Our Year 8 LEAP Emerging Leaders recently participated in their final virtual workshop on Monday, 14 October 2024. We are proud to showcase the growth, commitment, and leadership displayed by our LEAP students throughout this journey. In this session, they presented their group projects on selected Sustainable Development Goals and viewed presentations from other schools.
Our students also took time to reflect on their experiences. We invite you to explore their reflections and enjoy the moments captured during the event. These future leaders truly embody responsible citizenship and real-life learning:
Hibba: "I think this program was absolutely amazing! I really, really enjoyed it and would definitely do it again in the future. I loved working together with my classmates/friends for this fun learning experience. This program was very enriching for my knowledge and ability to speak and coordinate with other schools. Although it felt a little tough at times, the forum was so worth it in the end! I enjoyed the icebreaker activities and just interacting with others on the platform. This program helped with many skills like communication, public speaking, collaboration, teamwork, and intercultural understanding. It was interesting to see schools from around the world and hear about their daily life. I loved interacting with them in the breakout rooms; it was really fun! Overall, I had a wonderful time with everyone and would 100% recommend this program to everyone! Thank you for giving us all this great opportunity."
Zacharia: "What I enjoyed the most about the Emerging Leaders Forum (ELF) was the breakout rooms. Although it may be basic, I found it a fun way to communicate and get the work done. This program helped me think on two different levels: the local level and the global level. Before this forum, I didn’t even know what an SDG was, but now I've learned about all 17 of them and how they affect Australia on a local level and the world on a global level. One of the main projects I want to happen in our school/community is to fix the bathroom problem. My group and I focused on SDG 6: clean water and sanitation. I want to apply what we discussed in our project to our school and the community in future projects."
Mishal: "I absolutely loved this experience! I want to do this again because I learned so much from it, and it expanded my knowledge about the problems around the world. I had never heard of an SDG before this program, and the connections are so fascinating! This program really helped me enrich my knowledge on environmental issues, critical thinking skills, and social issues. I learned that every small action can make a difference and that we can make change! I enjoyed interacting with students from overseas, which helped my social skills. Overall, I feel so lucky to have gotten to be part of this amazing forum, and a big thanks to Ms. Shahidah and Ms. Amy who made this possible!"
Hana: "Personally, ELF was an enjoyable learning experience, and I would be happy to do it again. I had known about SDGs prior to the program; however, I had never really thought very deeply about them. It was not only fun to work with other schools, but also extremely interesting to learn about other schools’ cultures and customs. The initial three days of online meetings were informative, packed with different activities, and made us think outside of the box to extend our real-life learning. Throughout all the sessions, we also had the chance to listen to multiple guest speakers who have played major roles in the youth community. The final session, which was meant to be held at Melbourne University, was cancelled, but the make-up meeting was a success. Meeting students from all over Asia and Australia and discussing real-world issues was an inspiring adventure."
Pariza: "Elf was an experience that helped me communicate with schools and people from all around the world. Although it was disappointing we could not go to Melbourne University, presenting on Zoom was an excellent experience that we will learn and improve from. My team learned to work together and share our ideas effectively, in a way that pleased everyone. Communication with students around the world enhanced my confidence in speaking with new people and my ability to lead the group to success. ELF is a program that many students should take part in if they are interested in making connections and contributing to their community. This program has given me a lot of insight into different initiatives and projects, and I would love to create a charity program inspired by the people introduced to me."
Mohaned: "What I enjoyed the most about ELF 2024 was meeting people from all around the world and collaborating on important issues that affect us. This program helped me think differently about local and global challenges. Prior to ELF, I didn’t know what the SDGs were, but now I am aware of local challenges our school and community face, and I can see how they relate to the key issues we are facing globally. I believe we did extremely well in researching an SDG and presenting our findings."
Amani: "The Emerging Leaders Forum actively connected young leaders globally and fostered relations at an early age. This program focuses on the SDGs and local or global challenges and gives students the opportunity to engage with issues other countries may face. In this initiative, I improved my skills in collaboration and learned how to foster positive relationships with people who may be culturally or socially different from me. This activity covered many new topics, such as increasing climate awareness and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. It inspired me to find ways to help achieve them in whatever career path I take in the future."
Safiya: "The Emerging Leaders Forum is an international program that connects young leaders from different cultures to build a global community. At first, I found it challenging to talk to people from various backgrounds, but as the program progressed, I learned effective communication and mutual understanding. I discovered that many cultures face similar challenges, which helped us connect and collaborate on solutions. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting students from different cultures and acquiring new skills. I am grateful for this opportunity and would gladly join the program again."
We are incredibly proud of our students and the leadership skills they’ve developed through the Emerging Leaders Forum. Their journey is a true reflection of responsible citizenship and real-world learning in action.