Academic Olympics Challenge Accepted: RIS Middle Schoolers Shine in Milan!

From November 18 to 21, five of our Year 9 students (Leo P, Alice M, Danish BK, Gabrielle M, Enzo C) participated in the Globeducate Academic Olympics in Milan.  The theme of the four days of activities was Sustainable Cities. 

On the day after arrival, the students enjoyed touring the Science and Technology Museum and participating in a scavenger hunt among famous Milanese landmarks. As students made their way through the museum and city centre, they had to complete various tasks in order to build their knowledge on urban sustainability.

This knowledge came in handy during the planning, design, construction, and presentation of a 3D Sustainable City model, which students made from recycled materials. The overarching goal of the city model was that it be environmentally friendly, inclusive, and innovative, aligned with United Nations SDG 11 to Make Cities and Human Settlements Inclusive, Safe, Resilient, and Sustainable.

Our students developed their leadership skills by taking on various roles (e.g. designer, scientist, reporter, resource manager, sustainability expert). After agreeing on their individual roles, they got right down to work, envisioning and creating a fantastic model city for the year 2050.

I am proud of our students’ effort and participation and believe they were wonderful representatives of RIS among a sea of students from the Globeducate community. They were able to meet and exchange ideas with students from schools from Italy, France, the UK, Portugal, Spain, Morocco, and India.

Our five RIS representatives seemed to thoroughly enjoy the experience.

Alice M. said, “During this trip, I had a lot of fun. I got to know my classmates better and I met students from different ICS schools. I think that even though we didn’t win, it was a really great experience.”

Leo P. also reflected saying, “I really loved the experience in Milan. It was really fun. I made new friends and I learned a lot of new things.”

Mr Opas, Head of Humanities, Geography Teacher