Nurturing future global citizens at Dulwich College (Singapore)

What is Global Citizenship (GC)? 

The College’s mission is to develop future leaders who are equipped with the skills, knowledge, and motivation to create positive and impactful contributions to the world and to do so with a strong moral compass that guides all their decisions.  

Embedded in our College guiding statements are the competencies of Innovative Learning, Environmental Sustainability, Intercultural Understanding, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Social Justice and Wellbeing. We believe these are critical for our students, starting from our youngest learners through to those preparing to head off to university, to become true global citizens. 

How is Global Citizenship explained to a DUCKS child?  

Our young children are encouraged to be aware of the connection between how they think, feel and act and to consider the impact of their choices and actions beyond what is immediately visible. This is the Compassionate Systems Framework (CSF) that guides all aspects of our curriculum.  

Another way we help our youngest students understand the concepts around Global Citizenship is by using Learning Bugs with visuals and age-appropriate vocabulary. These Learning Bugs are ever present around DUCKS and encourage children to:- 

• Ask questions and learn about the similarities and differences between themselves and others.  
• Show empathy by discussing feelings and emotions – employing the CSF to understand complex issues.  
• Take care of nature and the environment around them.  
• Be kind and inclusive, stand up against unfairness and treat others the way they would like to be treated.  
• Participate in community service and contribute positively to impact the lives of others. 

What activities are used to introduce Global Citizenship to DUCKS students?  

A plethora of age-appropriate activities take place throughout the year to nurture our young students with the values and skills of a future GC:-  

• At Forest School, experiential interactions with the natural world are child-initiated, which stress tests their fledgeling moral compass and helps develop compassion. This can be as simple as recognising the sanctity of the life of other animals to integrating plant-to-plate teaching and learning opportunities. 
• Fostering a sense of responsibility in the College’s children by having Year 2 students visit the younger members of the DUCKS school to read to them.  
• Establishing links and creating interaction opportunities with groups in the local community such as students and senior citizens from the neighbourhood, and creating gift packages during special occasions and visits.  
• Identifying virtues in others by having a shared Positive Post box where children can anonymously compliment others across the school.  
• Organising activity booklets for sick members of staff and residents of the care home as a meaningful way to show love to others.  
• Using Compassionate Systems Thinking Tools (CSTT) to understand the needs of people in the community, exercise empathy and cultivate compassionate integrity by aligning head, heart and hand.  
• Embedding CSTT into the curriculum as a way for our children to explore issues uncovered in inquiry and through discussions and learning.