Our mission focuses on all students being compassionate, competent, curious changemakers. As changemakers, we take action to contribute responsibly to a more peaceful and sustainable world for all. We really want to make sure that our students develop the skills and strategies to become positive changemakers.
This year, ISP partnered with Aaron Moniz, the co-founder of Inspire Citizens, to run a pilot changemaker course of four virtually facilitated workshops. Inspire Citizens is an organization working to empower youth leaders in international schools around the world. They designed a series of four student leadership workshops for interested ISP Middle and Upper School students. Our onsite facilitators were Upper School Counselor, Ms. Eischen and Middle School counselor, Mr. Bogli. The workshops were framed around the “Empathy to Impact model” of building a toolbox of skills and strategies students need to design impactful action projects based on others’ needs coupled with their own interests and strengths.
Mr. Moniz was able to join ISP in person for the students’ culminating sharing session on May 13. Listen to this short video where student groups share what change they were focused on this semester at ISP.
In an online interview held with Aaron, he talked about the mission of Inspire Citizens.
“We started about 6 or 7 years ago, and we are an organization that works with schools around the world to take the stuff that you do in school and turn it into community action projects around sustainability, service learning, and changemaker projects. We use school to have a positive impact on others, and we do that through whole school curriculum design and student leadership programs.”
Aaron Moniz, Inspire Citizens
Please see the short video of the interview where Aaron explains the four workshops he led for our ISP students.
In partnership with Kerry Craig, ES Outdoor Learning Coordinator and Megan McClain, secondary science Curriculum Learning Leader, Mr. Moniz has also been working virtually throughout this year to support our science teaching teams to embed “changemaking” in some of their units. This focus is based on the UN Sustainable Development goals and to culminate with Action for Sustainability.
Mr. Moniz wrapped up his visit to ISP with an Edge in Education session, our first “in person” Edge session in two and a half years! The Edge in Education series brings educators together with interested parents in thought-provoking presentations and discussions of current and future trends in education that we are endeavoring to implement here at ISP. We know that successful learning requires a partnership between parents and educators so we thank those who joined the session. If you were unable to join, please click here to see the full recording of this Edge in Education session.
Anyone can be a changemaker, all you need is passion and willingness to work hard. We invite everyone in our community to join us in these efforts to take action to contribute responsibly to a more peaceful and sustainable world for all.
