Last week brought ISA’s first-ever Sustainability Week, which culminated in the Education and Sustainability Leadership Summit. This school-wide endeavour aimed to raise awareness of issues related to Sustainability and was pioneered by Andrew Watson, Head of Upper School, himself a passionate advocate of sustainability.

The week gave all members of the ISA community members the opportunity to get involved in a variety of activities. Reflecting back on the week, Andrew said: “Many thanks to the Sustainability Week team, who worked with creativity, determination, patience and resilience with our students and parents to make this week happen. Thanks to Marjorie, Julia, Shamayim, Marja and Job, Freek, in particular, for ensuring the week has been a success. Highlights of the week included performances by the student band “spirit truce”, daily climate-related movies including “Planet Soil” by Mark Verkerk, a circular economy poster exhibition, support from Business and Industry including Vega-Life and Philips, and a day of advocacy led by Mia Reyn of Grade 11 and community partner Joshua Paans. 

The week culminated in a triumphant Education and Sustainability Leadership Summit, led by Sustainability Education in collaboration with the Cambridge Institute of Sustainability Leadership and Compass Education. The day brought together 100 students, teachers and leaders from national and international systems of education, with policymakers, leaders in business and industry and climate experts. Together, delegates confronted the systems failures that have brought us to a climate emergency and embraced the challenge and imperative of education and leadership to shape a pathway to a better, more peaceful and more sustainable future.”