“Actions speak louder than words but not nearly so often.” ~ Mark Twain
ISKL is a school that educates its students beyond the academic curriculum to encourage, inspire, and empower all its community members to reach out and mirror their learning of service and sustainability to the broader community. Our aim is to instill within our community a vision for the future as showcased at the recent Sustainability and Service Youth Summit on September 21 and 22. Uniting with 12 other public, private, and international schools as well as three refugee learning centers and local non-governmental organizations, the alignment with ISKL’s mission where ‘we are an inclusive and dynamic community where passions, values, and competencies are cultivated to inspire learners to shape their path as global citizens’ was integral in everyone’s efforts.
Led by the High School’s Service Council and their Faculty Advisor, Dr. Chika Kumashiro Wilms, Gloria Hewitt, the PAWS/SPCA HS Club Advisor, leading service-learning consultant Aaron Moniz of Inspire Citizens, and a group of experts leading workshops, including our colleagues and parents, the Summit welcomed over 150 participants to collaborate and raise awareness for the cause. From its inception to completion, funded by the Inspire Grant, the Summit was a significant learning experience for our student organizers and the many obstacles they overcame and the realization of their ideas were a testament to their growth and resilience.
“The event showed that communities are advocating for service and sustainability. It is empowering.” ~ Julia C. *(‘25), HS Service Council Student Leader.
The Summit’s theme, ‘How Can We Plan For A Sustainable Future?’ was kickstarted in an optional orientation session on the first day (September 20), welcoming approximately 30 participants through a series of icebreaker activities that led to the exploration of global issues couched in the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Moniz delivered a keynote speech during the participants’ arrival at the official event on Saturday, September 21. He inspired them to pitch their project before they connected and to share and discuss their work and ideas at the end of the day’s procedures.
“There was great interaction today. People worked together for great outcomes”. ~ Zara S. (‘26), HS Service Council Student Leader
With 15 workshop choices to choose from, attendees were invited to observe those that best suited their directive. 11 organizations, initiatives, and enterprises were invited as workshop providers, which also included parents, faculty, and alumni from the ISKL community. Topics ranged from critical food analysis to community partnership and social entrepreneurship to empower people, plastic waste management, outdoor scouts activities, and presentation skills. These were incorporated into the pitches for actions to make a difference.
| Workshop Providers | Workshop Title |
| Workshop 1 Sustainable Food & Supply Chain: Dr. Eric Olmedo | Shaping Sustainable Food Systems in Southeast Asia |
| Workshop 2 Animal Well-Being and Rights: Pads & Paws | Animals in our Community: How can we live happily with community cats and dogs? |
| Workshop 3 Activities and Projects in Co-Curricular Activities: Mark Van Cott, Boy Scouts of America & ISKL Alumni Parent | Serving Others and the Outdoors Through Scouting (Or “Serving Through Scouting”) |
| Workshop 4 Well-Being & Sustainability: The 5 Rs in Sustainability and Well-Being: Tzu Chi Foundation | The 5Rs in Sustainability and Well-Being |
| Workshop 5 Well-Being & Sustainability: Effective Presentation Skills with Relaxation Techniques: Bec Moore, ISKL Faculty | Effective Presentation Skills with Confidence and Relaxation Techniques |
| Workshop 6 Simple Innovations in Service: Sara Malik, Robin Hood Army Malaysia representative & ISKL Parent | Creativity & Innovation in Service |
| Workshop 7 Innovations in Plastic Waste Management by The Sea Monkey Project | Innovations in Plastic Waste Management |
| Workshop 8 Environmental Sustainability Changemakers: Climate Fresk | Introduction to Climate Fresk |
| Workshop 9 Environmental Sustainability Changemakers: Adithya Wicaksono and Niken Suprapto, Pendopo Ojo Dumeh (POD) Foundation | Small Step Big Impact |
| Workshop 10 Community Health Care for Migrants: Dr. Hana Aziz, International Organization for Migration (IOM) & ISKL Alumni | Making the Invisible Visible: A Workshop on Serving Vulnerable Populations’ Health Needs |
| Workshop 11 Social Entrepreneurship/ Empowerment: Sujata, Greater Action | Social Entrepreneurship to Empower Refugee Women |
The HS students from the Service Council who led the Summit used their experiences to ‘advocate’ and ‘share’ knowledge through a passion for the environment. Exposure to how small communities can unite to solve real-life issues embodies ISKL’s core values of care, empathy, collective efficacy, high expectations, and equity and inclusion.
Aside from the workshops, participants enjoyed a Campus Sustainability tour led by Izyan Rezali, ISKL Fields, and Ground Manager, seeing for themselves the many dynamic eco-projects on campus that included the ES Kanopi rooftop playground, geese and chickens in the lush Eco-Garden and the array of diverse tree species on campus, including durian and cocoa.
Many thanks again to the HS Service Council team, Dr. Chika Kumashiro Wilms, ISKL faculty, staff, parents, and alumni who led as workshop presenters, and the many guest speakers who were instrumental in the Inspire Programs funded event.
Read more about Service and Sustainability learning at ISKL here.
