In line with SABIS^®’s core value of making a difference, students across the global network are encouraged to be active in their school and local communities. Most notably is the effort that has been made by students through the SABIS Student Life Organization^® (SLO^®) to address issues in their communities that they feel strongly about.

This year, SABIS^® STARS (SLO^® Talent & Academic RegionalS), a biennial educational competition designed to celebrate and showcase the many ways students are encouraged to explore and develop their talents, recognized the hard work and effort made by students to make a difference in their communities. With the introduction of a new category of competition called “Our World – Our Concern,” SABIS^® STARS encouraged students to identify a problem existing in their community, do in-depth research, create an awareness campaign, and then present their work.

Teams of SLO^® students embraced “Our World – Our Concern” and organized impressive campaigns that addressed issues such as cyber-bullying, the downside of social media, the global water crisis, rapid climate change, and the preservation of cultural heritage.

SLO^® prefects from ISC-Sharjah in the U.A.E. put great effort into building awareness on cyber-bullying. The students approached their project in three parts starting at the school and ending in the emirate’s busiest streets. Prefects started with a 14-day social media campaign informing their followers about how to recognize and stop cyber-bullying. The SLO^® at the school also held a full-blown campaign on campus with presentations and flyers and posters delivering an anti-bullying message. Following on their campaign’s success on campus, SLO^® prefects took their cause to the streets, where they spread awareness on cyberbullying through brief discussions and interviews with passersby.

The “Our World – Our Concern” team from ISC-Koura in Lebanon focused their project on the preservation of cultural heritage. The prefects at ISC-Koura conducted a survey to determine whether or not the value of cultural heritage fades over generations. Based on the survey results, SLO^® prefects designed a school-wide campaign for students at all grade levels. The campaign included decorating the school with posters and crafts that represented different parts of Lebanon. A variety of activities for all ages to enjoy including cedar tree planting, storytelling, and writing competitions. SLO^® also organized a Lebanese week in which they held an only-Lebanese bake sale for students to enjoy and a “tarbouch” event, in which students learned about traditional clothing. Going above and beyond, the team reached out to Lebanese citizens living abroad and had them film themselves singing the national anthem to remind them of their roots.

Teams of SLO^® prefects throughout the network appreciated the opportunity to showcase their outreach projects at SABIS^® STARS, but their work was driven by a much larger interest in making a difference in their communities. This is especially evident in the “Decatur Water, Art and You” (WAY) project, which involved students from the Lowell Collegiate Charter School (LCCS), a SABIS^® Network charter school in Lowell, Massachusetts. LCCS students joined others in their community to work on the Decatur WAY project, a community service project that transformed a rundown alley into a safe place where people can stroll and enjoy artwork created by Lowell students including those from LCCS.

Upon completion of the Decatur WAY project, a special event was organized and included speeches and a special musical performance by LCCS children. Student participation in this community project, which took approximately five years to complete, was significant in strengthening students’ confidence and motivation in making a difference in their community and beyond. To read more about the art walk and watch LCCS students’ performance, visit sab.is/PIBRYK.

In addition to providing an outstanding education, SABIS^® Network schools around the world focus on educating students on the importance of actively making a difference in their communities. By developing a sense of responsibility for others and their societies, students in SABIS^® Network schools grow into young adults who are socially aware and ready to make valuable contributions to their communities.

If you would like to read more about SLO^® activities across the network, visit slonews.sabis.net.