Round Square Students 'Unite to Ignite the Fire Within' in South Africa

This past month, five Senior School students traveled to South Africa to participate in the Round Square International Conference and a week-long pre-conference tour.  The pre-conference tour included visits to the Apartheid Museum, Soweto Township, Nelson Mandela’s house and Pilansberg National Park. Throughout this time, students developed friendships with peers from Armenia, Australia, Peru, and Namibia. 

The formal conference included speeches by renowned South African wildlife vet Dr. William Fowlds and Caleb Swanepoel, who survived a shark attack in 2015.  There were also days dedicated to providing service for neighbourhoods in Cape Town and Johannesburg.  Students helped to cook lunch and clean a schoolyard in Kyasands, as well as construct a garden at a primary school in Lavendar Hill.  The adventure day included hiking on Table Mountain and around Cape Point with stunning views.  The conference theme of “Unite to Ignite the Fire Within” inspired students to consider the common experiences of young people around the world, and how they could work collaboratively to improve acceptance of diversity and preservation of the environment.