Learning to Care, Learning to Act: Social Impact at LCIS

Social impact opportunities are a constant presence across the school:

• Recycling stations throughout the building encourage students to think carefully about waste.
• A collection point for The Lost Food Project is managed by Secondary volunteers, who deliver donations to a local distribution hub.
• Our Eco Schools Suggestion Globe, created by the student-led Eco Schools Committee, gathers ideas to reduce our carbon footprint.
• Recent initiatives include a winter clothing drive for Ukraine, collecting large bags of high-quality coats, shoes and warm garments for families in need.

These visible, practical actions reinforce that responsibility is part of everyday life.

 

Social Impact in our Local Community

We believe social impact begins close to home. Each autumn, LCIS invites older residents of Aubonne to a Harvest Lunch. Primary pupils create seasonal table decorations, choirs perform as guests arrive, and Year 6 students serve as wait staff, chatting warmly with attendees. The feedback from our guests is always heartfelt, but equally important is the pride our students feel. They enjoy the responsibility entrusted to them and see directly how small acts can create meaningful impact. Primary students also take part in Aubonne’s annual ‘Coup de Balai’ community clean-up. Each year-group heads into designated areas of the town to collect litter and tidy up. The commune thank the student with a drink and small snack, reinforcing the benefits of civic awareness.

 

Our whole-school Christmas gift box drive further strengthens our school culture of giving. Families are given a list of new items including toothbrushes, toothpaste, small toys, sweets and winter accessories, which are boxed and wrapped before being transported by lorry to Eastern Europe. For some children, these are the first gifts they have ever received; for others, the annual arrival is eagerly anticipated. When we later receive stories of the families impacted, students can hear how this simple act has brought joy to others whose lives are very different.

 

Learning to Lead with Impact

Leadership and service begin early. In Primary, students vote for House Captains who lead initiatives and suggest House events. Elected prefects support younger pupils at lunchtime and in corridors, modelling good manners and positive behaviour, learning that leadership is not about title, but about responsibility and care.

 

The academic curriculum reinforces this ethos. Every unit within the International Primary Curriculum includes international tasks that our teachers link to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Recently, Year 5 students connected their unit, “Existing, Endangered and Extinct Animals,” to real-world action. Setting a target of 500 CHF for the World Wide Fund for Nature, they organised a bake sale and creative competitions. They exceeded their goal, raising 723.60 CHF — enough to adopt six animals from endangered species, and contribute towards habitat protection. More importantly, they experienced the empowerment that comes from turning learning into action and seeing collective effort translate into measurable impact.

 

At Secondary level, service is embedded through Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) within the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. Students tutor younger pupils, run lunchtime clubs and volunteer locally and internationally, including our annual Thailand CAS trip. Visiting communities whose daily realities differ markedly from their own is transformative. Students often reflect on the warmth and gratitude shown by those they meet, and how meaningful it feels to give not only resources, but time and attention. These encounters build humility, perspective and a strong sense of shared humanity.

 

Focus on Social Impact

This year our Social Impact Lead is English Language and Literature teacher Rebekah Shefford. She says the role is important,

“For raising awareness of SDGs for future change makers. Encouraging students to think about worlds outside of their own and to gain a wider understanding of the world around them. This aligns with our RESPECT values and encourages students to take on projects which could have a real imapct on the world around them.”

Planned activities for 2026 include:

• Fundraising at the school’s spring “Vide Dressing” event
• Student-led sports competitions to raise awareness of male mental health

 

Working for the Future

Students are encouraged to think beyond the immediate community. Each year, applicants compete to represent LCIS at the Nord Anglia Student Summit in Houston, Texas. Delivered in partnership with UNICEF, the summit brings together students from Nord Anglia schools worldwide to collaborate on projects aligned with the SDGs. Applicants complete a written submission and interview process, with three students selected. The experience develops leadership, public speaking, collaboration and initiative.