and enhance their community activities addressing the goals.