Philanthropy at ISZL

Funded by the Fund for Excellence, Middle school students had an incredible few days, thanks to the amazing Fran Watson, a seasoned mathematics educator with over 14 years of experience! Fran, who has worked with students from primary to secondary levels and has even presented at places like the Royal Institution, brought her expertise and passion for making math fun and engaging for learners of all ages.

Over the course of two full days, Fran led interactive math sessions for both our middle school students and their parents. It was an exciting opportunity to dive deeper into the world of maths and see how it goes beyond just the classroom.

Our goal? To raise the profile of math within our community and inspire both students and parents to continue learning together.

Our Early Years team used FFE funding to create a garden shed research lab and enhance the garden area. The children were involved in designing the garden, with teachers guiding their insights on what worked and could be improved.

During free-flow sessions, the children shared their thoughts through words and pictures, first observing the garden from a bench to take in the full view. Later, they reflected on the space during play and in class.

Donations enabled the team to create wormeries to explore composting and sustainability. The worms produced nutrient-rich compost, which enriched the garden soil.

Thanks to their hard work, the garden is now a vibrant space where they can explore and grow. The children held a garden party to celebrate, singing and enjoying the produce they had grown!

FFE donations funded the purchase of new headsets to support school musicals and drama productions, guest speakers, and events like Youth Forum Switzerland. These small but vital tools are used daily to enhance our students’ experiences.

The FFE also supported the purchase of taxidermy animals, which are used to teach our younger students about wildlife, science, and the natural world. They can observe the physical characteristics of animals up close, such as fur, feathers, claws, and beaks, which encourages sensory exploration and detailed observation skills.

The animals allow children to see different species and learn about where they live and how they have adapted to their environments. This, in turn, encourages discussions about animal names, body parts, and habitats.

Thanks to the FFE, VEX Robotics kits and specialist e-sports computers were purchased, opening up new opportunities for Middle and High School students. In the VEX after-school club, students design, build, and programme robots to compete in tournaments, learning robotics and coding along the way.

E-sports offers students a chance to thrive in a competitive environment, especially for those not involved in traditional sports or music. It develops a sense of belonging and teamwork, encouraging personal growth in a safe school setting. Students now compete at the Swiss Schools VEX Robotics Championships, learning the value of strategy, patience, and perseverance.

FFE donations made it possible for award-winning author Katherine Marsh to visit our Primary and Middle School students. Known for her powerful fiction, including The Lost Year, Katherine’s books are popular choices for both Primary and Middle School Literature Circles.

Katherine led interactive workshops and assemblies for our students. Middle Schoolers focused on writing techniques, oral history, and media literacy, encouraging them to become “keepers of a story” and critical thinkers. Katherine introduced younger students to mythology through her new novel Medusa: The Myth of Monsters. Katherine was thrilled to meet our hardworking students!

The ISZL Personal Development programme, which focuses on service, leadership, and outdoor education, has been a core part of the Grade 8 curriculum for several years. It encourages personal growth, leadership, and teamwork, helping students become confident individuals ready to face life’s challenges.

The programme is always evolving, and we’re exploring ways to offer more choice to students. Thanks to the FFE, we have 20 standard Stand Up Paddle boards, and now, the addition of a giant SUP allows all students to stay on the water together, providing an exciting new experience. The giant SUP is perfect for building teamwork, leadership, perseverance, and empathy. Here, students are making the most of this new addition on its maiden voyage!

Thanks to the ISZL Fund for Excellence, our art students now have access to a brand-new Raku kiln, offering a hands-on experience with this ancient Japanese ceramic glazing and firing technique.

Raku firing involves rapidly heating pottery to 1,000 degrees Celsius, bringing ceramics to life. After firing, the pottery is set alight with combustible materials, adding drama and excitement to the process.  Students continue to explore the creative possibilities of Raku ceramics.

On a Personal Development Week group to Ghana, we were fortunate to have local consultants Raffael Känzig and Niklaus Durrer travel with our students to help them implement ideas developed in their High School Urban Farmers/Aquaponics Club.

Before the trip, some technologies like aircrete plant rafts, rocket stoves, and raised beds needed to be tested at scale. Thanks to the Fund for Excellence, Raffael and Niklaus worked with students in the Spring to build and test these prototypes in the ISZL garden, ensuring they were ready for use in Ghana later that year.

This collaboration fine-tuned the systems and equipped students with specialist knowledge to lead the project in Ghana, as well as providing functional systems that inspired further development in our school garden.

For the past two years, the Fund for Excellence worked with students to create a versatile, transportable School Store/Kiosk wagon to support various initiatives like sports booster club, athletic events, fundraising functions, and Parent Association activities.

This trailer-style store, purchased from the Harley Davidson garage, was repurposed and placed at the high school on a flat area near the side of the pitch. It serves as a café for students and parents and provides a space for community socialising. The trailer can also be transported between campuses for events like International Day.

This project, part of our plans for the new middle school, aims to enhance learning by integrating technology in ways that engage creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration. This investment will directly support creative production and design tools, collaborative learning environments, and personalised and adaptive learning systems. It will also enable us to utilise equipment for coding, robotics, and computational thinking.

Our proposed new VR media suite is an example of what can be achieved through the creation of the Ideas Hub in the new middle school building, fostering student-led innovation projects.

The outdoor areas within the new middle school will be dynamic and varied spaces where students can engage in group projects, play sports, connect with nature, and reflect in peaceful environments. Whether it be a rooftop sports facility or a quiet sensory garden, this project will enhance learning through outdoor activities, physical movement, and social collaboration, enriching the educational experience for all.