A report about the event from Mr. Christopher Soutwick, MYP Principal
Seven of our students attended the Changemaker Conference 2023 in Frankfurt. The conference featured inspiring talks and workshops from adult professionals and talented students who demonstrated their positive action toward a more sustainable, caring, and equitable world.
The objectives of attending the conference were to provide unique and collaborative opportunities for our students to:
- network with and be inspired by students from international schools who are currently engaged in positive action in their own communities throughout the world;
- develop their leadership skills as they engage in positive action in the ISD and Debrecen communities.
Ambitious teenagers from around the world met for three days. They all had one goal in common: collaboratively work to find a creative and sustainable solution to an urgent problem. Topics included:
- meaning of changemaking
- how to inspire and organize people to influence the future
- micro-leadership
- mental health
- think global, act local
- food waste
- car pollution
- safe toilets
- charitable internet search
- creating school service groups
- creating school sustainability councils
- creating physically and intellectually safe places for students to learn and grow
- using film to raise awareness and advocate for human rights
Aren’t these world-changing topics? It is amazing that teenagers are keen to make changes beginning with themselves and then branch out to others and their communities. We are so proud of our ambitious changemaking students!
Here are some power statements students shared about inspired them following the workshops:
“Find something extraordinary in something ordinary!”
“You can make a change despite the impossibilities.”
“Sometimes a solution invokes a problem.”
“If you team up with someone you can always create something bigger.”
“Start small, inspire others, and realize your big dreams!”
“Share, connect, collaborate, and make difference!”
It has been great to see how the students have strengthened their relationships with each other and networked with other students from various international schools.
They had awesome role models at the conference, true changemakers, from 11-year-old students taking positive action for hundreds of vulnerable girls, to professional adults who use their experience and passion to positively influence the lives of thousands! Our students are truly fortunate to have learned from them.
They collaborated with students from the American International School of Budapest (AISB)! Great news is that they plan to host a mini Changemaker Conference in Budapest for international schools in Hungary and will invite ISD, with opportunities for our students to hold workshops and be presenters. This conference would focus on changemaking in Hungary. Connecting is everything!
- After the conference, we talked about the interests our students have and ideas that they want to transform into action.
- Sustainable energy use at school
- Reduction of plastics and promotion of sustainable product use
- Using art to promote open-mindedness with the intention of recognizing where positive change can take place
- Improving the image of the less fortunate, breaking down assumptions
Three days of workshops inspired students to figure out how to put plans into action by collaborating with other students. One big objective of the entire conference was for students to return home with a “we will” statement, a goal, a vision of the change they want to make.
ISD Changemakers wrote this statement: “We will create and implement a sustainable consumption plan for the ISD community”.
It is now their intention to collaboratively write a detailed action plan that includes a clear timeline, key outcomes, critical stakeholders, and necessary resources. We have complete confidence in our ISD Changemakers and look forward to supporting them in bringing positive change to our learning community.
