Dwight Global Visions - Winter 2024

DWIGHT GLOBAL VISIONS

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GLOBAL VISIONS

VOLUME 5:

Journeys Around the World

Trips are an integral part of the Dwight experience. Throughout each academic year, Dwight students can be found engaging with communities and cultures around their school, and well beyond: from Bali and Switzerland, to Kenya and Costa Rica, to Cambodia and Poland. And, of course, Dwight students have enriching experiences with peers through events and exchanges with our global network of schools.

Trips aren’t just about itineraries or lists of places visited — each trip supports Dwight’s Community and Global Vision pillars.

In this edition of Global Visions, each school highlights trips their students take — from local trips into the community, to enriching journeys to destinations thousands of miles away.

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Expands Ever Outward from the Classroom

Our approach to travel beyond the classroom offers transformative voyages of personal growth to ignite the spark of genius in each student. Our extensive trip offerings allow our students to connect with the local community, the wider country and the rest of the world. Ranging from curriculum based educational tours and field trips, to community service projects and our WILD (Wilderness Instruction and Leadership Development) adventures, our students are offered a variety of options to expand their worldview.

Each year, our 7th graders embark on a field trip to experience the Hudson River at Ferry Point Park in the Bronx, through a program run by 12th grade students. In collaboration with close to 200 other local schools, they collect physical, chemical, coring, and biological data that is shared with the Department of Environmental Conservation. Students also use their math skills to analyze the data. Science Teacher Shalini Bhavnani says, “By having 12th graders run the program, we see more passion and interest from the 7th graders. It is an amazing day of growth for our older students, who are further developing their leadership skills.”

Lower School trips are rooted in PYP approaches to learning skills (ATL) including thinking, communication, social, self management, and research. Students embark on their first overnight school trip in grade 4, spending two nights in Washington, DC. This trip connects to their in- class study of government and religion, but just as importantly, Steve Presti, Associate Head of Lower School, says, “This trip has a heavier focus on life skills for our students and really prepares them for the London trip they will embark on in grade 5.”

Our Dwight London Exchange has been running for over 20 years, and 5th graders from both New York and London use this opportunity to build community connections across our global network. The cultural experience celebrates the end of the PYP for our students and the celebratory, post capstone trip allows students to see the IB connections between our two campuses, while taking part in sightseeing in London.

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GLOBAL LEADERS THRIVING IN THE WILD OUTDOORS!

Upper School students have the opportunity to participate in our WILD (Wilderness Instruction and Leadership Development) program. WILD builds community and helps fulfill Dwight’s vision to foster the next generation of global leaders who can thrive anywhere in the world. So far this year, Dwight students have hiked and kayaked the Hudson Valley and embarked on a backpacking adventure through Joshua Tree National Park. In February, a group of students will embark on a trip to Costa Rica, camping and hiking in the rainforest.

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Fifteen of our Diploma students have just returned from their week-long trip to the Netherlands, part of Dwight London’s long-standing annual participation in a very special event: the Model United Nations (MUN). The MUN conference in the Hague is an authentic simulation of UN meetings, covering the same topics and using the same debating rules.

These conferences are a fantastic opportunity for our students to deeply delve into the perspective of their assigned country — in Dwight London’s case, France — learning their current policies, economic status and military capabilities, all to help them best debate the topic raised for that year’s convention. It’s a hands-on learning experience that perfectly aligns with the IB’s global mindset.

Expanding Beyond the Dwight London Classroom: From Local Parks to the UN

They’re not just debating issues; they’re connecting with and understanding students from around the world. “Surrounded by nearly three thousand new people, we quickly made new friends from every corner of the world,” says Ben, Year 12. “It gave us the chance to learn about and discuss how diplomacy and justice systems can try to prevent war. The week taught us about who we are as students and how we can change the world.”

Our mission to expand learning beyond the classroom starts with our littlest cubs in the Little Lions Nursery. Even as young as two-years-old, the Little Lions embark on brave adventures in their local community. Their weekly Forest School sessions take them to nearby parks and around the neighbourhood. This year, they met a dog in a cute jumper, a park worker on a tractor, and a kind gardener who shared the last apple from his tree. And they’re even able to take in big city life, hopping on the London Underground to learn about public transport.

Whether representing a nation on an international stage or exploring the local community with wide-eyed wonder, each experience is crafted to foster a deep understanding of our interconnected world. These experiences are not just about acquiring knowledge; they are about shaping global citizens who are ready to engage, understand, and contribute to the world in meaningful ways.

END OF AN ERA: MATT PARKER RETIRES

After 18 years at Dwight, our much-loved Junior School Principal Matt Parkin will be retiring this year. When he started, the iPhone had barely rolled off the production line, Crocs were cool, and our current Diploma class was just being born!

He leaves us in safe hands with our incoming Principal, Helen Enisuoh, who joins us from the excellent Norfolk House School, where she has been Senior Deputy Head for 5 years.

“During the interview process,” says Helen, “It was meeting the students that excited me the most. They had a confidence, curiosity and love of learning that was infectious. I am overjoyed to become part of your school.”

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DWIGHT SEOUL EXPLORES

THE WIDER WORLD THROUGH Week Without Walls

At Dwight Seoul, education transcends traditional classrooms, and the Week Without Walls program stands as a testament to this commitment. This year’s program showcased a rich tapestry of experiences, fostering cultural understanding, personal growth, and a sense of global citizenship.

As part of the program, grades 10 and 11 traveled to Bali, grades 8 and 9 traveled to Siem Riap, Cambodia, and grade 7 students traveled to Kyoto and Osaka, Japan. While international experiences are undeniably enriching, Dwight Seoul also recognizes the importance of connecting with our local community. As part of the Week Without Walls program, students had the opportunity to delve into the heart of Seoul, exploring its economic landscape, engaging with local businesses, contributing to environmental sustainability, and discovering the city’s vibrant culture.

All students, regardless of destination, had the opportunity to immerse themselves in the rich tapestry of the local culture. From the historic sites of Japan, to the vibrant energy of Cambodia and the diverse landscapes of Bali, cultural appreciation was at the heart of each experience.

Whether it was building water filters in Cambodia or engaging in community service projects in Bali, students learned the power of collaboration. These experiences nurtured teamwork, effective communication, and the importance of collective efforts in addressing global challenges.

In Bali, students actively participated in activities promoting environmental conservation. From reef restoration to planting mangrove trees, the program instilled a sense of responsibility towards the planet, fostering future advocates for sustainable living.

Dwight Seoul’s Week Without Walls is more than a mere excursion; it is a holistic education that extends beyond academic learning — and a transformative journey that equips students with skills, values, and perspectives essential for navigating an interconnected and diverse world. When these students returned, they brought back not just memories, but a broader understanding of their role as global citizens.

More about “Week Without Walls” can be found in the second edition of Dwight Seoul’s magazine, “The Spark.”

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DWIGHT SEOUL FEATURED ON CNN!

CNN’s Call to Earth Day 2023 featured the Dwight Seoul Eco Council, a student-led initiative focused on raising awareness about environmental issues within the local community. Located amidst Korea’s bustling entertainment hub, the community often overlooks the impact of urban development on the ecosystem. The Eco Council’s primary goal is to remind community members of their collective responsibility to protect the planet. Their proactive efforts include creating a pollinator-friendly space on the school’s rooftop to address the decline in bee populations. Recognized on CNN, these young leaders are actively contributing to the global conversation on environmental stewardship.

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Embracing the Spirit of Exploration and Learning AT QIBAO DWIGHT

Since 2019, QD has provided our grade 10 students with a transformative educational experience through our Winter Project Course, offering a cross-disciplinary, real-world learning journey. Our recent “root-seeking” journeys have allowed our students to immerse themselves in diverse cultures and environments, gaining a deeper understanding of themselves, their local community, and the world.

Student Angela Ruan’s experience in Nanjing, the ancient capital of the Six Dynasties, reflects the value of respect, acceptance, and adaptability as she discovered the everchanging nature of time. Meanwhile, Cecilia Kim Seohyun was amazed by a meaningful experience in Jingdezhen. Cecilia said, “I was astonished by the specialized skills porcelain artists have. For example, porcelain can even simulate leather or create melodious sound when struck.”

In the Xiangxi Literature trip to Hunan province, students delved into the connections between personal experiences and the environment. Sky Niu said, “Seeing the rice fields under the sunset made me think of my mom. She lives in Shanghai now, but once stood barefoot in the rice fields, under the sunset, bending over and planting clusters of seeds.”

From Luoyang and Sichuan, to Chengdu and Minnan Hakka, students engaged in various cultural activities, deepening both their understanding of ancient life and modern issues. These trips inspire students to take responsibility for preserving ancient wisdom and ecological conservation, and instill a sense of entrepreneurship and service.

During an anthropological survey of Miao village in Guizhou, students found immense joy and deep connections through the simplicity and kindness of the locals. “A simple bowl of hot rice noodles brought immense joy, and we shared life with the locals, revealing profound human warmth,” one student said. These are just a few examples of the endless journey of learning and traveling which allows our students to discover life’s wisdom and beauty, igniting the spark of genius within.

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COLLEGES AND CULTURE: QD STUDENTS TRAVEL TO AMERICA

Recently, 23 grades 10 and 11 students traveled with QD American Principal Robbie Shields and Director of Admissions and College Counseling Bailey to the US. The students visited MIT, Boston University, Harvard, Tufts, Yale,

and NYU, to name a few. At Brown they met QD Alumni

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Columbia,

Coco Huang ’22 and Shirley Ma ’18. While in New York City, they met with Dwight New York’s College Counseling team, connected with current students, and heard from Vice Chancellor Blake Spahn and Head of School Dianne Drew — as well as saw a broadway show, the MET, the 9/11 memorial, and a professional basketball game at Madison Square Garden.

The World Comes to Dubai

With Dubai acting as a cross-center of the world, Dwight Dubai students can experience first-hand a wide range of unique international cultures—from local to global—without ever leaving this vibrant city.

Our youngest students interact with their local community in a myriad of ways — most recently through a visit by a community animal rescue organization. Students were not only greeted by goats, rabbits, dogs, and snakes, but were provided an invaluable opportunity to learn about responsible care, the significance of understanding the unique needs of each animal, and how this rescue organization functions within their community. This is just one of a wide range of community issues—and solutions—even our young learners grapple with.

The United Arab Emirates recently hosted COP28, the United Nations Climate Change Conference and students at Dwight School Dubai had the opportunity to participate in a variety of excursions to encompass the values and vision of the global event. Dwight students took part in desert cleanups, attended COP28 visits, and embarked on ecoadventures aimed at fostering a deeper understanding of sustainability. Inspired by their recent visits, students have successfully launched initiatives throughout the school, such as reducing single-use plastic in the canteen and establishing their own garden on campus.

This learning, of course, extends beyond their immediate community — students at Dwight School Dubai have the opportunity to travel internationally to visit our sister schools. International trips serve as a great vehicle for skill development and students are able to create lifelong friendships and memories through these experiences. Recently, students from Dwight School Dubai visited Dwight London for our Annual Choirfest, where they enhanced their performance skills and musical execution. Additionally, students will soon have the chance to visit Switzerland for the Global Action program, an exciting opportunity designed to complement their DP studies. This program offers reallife experiences whilst enhancing students’ studies in Global Politics, History, Economics, Physics, and French.

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BUSINESS MANAGEMENT FOR THE IB DIPLOMA TEXTBOOK PUBLISHED

Dwight School Dubai celebrates the remarkable achievement of its teaching faculty’s recently authored textbook in collaboration with educational publishing company, Pearson Education. The innovative textbook will be incorporated as a core resource for the DP at Dwight School Dubai, Dwight Global Online School and to IB Diploma students across the UAE.

The engaging textbook was co-published by Peter Atkins, Senior Examiner for the International IB DP, Associate Head of Upper School, DP Coordinator and Economics and Business Management Teacher and Dr Hareem Navaid, Head of Mathematics and Business Management Teacher.

Dr. Navaid said, “The publication of this book reflects our commitment to providing students at Dwight School Dubai with cutting-edge resources that will empower them in their educational journey.”

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Adventure Awaits IN VIETNAM!

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DWIGHT HANOI’S BRAND NEW CAMPUS WINS ARCHITECTURE MASTER PRIZE

We are humbled by the incredible architectural, landscape, and interior design expertise that has contributed to our new home. Outdoor areas bring nature and playful experience from the ground floor to the rooftop, designed to develop confidence and independence along with a better understanding of the environment. Creative vegetable gardens, green hubs for chats and relaxation, and sports facilities provide students with activities that complement the skills that they acquire in the indoor learning spaces. The school’s landscape design from LJ-Group won the Architecture Master Prize 2023 in the Landscape Architecture, Educational Landscape category.

Students from across the Dwight Schools network will have the opportunity to explore this captivating country when Dwight Hanoi opens its doors in August 2024. Here are some highlights of special areas in Vietnam that we look forward to discovering.

Ha Long Bay

An iconic World Heritage site of more than 3,000 limestone islands, pinnacles, caves, and grottoes, this site has a geological history spanning 500 million years. It is one of the 7 natural wonders of the world. Students learn here about the ecology of bay areas, the protection of the complex karst landscape, and the geopolitics of our seas. There is cave exploration and traditional boat building, as well as swimming and kayaking.

The Mekong Delta

This unique area has been occupied since the 4th Century BC. Khmer, Chinese, Vietnamese, and French settlers have all made it home over the centuries. Here, students can understand the importance of protected ecological zones, study water management, and understand life on the waterways through raft building and observing stilt house architecture. Students can also increase their knowledge of the impact of global tourism on local infrastructures and economies, and try their hand at negotiating with the traders at the floating markets.

< Sapa

An ancient hill town that stands at the head of a deep valley of magnificent rice terraces, still farmed today as they have been for centuries. There are opportunities here to study some of the fifty-four ethnic groups that make up Vietnam, as well as benefit from their warm hospitality. The farming methods developed to cope with the steep mountain slopes offer opportunities to learn about engineering and design, and a climb to the peak of Mount Fansipan, Vietnam’s highest mountain, offers breathtaking mountain vistas. The meticulously planned travel that Dwight Schools always deliver can spark learning, boost confidence levels, expand worldviews, and create lifelong memories. Hẹn gặp lại! (See you soon!)

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FRANKLIN STUDENTS Make Impacts Locally and Globally

Franklin School has facilitated a range of trips for our students in our first two years designed to both engage with the local community and the wider world. With innovation and entrepreneurship as important foundations of our school, trips are designed to inspire and encourage students to think critically and creatively about becoming global citizens.

The school offers unique micro-courses and electives led by industry experts, and it was through our Sustainable Fashion micro-course that students visited Porch Finds —a local sustainably sourced, vintage store — and met with founder Sage Schwer. Inspired by Sage’s story and passionate for fighting against fast fashion, Franklin student Sydney Lambert ’27 decided to focus on sustainable fashion as her Start with Service project to design and produce a line of denim clothing and accessories made from pre-loved materials.

Start with Service is a collaboration between our Capstone, Academic Care and Co-curricular programs and epitomizes our commitment to community engagement, problem-solving, and holistic development. Students identified an issue in the community, approached local organizations to offer their service, and developed a project management plan to pitch to our very own Tiger Tank panel. Sydney’s sustainable fashion project was one of the nine selected to run during the week. Sydney says, “Once we visited on the trip, Sage and I made concrete plans to sell the clothing designed during our project through a pop-up at her store.” Proceeds from Sydney’s service project will be donated to Fashion Revolution, a fashion activism movement.

This past summer Max Korhammer ’25 joined Dwight School students on a Dwight Destinations trip exploring the rich culture and history of Eastern Europe — including sites related to WWII, the Cold War, and the legacy of communism complementing the AP history curriculum. Max explains how this solidified key pieces of the curriculum for him, including in English this trimester: “We had just read a memoir by a Holocaust Survivor and I discovered I was able to connect with the text more closely because of the places I had visited on this trip.”

Students on these trips are making other connections to our global community. Max says “I was very nervous when I joined this trip as I knew nobody, but all the Dwight students were really friendly and easy to make connections with. I definitely recommend the international experiences offered through the global network.”

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GOOGLERS FOR A DAY

Recently a group of grade 10 students were selected to be “Googlers for a Day,” spending time with members of the Google team at their Manhattan HQ, to learn about topics ranging from digital art and UX to research and computer engineering. The students returned to Franklin keen to put into practice the skills they saw the Google team embody — empathy, critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration.

DWIGHT GLOBAL’S Travel Tennis Team is a Win-Win

Launched in September 2023, the Dwight Global Traveling Tennis Team is a huge win for parents, students, and the Dwight Global community.

The team was inspired by the partnership between Dwight Global and the ITFJ (International Tennis Federation Juniors) that was established in August 2023 and developed for the dozens of pre-professional players who attend Dwight Global Online School. The team has already successfully competed in tournaments in Costa Rica and Uruguay.

“It’s so important to be able to compete on the ITF tour while still being able to participate and complete classes,” said Livia Pett, a grade 10 student from London. “Being able to join a group that shares the same aspirations and completes the same schooling is important, and offers stress relief!”

The team provides opportunities for students to play ITF tournaments all over the world under the watchful eye of top coaches and chaperones. Players experience new cultures, gain exposure to international competition, and train, study and compete together. The program is open to performance players in grades 6-12, and students may join for just one tournament or for multiple trips. Competition match play is prioritized alongside academic experiences. The trips also provide a chance for sightseeing to historical sites and cultural outings. In Costa Rica, for example, students visited a coffee farm, a lagoon, and the most famous active volcano in the country.

Gabriela Finchelstein, a New York City sophomore, says, “I loved being able to travel with other student athletes facing international competition while still being able to keep up with my school work. The memories I have made are truly unforgettable and I will incorporate all the skills I learned both on court and off the court in the future.”

“With this program,” said Team Coordinator Zackary Harron, parent of ITFJ ranked Eaden Zack Harron ’27, “Dwight Global once again underscores its dedication to fostering global citizens who possess the skills, experience, and confidence to shine on the world stage.”

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DWIGHT GLOBAL ENTREPRENEURS MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE

Shubham Kumar ’24 lives in Dubai, travels frequently with his family, and has a deep passion for tech and innovation. His startup company, LeapCharger, installs cuttingedge charging stations for electric vehicles and is committed to driving sustainable transportation into the future.

Samik Krishnan ’24 created One Pair Charity to address the need for proper eye care and to reduce landfill waste. One Pair Charity collects and distributes gently used eyeglasses around the world and works in partnership with leading eye hospitals, ophthalmologists, and optical stores to fund and provide eye surgeries for those in need.

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