Approximately 100 people have participated in the three virtual reunions that we have had this fall. The first two – World Teachers’ Day and Arts and Alumni – were small but lively groups, and our latest zoom, focused on Sustainable Development Projects, gathered about 50 people, mostly alumni but also some current students and staff.

During the meeting, the participants could join different break-out rooms, depending on which year they participated in the projects. That way they were able to catch up with their old friends, exchange news and talk about shared experiences. Many fun anecdotes and forgotten moments came up, bringing up fond memories and some giggles.

In the second part, we created random groups, and asked people to talk about what the trips had meant for them personally. In addition to having a reflective conversation, this was a wonderful opportunity for our current students to meet ISP alumni and hear about their academic and career paths. Everyone appreciated meeting new people, and as one participant said, it was great to interact with new people with similar backgrounds. Making new connections has always been characteristic to ISP reunions, and it’s one of the strengths of our alumni network.

What did we learn about the impact of these trips, then?

• The trip was a great opportunity to meet and befriend people in other grades. It created strong friendships across grade levels, which is not always the case in regular school activities.
• For many of the participants, the trips shaped their career choices, or helped them decide what they wanted to study. Having been on the trip was also extremely useful for university applications.
• It taught them a lot about teamwork and collaboration, which has been valuable later in life. It strengthened their sense of community, both within the group but also as a global citizen.
• It made them appreciate what we have, and inspired them even more to change the world into a better place for everyone. They also learned that taking a bucket shower is actually quite ok!

These are all wonderful testimonials about the importance of experiential and service learning, and their impact on our students.

Thank you to everyone who participated and contributed to the conversation. Our next zoom reunion will take place early 2021. Watch this space for invitation and details!

You can read more about the Sustainable Development Project in this news story: Namibia, Ghana, Costa Rica - Time to reconnect!

Want to make new connections? Join our online community!