By Wonseok L., Tina S. and Mayumi E.
UNICEF team
'Over a month has passed since a remarkable summit attended by over 120 Nord Anglia students from around the world. The event was a unique opportunity to witness the coming together of diverse schools, which left a lasting impression.'
When I entered the gym at the Village School, the sight of numerous student representatives was overwhelming, marking the beginning of a journey as part of a global leadership group focused on community change.
During the week-long summit, participants acquired essential skills in advocacy and community engagement. The first day emphasised strategies for conducting challenging conversations to influence local stakeholders. Our group visited the Houston Museum of Natural Science, where we learned about renewable energy, and how it aligns with the UN's Sustainable Development Goal 7. Throughout the week, students shared stories of positive societal changes and developed effective communication skills with support from UNICEF. A visit to the British International School of Houston highlighted the 'Food for Friends' initiative, where students presented their local community projects in a variety of inspiring 'Peer Talks.'
A memorable workshop on inclusive language and advocacy was followed by a volunteer session at the Houston Food Bank, where participants helped prepare over 19,000 meals. The week culminated in presentations of creative solutions to real-world problems, showcasing lobbying efforts and educational outreach plans. Witnessing peers applying their knowledge was empowering.
Beyond the educational experience, the trip provided a comforting break from daily life. Memories of a shared two-story bedroom, rooftop lunches with views of skyscrapers, and heartfelt thanks to mentors like Ms. Emma, Tina, and Yumi made the experience unforgettable. Ultimately, this summit was just the beginning of a journey toward making a meaningful impact.
Reflecting on my experience at the summit, I realised how challenging it is to summarise all the different lessons learned and new perspectives gained, all focused around social impact. Throughout the week, I repeatedly asked myself, "How can I apply this new information to create lasting change when I return home?" From the intricacies of language—how the words we choose to use in our daily life can affect the inclusivity of our social impact project,— to being able to experience hands-on what it is like to work in them at Houston's Food Bank and so much more, it all comes back to making us better leaders for change.
World Children's Day (WCD) is celebrated on November 20 each year to promote international togetherness, awareness among children worldwide, and improving children's welfare.
The readers of this article have all likely experienced a ‘traditional’ exam setting. Rows of desks, pen and paper, and exam papers that are primarily constructed to test knowledge and recall of the course content. There is certainly some value to an exam paper that assesses a student’s knowledge, but ultimately, knowledge and recall represents a very narrow range of the skills actually needed in the modern world. Recognising this, the IB has taken an revolutionary look at assessment in the middle years, with the eAssessment.
