The Big Life Foundation

The Explorations programme, which all students undertake in Years 7 to 11, is a course that focuses on engaging students with global issues while developing their skills to become true global citizens. But what does it mean to be a global citizen? It’s defined as someone who is aware of and comprehends their identity within the wider world around them, as well as their place and role within it. They are someone who participates actively within their community and collaborates with others to make our world more peaceful, sustainable, and equitable.

This week our Year 9 Explorations students had the opportunity to engage with a rich community beyond Hong Kong as they heard from Daniel Ole Sambu, a Massai elder and a senior member of the Big Life Foundation in Kenya. Daniel and co-presenter Colin Dawson, founder of the Hong Kong NGO The Elephant Foundation, spoke to the students about the ivory trade and Hong Kong’s links to this. The talk explored some of the key causes driving the demand for ivory from both elephants and rhinos globally and explored actions that students could take to stop the killing of these endangered animals.

Through this students were able to recognize the importance of their role as global citizens in spreading awareness and advocating for such issues. It also provided an opportunity for them to develop their critical thinking skills as they explored ways they could contribute to addressing global challenges of this nature. After all, we want all our students to leave knowing they can have a positive impact on the world and work collectively towards the betterment of our society.