Sustainability & Global Citizenship
At Dulwich International High School Programme Hengqin, we aim for our schools, staff and students to “Graduate Worldwise”. This means Sustainability and Global Citizenship are infused and embedded across our whole organisation. Our goal is to encourage our communities to make informed choices, take inspired action and create positive impact.
As part of a holistic education, we are committed to providing purpose-driven learning experiences that are guided by a deep sense of connection to people and the planet. As an organisation, we are also committed to developing, measuring, and maintaining sustainable practices.
We have defined four pillars that shape our sustainability and global citizenship goals and outcomes: Learning, Planet, People, and Policy.
Learning: We are committed to meaningful and relevant learning that nurtures students as global citizens.
We embrace sustainable and circular campus operations, taking proactive environmental responsibility. By optimising energy consumption, food management and other operational aspects, we minimise the school’s environmental footprint and set a strong example of sustainability for our students.
We designate sustainability and global competence as our annual core learning themes. Through regular workshops, thematic lectures and diverse practical activities, we integrate environmental protection and sustainable development principles into the daily curriculum and campus life.
Planet: We are committed to maximising positive impact and minimising harm, with sustainable and regenerative ideas and practices for the planet.
We embrace sustainable and circular campus operations and proactively take environmental responsibility. By optimizing energy consumption, food management and other operational aspects, we minimize the school’s environmental footprint and set a strong sustainability example for our students.
We designate sustainability and global competence as our annual core learning themes. Through regular workshops, thematic lectures and diverse practical activities, we integrate environmental protection and sustainable development principles into daily curriculum and campus life.
People: We are committed to working together as a rich and diverse community for the benefit of all.
We value every individual and respect their personal differences, fostering an inclusive, warm and equitable community. We organise regular community visits, volunteering programmes and signature events, including the Pink Run and Movember. These encourage faculty and students to engage with local communities and have a positive social impact.
We provide a variety of growth opportunities to support the academic, personal, and professional development of all our students and staff. Our global alumni network provides lifelong opportunities for social connection, career advancement, and philanthropic engagement.
Policy: We are committed to building the systems and strong organisational structures to support collective ambition.
To underpin our long-term educational vision and institutional goals, we have established a comprehensive, efficient and standardised management system and organisational structure. This lays a solid foundation for the full implementation of our development strategies.
The school strictly complies with all internal regulations and external industry laws and policies, enforcing comprehensive safety standards to ensure a safe campus environment in terms of the environment, personal safety and hygiene. We also prioritise cybersecurity and data privacy protection to ensure comprehensive information security for our school community.
Sustainability and Global Citizenship at Our School
Learning
Learning that relates to sustainability and global citizenship and is relevant, meaningful and contributes to a sustainable future
We have introduced our competencies to the whole school. The students provided input into what the competencies were and what global citizenship mean to them. Since then, we have worked to incorporate our competencies into all aspects of learning within our school. Key areas such as:
- PSHE
- Science
- Humanities
- English
- Economics and Business
For example, our school holds an annual science fair focusing on a few of the 17 SGDs where Year 12 and 13 students then research specific issues within the chosen SDGs to present to the school community. We also hold The Economics House competition where questions from the YES summit are used. No Carbon November is a groupwide activity. We ran House competitions, discussions, bingo card to accomplish some daily challenges, online activities, haikus as well as tailoring subject lessons to support students in thinking about their carbon footprint in a different context.
Planet
Environmental sustainability ideas and practices for our planet
Our school has taken part in a Carbon Roadmap journey. This is split up into three parts: 1) Carbon mapping, 2) Carbon reduction and 3) Carbon offsetting. There are a number of initiatives and examples of our school’s efforts in reducing our carbon footprint and for our students to be involved in the Carbon Roadmap concept and plans.
For example, the school’s canteen has a focus on zero-waste to help reduce our carbon footprint. Where the canteen offers vegetarian and vegan food as an alternative, DHHQ is working to introduce regular days where all food is plant-based to reduce our carbon footprint.
Recycling is an important part of reducing our carbon footprint. The Art department hosts an annual house competition and this year, the focus was on sustainability, reuse and upcycle. To prepare for this, the school accepted clothing donations and collected all its recyclables over a week, for the students to then organise and use in the Art competition.
People
Our well-being, working together as a rich and diverse community, and connecting with others
We believe in providing our students with mindsets, attitudes, behaviours and an approach to service through the lens of active citizenship and community participation. Our aim is to ensure reciprocity and shared agency in any service activities we do and not ‘help’ others, but instead connect, listen, learn, share and work together. We believe in justice above charity and use humility to connect with others and be a part of a needed solution, together.
Our student community is always proactive in contributing to society with their own initiatives, demonstrating their global citizenship competencies and making a significant positive impact on our local community. Some of the examples are:
Visit to the Welfare Centre
The faculty and student volunteers visited the Zhuhai Social Welfare Centre to carry out volunteer work. They brought warmth and joyful summer memories to the children at the centre through their sincere companionship. The student volunteers acted as young tutors, carefully designing a rich array of activities covering art education, handicraft creation, music lessons, and sports team-building. They provided patient guidance throughout the event, accompanying the children as they enjoyed fun experiences and grew happily.
Pink Run
The Pink Run is a practical lesson centred on love, responsibility, and proactive action. When sweat blends with kindness and individual runs converge to create collective strength, the event embodies the most vivid and heartwarming interpretation of Dulwich's holistic educational philosophy. In the sunshine, each participant holds a lap record card, with each completed lap verified and stamped by a teacher. In addition to recording physical endurance, each stamp quantifies goodwill: the school donates an additional RMB 1 for every lap completed.
Anti-Bullying: Colour Run
Knowledge is not only found in books; it is also found in the actions we take to use that knowledge to care for others and the world. At Dulwich Hengqin, students learn to care for their community and take on social responsibility, developing an understanding that even small efforts contribute to a better world.
Policy
Systems and structures to make positive contributions as a collective
Governance, structures, systems and policy are some of the important platforms and baselines for ensuring our good intentions associated Sustainability and Global Citizenship match good outcomes.
Our Student Council Team structure will be upgraded, opening Leadership positions from Head/Deputy Boy, Head/Deputy Girl, to Student Leader and Deputy Student Leader, opening up for more students to apply for the leadership team. The final results of the election will offer equal opportunities for the best candidates. The House Captain policy will also be changed in the same way.