ROUND SQUARE

 

Empowering students to make a difference

ICS is proud to be the only Round Square school in Zurich. Our membership in this prestigious global community of schools enables our students to make a difference in the lives of others, while also learning more about themselves.

 

Transforming Potential and Active Citizenship at the Round Square International Conference 

Round Square is an international network of schools sharing a platform for developing courageous and compassionate leaders. Committed to building life skills and competencies in students, meaningful, experiential learning opportunities are a touchstone of the programme.

Over 100 RS schools worldwide are committed to encouraging students' development both in and beyond the classroom. RS schools promote six IDEALS of global citizenship:

  • International Understanding
  • Democracy
  • Environmental Awareness
  • Adventure
  • Leadership
  • Service

International Service Projects

Round Square organises International Service Projects for students from its member schools. These bring together young people from all over the world in a team to provide assistance to disadvantaged communities. The students spend 2 to 3 weeks there doing work that is simple, of real local value and physically hard. The local community receives much-needed assistance and the young workers learn responsibility and selflessness and that they are needed by so many communities worldwide.

Helping schools in Tanzania & Nepal

Every year, students in Grade 9 are offered the chance of a Service & Personal Development trip. In recent years, students have gone to Tanzania to volunteer at two schools, meet local tribes people to learn about their way of life, and see some of the country.

They have also journeyed to Nepal, where they volunteered at the Shree Mangal Dvip School. This school gives children from remote Himalayan villages an education they would not otherwise receive. ICS students helped teach English and worked to turn an area of overgrown land into a vegetable garden where the school can grow maize and beans. Then they explored some of the countryside on a trek.

Before they go on these trips, our students learn some of the local language and run activities to raise funds to benefit the schools they visit.

Helping abandoned animals

Students in Grade 9 have undertaken a community service project with Hof Naar farm near ICS, a local farm that rescues abandoned animals. The students spent a weekend clearing a field that could be used to grow crops to aid the self-sufficiency of the farm. Having produce to sell puts money back into the farm and supports the rescued goats, chickens, horses, ducks and pigs.

In addition, the students fundraise by catering at a number of other school events. An extra skill they are gaining from this project is learning how to bake, using many ingredients from the farm.

Experiencing a different culture

As a member of Round Square, ICS offers students additional opportunities for learning and personal development through international travel, adventure, service projects and school exchanges.

School Exchanges

Students at Round Square schools have the opportunity to go on exchange to fellow Round Square schools. There are now more than 100 Round Square schools around the world with 60,000 students between them. So far, ICS students have visited Kenya, England, Peru, Denmark, Australia and Japan on school exchanges and more are planned.

Each year 10–12 ICS students participate in a student exchanges across the globe. All of them stay with an exchange student and then ICS welcomes those students when they come here.

The exchange programme gives students opportunities to go to new places and experience different cultures. It also gives them the opportunity to discover their independence and learn to be more responsible for themselves.

Adventure

Round Square schools promote Adventure as a way for students to challenge themselves and test their perseverance and endurance. ICS students have taken part several times in the 'Dare' Adventure Race at St Gilgen School in Austria.

This very demanding race covers 30km for Senior students and 15 km for Junior students and includes checkpoints at which students are given cognitive and physical tasks such as rock climbing, raft building, riddles and word problems.

The Round Square Community

Through the Round Square Community, schools bring their students face-to-face with their peers from across the world to exchange ideas, learn about each other’s countries and cultures, and to discuss and debate some of the most difficult, and sensitive, issues facing our world today. Whether in-person, at Round Square Conferences, via Student Exchange, or on RS Service Projects, or online, through Classroom Collaborations, Zoom Postcards or Language Labs, the aim is always to build students’ International Understanding

ICS students attend Round Square international conferences, and the school regularly hosts conferences as well, including adventure-themed events.

ICSZLine-Logos

 

ICS Parent Association

With families from 55 countries, our vibrant and engaging parent community offers a valuable social network.

LEARN about our supportive Parents’ Association

ICS Service Learning

At ICS, we believe in the importance of both learning about and offering service locally and globally.

DISCOVER how our community is engaged in service