As part of Nord Anglia Education (NAE), one of the world’s leading international schools groups, Swiss International School is proud to have 2 students attending this year’s NAE-UNICEF Student Summit, hosted for the first time ever in Houston, Texas from 12 to 19 June 2024.

Swiss International School Dubai attend UNICEF summit

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.”

Ruth Burke, Principal, “As an IB World School committed to sustainability, this opportunity is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for our students and aligns perfectly with our mission and values - to cultivate changemakers at SISD. We have an array of comprehensive sustainable initiatives, spanning all grades from PreKG, and this summit will allow our students to not only showcase the SISD efforts, but also to connect with peers dedicated to social impact and making a difference.”

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.