NGO Fair Connects Students with Local and Global Change-Makers

Empowering students to make a difference.

That was the goal at ICS Addis's first-ever NGO Fair for Elementary and Middle School students. Representatives from 15 non-governmental and charity organizations were on campus last week, and students interviewed them about their motivation, their purpose, their challenges, and their action.

"We wanted to offer the students a chance to engage with the community to explore how service can empower a community," MYP Coordinator Monique Palmer said. "Students spoke with exhibitors about their beliefs and values and how these led to them setting up an organization. Our students left feeling inspired and also filled with practical tools on how to approach taking action to make a positive impact."

You can watch a video of the event here or by clicking the photo on the right, and ICS parents can see more photos from the event here.

The organizations present covered several different causes, actions, and issues including

• Ethiopian Girl Skaters: empowering young Ethiopian women by teaching skateboarding and improving access to education;
• Addis Guzo: providing wheelchairs for differently abled adults and children;
• Drop of Water: building wells in rural Ethiopia for access to clean drinking water;
• FSSA: helping local schools plant gardens to provide healthy food for the student canteensl;
• Shamida Orphanage: running a large government-run orphanage in Ethiopia;
• as well as many other organizations supporting people with autism, visual impairment, leprosy, as well as individuals experiencing poverty, lack of access to maternity care, and beyond.

ICS Primary Years Programme Coordinator Lucy Elliott was part of the team that coordinated the event along with Monique and ICS Board Member Karin Steiner. She said the day was a success and that the Elementary and Middle Schools plan to collaborate in the future to make this an annual learning event.

"Members of the organizations listened to the student's questions and answered them in ways that helped children to see their purposes, make connections, and see the potential for action," Lucy said. "Students came back with a deeper understanding of what action can mean and how they can take it. They gained an understanding of some of the concepts we were looking at such as mission, vision, engagement, empowerment, and purpose. They had an opportunity to practice collaboration skills by working in groups to get the information and their communication skills in asking and responding to questions along with thinking of follow-up questions and how to clarify their understanding."

"We are very proud of the students' engagement in the fair and hugely grateful to the people and organizations who gave up their time to come and participate!"

To find out more about learning in the ICS Addis Middle and Elementary Schools, visit our Learn page.