Round Square

The second session of History Lab - 'Civil Wars and Wars of Independence' was hosted by the Cate School, USA on the 15th of February 2024. The session opened with a brief presentation by the Cate school, an AI generated, unbiased perspective on the topic and then broke out into Baraza rooms for more individual, region-specific presentations. The hosts commenced the discussions with a presentation on the revolution and the American Civil War as they went on to hear various standpoints from multiple regions panning India, Columbia, the UK, Pakistan, and Spain.

The post presentation discussions included an intellectually stimulating round of questions and answers, encouraging the delegates to engage in enthusiastic conversations where they exchanged views and fortified their perspectives. These dialogues solidified the understanding of each region’s rich and diverse history, educating the delegates on important worldly affairs. Finally, the session elapsed on a positive note with the delegates sharing their personal reflections and experiences that further enriched their collective understanding of the intricate tapestry of the historical events.

The post presentation discussions included an intellectually stimulating round of questions and answers, encouraging the delegates to engage in enthusiastic conversations where they exchanged views and fortified their perspectives. These dialogues solidified the understanding of each region’s rich and diverse history, educating the delegates on important worldly affairs. Finally, the session elapsed on a positive note with the delegates sharing their personal reflections and experiences that further enriched their collective understanding of the intricate tapestry of the historical events.

DAIS delegation along with Mr. Narendar Dalal joined the session hosted by St. George's Grammar School, South Arica on the theme - 'Historic Leaders'. The meeting began with greetings and a brief introduction to the topic with a reading of a script by AI - ensuring a lack of bias. The students were then split up into Baraza rooms. Here, the hosts began their presentations about their country’s leaders, with Albertina and Walter Sisulu featuring in their slides.

Numerous other schools presented too, with notable names such as Sam Nujoma and Akbar the Great. DAIS students presented Historic leader, Sam Manekshaw, the first Indian Field Marshal and a deeply revered figure. Shortly after the presentations, the delegates engaged in discussions on the qualities of leadership and how easy is it to be one. They explored diverse ideas on qualities of leadership and reached a consensus about a leader being defined by the circumstances and people that surround someone. Exploring the Round Square IDEAL of 'Leadership,'' delegates discussed how young people can make a difference and exhibit their qualities as leaders.

Numerous other schools presented too, with notable names such as Sam Nujoma and Akbar the Great. DAIS students presented Historic leader, Sam Manekshaw, the first Indian Field Marshal and a deeply revered figure. Shortly after the presentations, the delegates engaged in discussions on the qualities of leadership and how easy is it to be one. They explored diverse ideas on qualities of leadership and reached a consensus about a leader being defined by the circumstances and people that surround someone. Exploring the Round Square IDEAL of 'Leadership,'' delegates discussed how young people can make a difference and exhibit their qualities as leaders.

In conclusion, the RS Collaboration - History Labs were a riveting and enlightening experience, engaging in multicultural discussions, and reflecting on historical significance, each session fostered a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of past events and their enduring impact on modern society. As we continue to unravel the mysteries of history, we are reminded of its relevance in shaping our collective future, and the importance of embracing diversity and understanding across cultures and generations. This collaboration served as a testament to the transformative power of education in fostering global citizenship and intercultural understanding, embodying the ethos of Round Square's mission to nurture students into compassionate and responsible global citizens.

DAIS Student delegates: Aanya Thakur, Abhiraj Singh, Sanaa Malesra, Saphyra Khanna, Uma Shukla and Vir Gahrotra.

DAIS Adult delegate: Ms. Parul Malik and Mr. Narender Dalal

Students of Dhirubhai Ambani International School participated in the virtual French Language Lab hosted by Inter Community School, Zurich (ICSZ) on 31st October 2023. It was a French Language Exchange Program hosted online comprising over 100 delegates from schools across the world including from regions in Africa, Southeast Asia, Switzerland as well as participation from Indian states like Manipur, Haryana, etc.

The event began with an introduction to the school and a little about Switzerland which was conveyed through a short presentation and quiz, in which everyone actively participated in the chat. After this, the delegates joined separate Baraza rooms based on their level of proficiency in French.

The session in the Baraza rooms began with an introduction of all delegates, i.e., their names, the country they belonged to, and the school they represented.

The presentation that followed helped delegates to learn simple expressions including names of family members and animals. A short quiz with 10 questions provided opportunities for the students to respond in the chat. They progressed into a discussion about their friends, their qualities and how to identify a good friend from a toxic friend. The delegates implemented all the concepts learnt into a Booklet Game where they had to answer questions and win points.

They also participated in two other quizzes based on their learnings which helped them expand their vocabulary and revise old and important concepts. They concluded the session by expressing some of their experiences with their families and friends in French. Helping the delegates revisit their prior learning in French, this segment was an enriching experience through which the delegates had an opportunity to interact with French speaking students across the globe, giving them a better understanding of the language and structure, which additionally helped improve their language fluency winning accolades for DAIS.

They also participated in two other quizzes based on their learnings which helped them expand their vocabulary and revise old and important concepts. They concluded the session by expressing some of their experiences with their families and friends in French. Helping the delegates revisit their prior learning in French, this segment was an enriching experience through which the delegates had an opportunity to interact with French speaking students across the globe, giving them a better understanding of the language and structure, which additionally helped improve their language fluency winning accolades for DAIS.

They also participated in two other quizzes based on their learnings which helped them expand their vocabulary and revise old and important concepts. They concluded the session by expressing some of their experiences with their families and friends in French. Helping the delegates revisit their prior learning in French, this segment was an enriching experience through which the delegates had an opportunity to interact with French speaking students across the globe, giving them a better understanding of the language and structure, which additionally helped improve their language fluency winning accolades for DAIS.

OUR REFLECTIONS

The French Language Lab was truly an enriching experience as I gained the opportunity to interact with peers from all over the world and learned more about Switzerland. I enjoyed speaking in French and playing the fun interactive games and activities organised by our hosts. Looking forward to participating in more such Round Square Collaborations and events! - Ishaan Surve

The French Language Lab was extremely well-organised and a great medium for interacting with students from different countries. It was a thorough revision for basic French concepts via games played, which made the whole experience much more engaging. We also got to learn a bit about Switzerland and the host school: Inter-Community School, Zurich. It was a wonderful experience which I will always look forward to!! - Anirudh Bhat

The French Language Lab organised by Inter Community School - Zurich (ICSZ) allowed me to practise some simple French vocabulary through games with delegates across India and the world. I also learnt a lot about Swiss culture and geography and noticed that there are French speakers across the world including regions in Africa, Southeast Asia and even in Indian states like Manipur, Haryana, etc. - Sudarshan Manikantan

The French Language Lab was indeed a unique experience, we interacted with a variety of French Speakers from across the world. The Inter Community School - Zurich (ICSZ) organised interactive activities for us to engage in making the overall experience fantastic. The event was well organised, giving everyone an opportunity to showcase their ideas, the recapped previous concepts we learnt in the past and expanded our vocabulary, we even got a little insight to Swiss Culture through a quiz, and we even got an introduction to their school and other Francophone countries. It gave us a better understanding of the language and structure especially when speaking, it also helped me improve my fluency in the language. It was an overall stellar experience. - Saanvie Seth

The French Language Lab was a new and greatly educational experience that allowed us to practise our French speaking skills and get a chance to interact with French speakers from around the world. It served as a great boost of confidence and allowed us to learn a lot about the language, as well as facts about Switzerland. It was excellently organised by the host, The Inter Community School - Zurich, and made the learning fun and interactive via the use of quizzes in Kahoot and Blooket. - Rihaan Sodhani

Round Square has always been a collaborative platform for us to connect with a diverse variety of people across schools and countries and the French Language Lab lived up to this. From the interactive activities arranged to the information on other countries we learned, everyone truly had an enriching experience. Despite the wide participation, the host school was able to manage the event well and made sure everyone got an opportunity to speak and share their thoughts (in French). We were engrossed in every activity planned - the quizzes, interactive questions and games. As students of DAIS, we were able to connect well with students from across the world in French and understand their perspectives. Overall, we truly enjoyed the event and hope to attend more in the future! - Sharmila Ranganathan

DAIS Student delegates: Ishaan Surve, Anirudh Bhat, Sudarshan Manikantan, Saanvie Seth, Rihaan Sodhani and Sharmila Ranganathan.

DAIS Adult delegate: Ms. Sanika Vaze

Bringing the children of the world with music and melody.

DAIS students along with their Western Music teachers joined hands to collaborate virtually in a unique music collaboration – WORLD MUSIC MONTAGE hosted by Mayo College Ajmer, in September 2023. The collaboration aimed to capture the true essence of ‘UNITY IN DIVERSITY’, across cultures around the globe; fostering an ethos of global comradery by planting the seeds of co-existence among the youth who would hold the reins of the future world. Perfectly resonating with the Indian philosophy of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' - One Earth - One Family and One Future, this unique endeavour is an attempt to traverse beyond the boundaries, bringing the world together through one melody and one emotion through the song – “I'd like to teach the world to sing”.

As the delegates rehearsed the song to perfect their musical notes, they also gained an insight into the technical aspects of music recordings with the use of a green screen.

DAIS delegates chose to record the melodious version of the song, representing their home state of Maharashtra. The backdrop of the recording of DAIS song showcases the WARLI paintings, which symbolises the animistic beliefs, life, customs and traditions of an indigenous tribe of western India, living in mountainous as well as coastal areas along the border of Maharashtra.

DAIS Delegates:

Grade 6 - Divisha Khandelwal, Vidyut Sundar and Devika Joshi, Grade 7 - Hridaya Sharma, Ria Subramanian, and Athira Asokan, Grade 8A – Sudarshan Manikantan and Grade 9A – Anoushka Tandon.

DAIS Teachers:

Mr. Prabhakar Sharma & Ms. Manali Sharma.

The Round Square virtual conference ‘Democracy: The Power of Stories’, hosted by Riverdale Country School, New York, on 5th May, was attended by five DAIS students from grade 7. The theme of the conference –, aimed to explore how democracy is followed in different schools around the world.

The Conference started with the Host school sharing a PPT on how Democracy was followed at Riverdale Country School. Following this, the host school shared with the delegates the experience of their Storytelling Club, which used stories to discuss the problems faced around the world and brainstormed on proposing sustainable solutions to resolve world problems.

Next, the participating delegates shared their Pre tasks to highlight practice of Democracy in their respective schools. Everyone was invited to share their pre tasks. DAIS delegates shared their Pre task representing the Democracy as student voices at DAIS proudly.

This was followed by an inspiring keynote speech by Ms. Ophelia Watahomigie-Corliss, a member of the Havasupai Tribe who addressed the delegates online from her village located at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

She shared with the students how she was working to bring broadband internet access to her people, without which, children were disadvantaged in their education and basic services like healthcare and security denied to the village.

In the breakout rooms delegates discussed on some questions related to the keynote speech.

The next keynote speaker, Ms. Antoinette Quarshie shared her experience of growing up in four different countries and her learnings from her experience of different places and cultures from South Africa to Afghanistan, and from Kenya, to Botswana, to her local Bronx and New York communities. Her personal experience of teaching students all around the world gave the delegates an insight into how education could be different in various parts of the world. In the succeeding breakout room, the delegates discussed different questions in relation to the keynote speakers’ stories.

Besides being a fun filled learning experience, the Conference enabled the delegates introspect the fact that they were far privileged compared to other children, their age, across the globe. Their school was just a few miles away from their homes in contrast to other students who needed to leave their country in pursuit of education. They appreciated the opportunities made available at DAIS that help them develop their overall personalities. The participation in this Conference provided a unique opportunity for the delegates to learn about diverse students, cultures, and perspectives, thus reinforcing the Round Square IDEALS.

DAIS Student Delegates:

Atharv Agarwal, Riaan Mehta, Rishab Tiwari, Jai Sachdeva and Devaryaa Makhijaa

DAIS Adult Delegate:

Ms. Sunita Nath

On 29th April 2022, Birla Public School, Pilani, hosted a Round Square Collaboration – ‘MATHEMENTS: How Math is involved in the construction of monuments?’ Delegates from 22 schools with around 150 delegates across grades 6 - 8 participated in the event, including a six-student delegation from Dhirubhai Ambani International School. The goal of the event was to identify the concepts of mathematics used in ancient and modern monuments. The session included two keynote speeches, baraza sessions and presentations by each participating school.

Prior to the main event, all schools had to send their ‘Pre-Task’ – shared in the form of a PPT, to understand the application of math in monuments. DAIS delegates chose to explore one of the most popular forts in Maharashtra - the majestic fort of Raigad, known for its historical significance and the rich culture of the Marathas. They learnt about strategic location of the Raigad fort, nested on a steep vertical rock face, with a layout that makes it almost impossible to enter the fort through the surrounding rocky terrain making it one of the safest places in the Maharaj Shivaji’s kingdom.

The two keynote speakers of the event, Mr. Vikramjit Singh Rooprai and Ms. Preety Tripathi, inspired the delegates to delve deeper into the world of Mathematics while helping the delegates get an advanced view on the theme of the event. The keynote speakers connected Indian history and monuments with mathematics in creative ways.

For the main meeting, every school was allocated three different regions, to choose a monument from each region and explore the Math related to that structure. DAIS delegates were allocated Delhi, Germany, and Russia and they made their presentations on Jantar Mantar from Delhi in India; Glory of Soviet Science from Voronezh, Russia; and the Allianz Arena of Munich, Germany.

It was a rare and wonderful experience for the DAIS delegates to reflect on the use of math in around 60 different monuments around the world which were presented by the other participating school delegations. These enabled the delegates gain a unique perspective on how medieval humans used mathematics extensively in the monuments they built. They were provided an insight on the use of complicated mathematical and architectural equations like the Golden Ratio and the Fibonacci Sequence which were often used extensively in the most famous monuments known today.

‘MATHEMENTS’ helped the DAIS delegates identifying so many more monuments around the world as they wondered on the connection of mathematics seen in each one. As quoted by the participants, “Everything we have learned today will certainly help us later in life, especially in careers choices that include different aspects of mathematics, as well as aesthetics”.

Our Reflections:

MATHEMENTS was an excellent opportunity for me to interact with other schools. – Kavya Mangal.

I loved meeting new people. Preparing for the event was even more fun. – Iknoor Gill.

This event made me look at Math in a new way. – Neil Agarwal.

I got to learn about the hidden Mathematics in Architecture! – Shourya Thakkar

I learned about other cultures and monuments and even developed my public speaking skills. – Sohrab Daver.

I got to listen to people’s perspectives on Mathematics. – Samay Gulzar Sandhu.

DAIS Student Delegates: Sohrab Daver, Neil Agrawal, Samay Gulzar Sandhu, Iknoor Gill and Kavya Mangal.

DAIS Teacher Delegates: Ms. Bharathi Shinde

On 8th June 2022, seven delegates from grade 7 represented DAIS at a Round Square virtual Conference, “Our Environment: A Responsible Legacy”, hosted by Newcastle Grammar School, Australia. With thought provoking discussions and activities focussed on the local changes one person does to create global impacts, the Conference aimed to build students’ commitment and ambition to act in ways that leave a positive environmental legacy for the future.

The conference started off with the host school introducing themselves and their concerns related to environmental issues. Next, the delegates transitioned into Baraza rooms where they participated in discussions on the icebreaker questions. The baraza groups also shared their school wise Conference Pre task – to discuss the most important environmental initiatives local of them, which have a connection to global challenges and share the collage of images that represent these initiatives and challenges. The baraza hosts also initiated reflections on the pre tasks shared by the different schools.

Back into the main meeting, the delegates interacted with the Keynote Speaker, Cherry Sung, a winner of the 2020 Global Social Leaders Global Goals Competition, one of the 2021 International Young Eco Heroes, a youth environmentalist activist from South Korea.

Cherry is a founder of ‘Greener is Cleaner’, a youth-led organization fuelled by "people-power" that leads by example to empower youth worldwide to act for the environment and thus their futures. In her speech, Cherry highlighted the problems and causes of the unpredictable eco-system issues. The delegates shared their reflections on the speech in their second baraza session.

The next key-note speech in the main meeting focussed on the need to spread awareness about environmental challenges and recognize the potential of the youth in making changes in relation to the environmental problems.

In the baraza session that followed the delegates shared with each other the changes they could make to their environments. In the final segment, the baraza groups shared their learnings in the main meeting before bidding goodbyes to all.

As quoted by the DAIS delegates, “This conference was an amazing experience with an opportunity to understand the global environmental issues, to spread awareness and implement small changes that would create big impacts!

DAIS Student Delegates: Shloka Choudhary, Siddhant Mehendale, Sanaya Chadha, Ayanna Vazirani Arishka Betadpur and Sohum Anand.

DAIS Teacher Delegates: Ms. Sushila Victor

On Thursday 8th September the Indian High School, Dubai hosted a Symposium for World Literacy Day exploring the effect and impact language has on our culture. 5 DAIS delegates- Kavya Sinha, Meher Mathur, Aanya Shah, Ria Chawla and Kcavyan Agarwal studying three different second languages - French, Spanish and Hindi – attended the symposium to share their insights and experiences through these languages and the impact it has had on understanding culture and origins.

The keynote address by Dr. Mansoor Al Obeidli, a physician, actor, and entrepreneur, was a segment which highlighted the obstacles we can overcome through languages. Speaking to someone in their own language, he believes, creates a personal connection, and has a significant impact because it makes them feel important and impressed. Moreover, we also understand how learning a language can make you more helpful and inspire others to lend a hand.

There were various Baraza sessions, each representing a language, Latin, Telugu, Hebrew, Sanskrit and Greek. The leaders in each room organized a multitude of engaging activities that imparted knowledge regarding the diversity of languages around the globe, such as kahoot quizzes and languages guessing games based on diction and script, which were followed by profound discussions amongst the delegates.

A great way to get us into the spirit of talking about our languages was the Pre-task. Each of the delegates got to present their given language and it was a great way to learn something new. Along with that, multiple discussions on topics like 'Are languages a barrier or a bridge?' encouraged us to put forward our views and perspectives, encouraging us to pursue Languages in the long run.

To conclude, the conference broadened the horizons of our perspectives as we heard from a multilingual keynote speaker, discussed the significance and uniqueness of languages, explored the nuances and distinctive features of certain languages and brought to light as a community how literacy around the world and communication through languages intersect in the most crucial of ways.

On 18th November, a team of eight DAIS students from grades 7 and 8 took participated in a Drama Event hosted by Hyderabad Public School.

The event started with inspiring words from the keynote speaker, Miss Sowmya Ram H, who spoke about the Covid-19 pandemic being an opportunity in disguise because it promotes essential skills like video editing and collaboration on the online platform. The DAIS delegates, along with senior leaders, created their musical virtually in which delegates recorded their dialogues individually before putting all their clips together to ensure the final product was one seamless video. The team spent the month before the event gearing up to produce an original musical spanning over 20 minutes through an online platform. The DAIS musical was a modernized adaptation of the Pied Piper which suggested the optimal manner to use social media.

Then the curtains were raised for performances. The students were in awe at the incredible performances put up by participating schools - a re-enactment of the Mahabharata, an adaptation of The Invisible Man, and more! They witnessed plays in different genres and saw values and morals highlighted in every piece.

Finally, DAIS team presented their play - 'Pied Piper and the tunes of Social Media', a twist of the original tale, with Pied Piper trapped into the enchanting tunes of social media.

Highlighting the reasons as to why one shouldn’t fall prey to the enticing lures of social media, the DAIS musical received a lot of positive feedback and much appreciation for its originality and the relevance of its theme in today’s context.

Then the curtains were raised for performances. The students were in awe at the incredible performances put up by participating schools - a re-enactment of the Mahabharata, an adaptation of The Invisible Man, and more! They witnessed plays in different genres and saw values and morals highlighted in every piece.

Next, the delegates eagerly joined the Barazas - namely ’Roll’, ’Camera’ and ’Action’ - where they engaged in insightful and exciting discussions. There the themes of all the performed plays were discussed and delegates shared their perspectives on the different plays enacted. In ‘Roll’, the discussion revolved around the usage of social media and Indian epics. In the Baraza ‘Camera’, the morality of Yudhistara's gambling in the Mahabharata was broached upon. While the Baraza, ‘Action’, deliberated upon the differences between creating YouTube videos and their plays.

The second day was equally as enriching. The first play discussed gave the participants an insight on the traditions that depicted the true meaning of Halloween, and the delegates discovered the reason it came to be. The discussion led to an exchange of cultures, fulfilling the underlying goal of the Round Square events. Next in line was a play covering the theme ‘Ambitions.’ The play was not only fun to watch but it also made the audience ponder on the true nature of one’s ambitions. Discussions in the Barazas were thought-provoking as the delegates shared their own ambitions and thought about the actions they would hypothetically carry out as a fairy who could grant wishes. They also discussed many more interesting questions that were raised during the interactions.

The Host school themselves presented the tale of the brilliant scholar and thinker, Tenali Raman. They included some amazing sound effects and songs making it a delight to watch. Following this, an interesting discussion took place about attitudes and ego, in regard to the quote ‘An eye for an eye makes the world blind.’ The delegates talked about how humans are imperfect using the ministers’ behaviour towards Tenali in the play as an example and pondered on what could have possibly caused them to be so bitter towards him.

Points to Ponder about the Baraza sessions:

1. The Baraza sessions were open discussions, and everyone shared their inputs and ideas. These interactions helped me contribute my thoughts as well.
2. The plays were on a vast range of topics, and it was interesting to note the true meaning behind the skits as shared by the participating delegates.
3. The Baraza sessions especially taught us how to express ourselves more efficiently.
4. It was a great opportunity to interact with everyone and it was real fun listening to how other delegates learnt drama in their own schools and about the challenges they overcame while performing their play. We expressed our views on the different plays enacted and got to interact with different people.
5. Each person had their own opinions and perspectives which sometimes caused controversy but also taught us to agree to disagree. With various questions posed by the Baraza leaders, we contemplated, and shared our thoughts on certain problems that are prevalent in society today.
6. The Baraza sessions had a fun environment and allowed us to express our opinions, ponder upon questions, solve problems, experience incidences in another's life, as well as understand the viewpoints of other delegates.

The learning’s and reflections of the DAIS delegates were as follows:

This event was a great learning experience and I really enjoyed interacting with so many people. The plays were on a vast range of topics and seeing everyone's different take on the true meaning behind the skits, as well as receiving their inputs and thoughts was something I found most interesting. Seeing everyone make optimum use of the online platform and put-up intriguing skits was a delight. I am glad I got the opportunity to be a part of this Round Square event! – Aryahi Agarwal

I found the conference to be very enriching. I saw several plays which utilized different techniques and spoke of different themes while at the same time being light-hearted, humorous, and dramatic as the needs were. Overall, it was a highly enjoyable experience. – Ishaan Surve

This round square was an enriching experience and helped develop real world skills, such as public speaking and quick thinking. I learnt a lot about the effort that goes into making a play and all the behind-the-scenes processes, be it scripting, casting or costumes. All the presentations taught me about culture, heritage, or life in general while also making me laugh with the brilliant comedic elements. Overall, this was a fantastic experience that helped us make amazing memories. – Riddimma Sampat

Participating in a Round Square event for the first time helped me develop a sense of leadership and responsibility. The Drama event was a unique way of exposing us to the Round square fundamentals portrayed through the various segments of the event. - Ayaan Shah

Nouveau Media Art Meet-2021 was an event co-hosted by the Welham Boys School and the Welham Boys School, Dehradun from 18th September to 2nd October 2021. The theme was “Moving Mirrors”- New Art in New Normal. 113 delegates from across 5 countries- India, South America, Bangladesh, Oman and Pakistan attended this event.

The event was kick started by creating a piece of art based on the theme using any medium of our choice. This compelled delegates to explore their thoughts on the theme of the conference and represent their interpretation of it. This was followed by key note speeches by Professor Aftab Gharda and Shudrabrata Sengupta, the Keynote Speakers, gave a insight into New Media Art. Delegates had an opportunity of interacting with them and enhance their understanding of the art form. The overall experience was very informative, and the most significant was the use of new technology to create the most impactful and meaningful art pieces like “Opus” and “Hollowgram”.

Next, delegates were divided into baraza groups where they had a few ice-breaking activities to encourage engagement and stimulate collaboration. They were further divided into sub-teams, and over the course of the next 2 days each team worked on a collaborative project revolving around the theme, “Moving Mirrors”, using digital art.

Once again the delegates had the opportunity to discuss and interact with renowned artists, art critics and art educators who provided an overall feedback on the work submitted. The most intriguing part for most delegates was the discussion on the definition of art. The delegates realised that there is not just one definition of art and any creative, interpretive, original work can be defined as art.

The delegates presented their art work in the Baraza sessions. It was astonishing to see the imagination, skill, and perspectives in each of the different interpretations of the theme. Collectively they witnessed incredible projects and interacted with extremely creative prospective artists. What was most striking was how each group had communicated with students across the globe, from different cultures, with various judgements to create a marvellous piece. Every artwork was a culmination of cohesive effort and diversity. The conference ended with Baraza groups presenting their reflection statements.

Overall Reflection:

Through our journey, we learnt to see the power of Art to usher a change for a better tomorrow. The conference stimulated greater creativity & imagination for each and every one of the participants. It inculcated finer aesthetic sensibility and we acquired knowledge on Post-modern Art and cultures of the world while exploring New Media Art.

Individual Reflections: 
Sharav Jiwrajka: “It was a very insightful and engaging experience as I was exposed to an array of cultural artworks. I am grateful for my art teacher, Mr Puranik who helped us majorly in making our work. I am looking forward to more such experiences in the future.”

Aarna Sanghai:
The conference was an extremely insightful experience. Augmenting our creativity and knowledge on New Media Art, we got the opportunity to collaborate with students from across the globe. I really enjoyed the conference and hope to be a part of many more art round square events in the future.

On 9th October 2021, 6 delegates from Grade 10 of the Dhirubhai Ambani International School participated in the World Mental Health Day Collaboration, jointly hosted by The Doon School and The British Overseas School. The theme of the conference was “Mental Health in an Unequal World” and over 250 delegates from across the world attended it including delegates from schools in South Asia and the Gulf Region, such as Bangladesh, the UAE, Oman, and India, among others.

The conference began with speeches from the headmasters of both the hosting schools – Dr. Jagpreet Singh (The Doon School) and Dr. Andrew Williams (The British Overseas School). After this – the delegates were divided into smaller Barazza groups to share their perspective on the topic of Mental Health.

Each Barazza had a unique name and subjects of the discussion were centred around the very name of the groups. Groups included “Mind or Marathon”, “Mending Mindsets”, “Constitutional Wellbeing” and many more. Several other topics of discussion in the Barazza sessions included fascinating subjects such as the impact of genetics and discrimination on Mental Health, the importance of mental health vis-a-vis physical health, etc.

This was followed by the keynote speaker – Dr. Kimberly Kendall – an academic psychiatrist. Dr. Kendall helped all the delegates of the conference in identifying specific parts of the large problem of mental health, different kinds of mental illnesses and their effects, defining key terms relating to mental health including schizophrenia, mental wellbeing, anxiety, etc.

The delegates then returned to their Baraza groups and were given the task to come up with resolutions to the problems relating to mental health. After concluding the discussions – each Baraza prepared a presentation to display the main points of the discussion and came up with a resolution to an aspect of mental health. This was presented in front of all the other Baraza groups and gave the delegates a chance to learn about different solutions on the common problem of mental health.

All in all, the conference opened up the mental pathways for the delegates as they were exposed to discussions and debates that sparked questions about mental wellness and growth. The conference was very enriching, and it was a memorable learning experience for our delegates.

DAIS Delegates: Trisha Karmakar, Annika Cerejo, Sumeir Walia, Suhani Choudhry, Daya Ravi, Hrishita Shah. Accompanying adult: Ms Ruhi Vakil

On the 2nd of October, Vrinda Das and Ananya Sachdev of Grade 12 participated in a Girls’ Leadership Summit hosted by Roedean School, South Africa. This hosted with and aim to discuss the third sustainable development goal - Good health and wellbeing. The theme of the summit was - Role of leaders in shaping whole human beings with a focus on mental health. Vrinda and Ananya were part of a Youth Leaders in Conversation panel discussion, where 4 young girls from around the world unpacked the quote “Every generation must discover its mission, fulfill it or betray it”. The conversation circled around the 6 Round Square ideals, and the girls discussed the leadership challenges of their generation and how they have found expression in each of their schools.

As part of the panel, Vrinda and Ananya commented on the ‘Environment’ IDEAL, discussing school social environments and how they have adapted to provide adequate mental health support to students in the midst of the Pandemic. They were also asked about the Leadership IDEAL within school environments and the work they could do to improve support to facilitate these issues. To these questions they had insightful answers which discussed the policies within their school, what is working for the students here, how mental health can be given more visibility and what can be improved. They were also asked to comment on the quote ‘there is more in you than you think’ by Kurt Hahn in terms of school leadership and were further able to exemplify the important work they have done in this field within school to facilitate more open conversations on mental health and leadership. Hearing insights from other students from Australia and South Africa was also very enlightening for these two students and gave them a global platform to share best practices and learn more about one another. All in all, through the course of the summit, Ananya and Vrinda were able to learn a lot more about women in leadership, mental health and how they can be leaders and mental health advocates in their environments.

As part of the panel, Vrinda and Ananya commented on the ‘Environment’ IDEAL, discussing school social environments and how they have adapted to provide adequate mental health support to students in the midst of the Pandemic. They were also asked about the Leadership IDEAL within school environments and the work they could do to improve support to facilitate these issues. To these questions they had insightful answers which discussed the policies within their school, what is working for the students here, how mental health can be given more visibility and what can be improved. They were also asked to comment on the quote ‘there is more in you than you think’ by Kurt Hahn in terms of school leadership and were further able to exemplify the important work they have done in this field within school to facilitate more open conversations on mental health and leadership. Hearing insights from other students from Australia and South Africa was also very enlightening for these two students and gave them a global platform to share best practices and learn more about one another. All in all, through the course of the summit, Ananya and Vrinda were able to learn a lot more about women in leadership, mental health and how they can be leaders and mental health advocates in their environments.

The Inter-School Photography Competition ‘Zooming out COVID’, was held by the Welham Boys’ School, Dehradun on 31st May 2020. The competition aimed at offering aspiring, young photographers an opportunity to be creative while at home, and subsequently inspire others through their photography. Three students from DAIS took part in this activity, using their passion for photography for something enjoyable.

The guidelines set for the competition allowed the participants to explore their creativity and the medium to the maximum. The competition was based on three remarkably diverse and interesting themes, ‘Lockdown Expression’, ‘Nature I Love’ and ‘The Art of the Selfie’. Each of the participants had to submit one photograph for each of the three themes. Clicking the photographs that accurately described the theme was challenging in this situation, yet immensely gratifying. The pictures also required to be accompanied with creative captions and descriptions like ‘Intrusion of an Insect’s Solitude’.

For the students, the experience of taking these pictures and utilizing their creativity to its fullest was a unique opportunity and a great experience. They realized that even though we were confined to their homes, their imagination and originality was unbounded and could be harnessed to produce incredible pieces of photography.

For the students, the experience of taking these pictures and utilizing their creativity to its fullest was a unique opportunity and a great experience. They realized that even though we were confined to their homes, their imagination and originality was unbounded and could be harnessed to produce incredible pieces of photography.

DAIS Teachers Involved

Ms. Manisha Nanda and Ms. Pratima Sridhar

Dais Student Delegates

Arav Dalwani, Sanika Daga and Sia Harisinghani