On Wednesday, September 17th, four Scarsdale High School students traveled to Dubai for the annual Round Square International Conference. There, they had the opportunity to meet almost 1,000 students from around the world to discuss key issues facing our world today. With over 28 countries and 155 schools at the conference, students gained a unique global perspective. After spending about a week in the city, students returned back to SHS to share their findings. 

The Round Square International Conference has been run for over 50 years now, and it aims to bring schools from around the world together to discuss global challenges. The conference uses the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGS) as a framework for choosing their topics of discussion. Here, IDEALS— internationalism, democracy, environmentalism, adventure, leadership, and service—serve as guiding principles. 

Being able to join this program was a remarkable feat for SHS. As Dubai chaperone and SHS Global Opportunities Coordinator Heather Waters explained, “About three years ago, I ran a five hour interview with them. After that, we went through the process and they accepted us as a full member. Scarsdale is actually the first and only public school to ever be allowed into Round Square.”

Planning the specific trip to Dubai took a lot of work as well. Waters mentioned, “We have to go through all of the clearances, so I had a bunch of conversations with Assistant Principal O’Gorman and Principal Bonamo. Once we did that, we met with the District Office and ensured the trip was safe for students.” After setting up the trip, an application was made available for SHS students. Since only four out of the many applicants could go on this trip, a lottery system was used to determine the final candidates. When the selection process was over, final preparations began, and eventually the group left for the conference. 

After arriving in Dubai, students were treated to a traditional Bedouin dinner at Fort Dubai, set with camel rides, fire dancers, and henna tattoos. The beginning of the conference consisted of a meet and greet with fellow students from around the world, as well as addresses from keynote speakers. The trip then focused on three of the five ideals, which were split up into different days. For environmentalism, students then had the opportunity to discuss topics related to climate change, and to participate in seed planting in a local park. For adventure, students were able to participate in further planned activities related to climate change — a key focus of the conference. Finally, for service, students served lunch to visitors at a local house of worship and participated in a simulation of a small marketplace made up of students in the program. 

Throughout the experience, students from the different schools were mixed into groups, letting everyone truly interact with each other. One SHS student, Lucy Eisenberg ‘27, who went on the trip, shared, “It was so interesting learning about how our lives are both similar and different and I made some really great friends who I hopefully will keep in touch with in the future. The teens who led the program from the three host schools in Dubai were all super inviting and spirited too.” 

Even with such busy schedules at the conference, students still had the opportunity to explore Dubai. Fun activities included visiting the Dubai Mall, exploring the Dubai aquarium, going to the top of the Burj Khalifa, and of course, tasting some of the famous Dubai chocolate. In addition, numerous cultural events were held with the program, including dances, karaoke, and other fun activities. 

Once the Conference was over, students returned to their respective countries as official Round Square Ambassadors. “Overall, it was a really great experience. I definitely learned how to better have meaningful discussions with people who lead different lifestyles and are so different than myself. The city was super cool as well and I am really glad that is where it was hosted this year,” Eisenberg added. 

Although this trip has now come to an end, there are numerous virtual Round Square meetings throughout the year, as well as many other global opportunities for students. The Spanish Exchange has just begun, and the Italian Exchange for the next school year will be rolled out soon. In addition,  Waters pointed out that new Global Opportunity trips are on the horizon, including the next Round Square Conference in Sydney, Australia. 

These global opportunities are so important to SHS students because they allow them to leave the Scarsdale bubble and truly experience the world around them. “You’re really meeting kids face to face, be it on Zoom or in person, and it’s exciting when you’re like, oh, I know someone from South Africa or I know someone from Colombia. It’s a really meaningful experience,” Waters said. 

Students interested in upcoming opportunities or learning more about the Global Opportunities should look out for emails from Waters!