Student Ambassadors in New York for UNICEF Summit

Premium international schools group Nord Anglia Education offers a transformational education to students, which focuses not only on ensuring academic success but also on inspiring students to positively impact their individual communities and the world at large. 

As part of Nord Anglia Education’s collaboration with UNICEF, students across the globe have been raising awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through projects at their schools. The SDGs are a collection of 17 goals set by the United Nations regarding social and economic development issues. 

Each year, the capstone event with UNICEF is when students visit New York for the NAE-UNICEF Student Summit.  

Held this year from 11 to 17 July, student ambassadors at the Summit demonstrated how their schools made progress in addressing the SDGs as part of Nord Anglia Education’s annual Global Challenge. 

Hosted at Nord Anglia International School New York (NAIS NY), students joined workshops, seminars and debates, including speaking opportunities at the UN’s High-level Political Forum (HLPF). There was also a Model United Nations (MUN) event, a trip to the UN Headquarters in New York City, and much more. 

Jesse and Gabriel Wong from our Madinat Khalifa Secondary campus represented Compass International School Doha at this year’s Summit.   

“We have been thrilled to have Nord Anglia students around the world learning about the SDGs and taking positive actions in their schools and communities year over year,” said Shannon O’Shea, Team Leader: Public Partner Advocacy and Visibility Section, UNICEF. 

“The Nord Anglia Student Summit in July was an excellent opportunity for students to share their ideas and efforts to leaders at the United Nations during the annual High-level Political Forum, where different stakeholders met to share ideas and assess progress on the Global Goals,” Shannon added. 

“This year was the most ambitious yet, where students participated in various sessions and events at the HLPF and showcased their creativity on what the SDGs mean to them through art and activism,” she said. 

For the MUN, held over two days at NAIS NY, students acted as representative of different nations and debated resolutions. This year, three students acted as Deputy MUN Chairs alongside our main MUN Chairs from New York University. 

For the HLPF, eight articulate student panelists were chosen to speak onstage to audiences at this United Nations side event. They were part of two panels sharing how they are taking steps to make the world a better place through the SDGs. These panelists were chosen as a joint decision between NAE, UNICEF and the World’s Largest Lesson. At the start of the HLPF event, one Nord Anglia student was specifically asked to launch a piano donated by Sing for Hope to UNICEF to tie the arts and the global goals together. 

Also, during the HLPF, winners from Nord Anglia’s Global Campus Visual Arts competition were showcased as a part of an Arts Exhibition at the United Nations. This allowed our students to promote what NAE is doing to tackle the SDGs and to network with government and UN officials as they admired our students’ artwork. 

Three students from Compass International School Doha, Leya Shaaban and Jaydon Cason from Gharaffa and Narayani Moonsar from Rayyan, received Highly Commended Awards for their artwork which was on display during the HLPF.

Last but not least, two NAE students were asked to present at the ECOSOC Chamber at the United Nations as a part of governments’ voluntary national reviews. This was held in the iconic General Assembly Hall. 

Following the HLPF, a glamorous Gala dinner was held at The Juilliard School to allow students to celebrate their accomplishments during the week. There were also awards given out to students for their efforts during the MUN. 

Learn more: 

• Read more about UNICEF 

• Read more about the 17 Global Goals here. 
• More information on the High-Level Political Forum can be found here.