ISB Fosters Belonging Through Celebrations, Workshops and Student-Led Initiatives

By Angel Jin, ISB Communications

Published on Tuesday, March 4, 2025

Through meaningful initiatives and student-driven programs at ISB, we strive to foster an environment where every voice is valued. Recent events such as Black Excellence Week and the Dragon Storytellers program highlight ISB’s commitment to well-being and appreciating our international community. 

Black Excellence Week brought the entire ISB community together to commemorate the achievements and contributions of Black individuals worldwide. The celebration featured engaging discussions, interactive workshops, and live performances, allowing students, staff, and families to explore diverse narratives of resilience, innovation, and excellence. 

All last week, students, families, and staff engaged in quizzes and discussions, explored Black excellence through a community art exhibition, and participated in hands-on cultural workshops in dance, drumming, and art. This vibrant celebration provided a platform for learning, self-expression, and meaningful connections, reinforcing ISB’s mission to provide students with a truly global perspective. 

Recently, four ISB High School students from ISB’s social advocacy clubs also took an active role in promoting inclusive school communities by leading and moderating a professional development panel with Singapore American School (SAS) staff. This student-driven initiative brought together students from schools in Singapore, Korea, Vietnam, and China to share their experiences with advocacy. Students will be designing and facilitating a similar workshop soon for our own ISB employees on Staff PD Day. The students’ work with SAS faculty and staff showcased ISB’s leadership in fostering student-driven well-being efforts beyond our own campus.  

The Dragon Storytellers program is another initiative that strengthens belonging at ISB by embracing linguistic and cultural awareness. This student-led program has grown significantly, engaging students in sharing stories across multiple languages, fostering cultural appreciation, and building community bonds. Over 30 parents have been trained as Dragon Storytellers to honor the languages, cultures, and identities of our diverse families. 

To date, 24 Elementary School classes participate in weekly storytelling sessions, featuring stories in eight languages. With 68 reading sessions completed and over 25 books shared, students continue to engage in multilingual storytelling on Wednesdays during Morning Meeting. This initiative not only nurtures a love for storytelling and literacy but also strengthens cross-cultural understanding and multilingualism within our school.  

Through these recent initiatives, ISB aims to cultivate an inclusive and globally aware community. It is through our active engagement in dialogues and in others’ cultural gifts that we build connection within our international community. We look forward to building on these efforts and further enhancing our vibrant, inclusive school culture.