Millie Changemakers Achieve International Recognition

Senior School Millies enjoying the sights of London

This past September a group of twelve students and teachers embarked on an international trip - a first for our school since the pandemic - and before they even landed, the group knew they were about to experience something special. Arriving in England on the same day that the world laid to rest Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the students saw the history and traditions of the nation come to life in the most tangible and vibrant ways.

After landing in London, the students then travelled to the esteemed Oxford University campus, where they joined the 800 other delegates from 50 countries around the world who were attending the 53rd Round Square International Conference, an annual event run by, and for, students aged 16-18.

During their time in Oxford, students heard from keynote speakers on topics related to the conference’s theme: “Take Less Be More” and participated in workshop

We are honoured to have received this award, and could not have done it without the support we received from our families, teachers, and team members.

- Sena and Meera discussions in groups of mixed nationality, building international understanding and a spirit of cooperation. In their down-time, students dined at the Colleges, put on a variety performance talent show at the theatre, and enjoyed some fun, creative theatrical activities in locations around the City of Oxford, including a literary adventure-race and ceilidh dancing.

A highlight for SMLS was the global recognition of two SS12 students, Meera B. and Sena Y. who were awarded the 2022 Kurt Hahn Prize - a prestigious prize that recognizes an exceptional act of service to others. Meera and Sena were selected for the award based on their impressive, selfdirected work in creating The Indigenous Foundation, a grass-roots advocacy group that is raising awareness and providing education for the rights of Indigenous communities.

Inspired by some of the globally-minded conversations that are regularly encouraged at St. Mildred’s-Lightbourn School, the two friends created The Indigenous Foundation with the intention of “doing their part to spread awareness and initiate change in the world for the better.” They have been making an impact ever since.

Since its creation in November 2020, The Indigenous Foundation has grown and evolved into a platform that is creating positive and lasting impact. What started off as a social media account has grown into an organization with over 30 team members and various sub-teams, each focused on a different aspect of raising awareness.

“If you told us in 2020 that The Indigenous Foundation would grow this much and make such an impact, we wouldn’t have believed it,” say Sena and Meera. “We are honoured to have received this award, and could not have done it without the support we received from our families, teachers, and team members. We are grateful that through our platform, we have been able to spread awareness on both accomplishments and critical issues regarding Indigenous communities.”

The Kurt Hahn Prize is awarded by the Round Square organization, an international diverse network of more than 200 schools

Above: Meera B and Sena Y receive congratulations following their keynote address to conference delegates from around the world. Left: The SMLS delegates at Oxford University.

Meera and Sena with their Kurt Hahn Prize.

from more than 50 countries across six continents that share an understanding of the hardwired link between character education and academic success. Meera

and Sena’s recent achievement is particularly noteworthy because in the award’s 55-year history, only one other Canadian school has had a student receive the prize.

This prize was presented at the Opening Ceremony of the annual International Conference of Round Square in Oxford, England. As part of the award presentation, Meera and Sena spoke about their project to the international audience.

A cornerstone of SMLS’s Global Citizenship Signature Program is to foster the individual development of key life competencies and personal character and empower girls to be change-agents, who positively contribute to their communities and the global world. Meera and Sena are doing just that and are having an impact locally, nationally and around the world.

FAST FACTS

In November of 2020, Sena and Meera became aware of issues

affecting Indigenous people of Canada. Meera wrote a paper on the crisis of Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) and Sena wrote her paper on the lack of clean drinking water in Canadian Indigenous communities. Through these assignments, a sense of activism was ignited.

They first created an Instagram account as a way to spread awareness

and reach others. The first post was documented on November 30th, 2020. Since then, they have amassed 63 thousand followers, built a podcast and built a team of 30+ team members from within Canada and across the globe who contribute to social media posts, blogs and artwork.

Through their platforms, they aim to uplift and amplify Indigenous

voices, Indigenous advocates and Indigenous stories.

Their impact:

• Raised over $7,000 toward the Indian Residential Schools Survivors Society and the Native Wellness Institute • Have amassed over 60,000 Instagram followers • Reached over 1,000,000 people • Conducted 7+ podcast episodes • Featured in multiple events and podcasts including: The Meraki Story, CBC Radio 1 Podcast Playlist, People Magazine Podcast Spotlight, Unraveled Podcast, Gen Z We are The Future.

Through encouraging intersectional activism and amplifying

Indigenous voices, The Indigenous Foundation hopes to educate others about Indigenous rights, and motivate others to take accountability, and practice advocacy and action.

ABOUT THE INDIGENOUS FOUNDATION

The Indigenous Foundation is a grassroots, youth-led organization of change-makers and activists, consisting of 30+ Indigenous and POC women, two-spirited, and non-binary folk, striving to uplift, advocate for, and raise awareness about Indigenous rights. Through encouraging intersectional activism and amplifying Indigenous voices, The Indigenous Foundation hopes to educate others about Indigenous rights, and motivate others to take accountability, and practice advocacy and action.