Even during times of adversity, Northbridge students reach out to others in truly authentic action

Even during times of adversity, Northbridge students reach out to others in truly authentic action To say last academic year at Northbridge International School Cambodia presented some unique challenges would be an understatement. Our daily lives were thrown into disarray as staff, parents and students had to suddenly adjust to 'the new normal'. Collectively and individually we had to ride our own waves to stay afloat, and to have only thought of ourselves would have been understandable given the circumstances.

To say last academic year at Northbridge International School Cambodia presented some unique challenges would be an understatement. Our daily lives were thrown into disarray as staff, parents and students had to suddenly adjust to 'the new normal'. Collectively and individually we had to ride our own waves to stay afloat, and to have only thought of ourselves would have been understandable given the circumstances.

However, in times of adversity, NISC students showed their colours by reaching out to others in truly authentic action over the past year, whose global reach spanned 3 continents and 23 activities. The top 3 SDGs were Good Health and Wellbeing, Quality Education and Partnership for the Goals.

In total, our students helped raise over US$17,000 through nearly 5000 volunteered hours.

A number of those hours saw the student-led group, Global Impact, raun a huge campaign over the summer to provide essential items to the local people of Stung Menchey district led by one of the group leaders, Nyta.

Elsewhere, recent graduate Nimol took it upon herself to learn how to make face shields (nearly 1,500 of them!) with the support of a health specialist in Thailand she connected with. She then travelled around Phnom Penh donating them to people in frequent human contact such as tuk tuk drivers, market sellers and front desk personnel.

And despite the lockdown, Grade 11 student Sereyroth Sunly identified an opportunity to challenge herself, and persevere for the sake of others by making string art to brighten the lives of those she cared for in the community. 

The negative news headlines of 2020 have been inescapable. Be it bushfires in Australia, the corona pandemic, protests calling out racial injustice or the explosion in Beirut. We don’t know what will happen in 2020 and 2021, but we can be sure that NISC students will be there standing shoulder to shoulder ready to stand up to the challenge with resilience and principled action.