Feb. 7, 2012

ASD high school students attend the 2012 Global Initiative Network Conference to learn how to become key role players in developing and implementing solutions to global issues.

The thirteen students represented ASD service learning groups Seeds of Change, SEENAH, Little Wings, and GAIA at the three day conference hosted by the American Community School in Abu Dhabi. Themed "Respond and Engage", the conference focused on sustainability, disease, human trafficking, and the environment, and drew students from schools all over the region. Students attended expert presentations on the conference's key issues and the need to create an international network of engaged students, who will share their ideas and knowledge, and work together to solve the social and environmental issues facing communities around the world.

The students also met in workshops to learn about each others community service projects and approaches to solving issues in their community and at large. ASD's Seeds of Change representatives did a presentation on the school's organic garden. They discussed the garden's role as a learning tool, organic gardening's positive impact on the environment, and held a composting and food preparation and tasting demonstration. The students also showed a video of an ASD Farmers Market and of volunteer gardeners at work in the organic garden. The presentation was well received and four other schools in the region are now considering starting their own organic gardens.

All the students attended I-care projects; several ASD students worked on a Bus Raid, putting together food packs which the students then brought to laborers at a work site.

The students returned so inspired from the conference that they are now looking at establishing a new high school service learning group to support one of the conference's expert presenters who works with children in Ghana.