When we talk about changemakers, usually the likes of activists or politicians come to mind. But there are various ways to make a difference in today’s world. Some may be very obvious, but others may make an impact in a more subtle manner. More often than not, we do not realize that our actions may have significantly changed the trajectory of someone else’s life.

Here at The International School of Kuala Lumpur (ISKL), there is a call to action for its students to “Be All You Are.” It embodies ISKL’s mission where students meet challenges, take on new responsibilities, and live up to their potential every day.

Recently the ISKL Panthers held a Virtual TED-Ed Student Talks event aptly themed “Ikigai,” the Japanese word for “a reason for being.” Intending to inspire others to stay resilient during the pandemic and focus on what is truly important to them, the 13 High School TED-Ed speakers covered a broad spectrum of topics, from wealth disparities, open-mindedness to gender stereotyping. One of the speakers, Diya N., touched on how sometimes all we need is an open mind and relates it to the COVID-19 pandemic. She said, “Keeping an open mind is what we need: to accept a vaccine, to manage overflowing healthcare systems, to lower unemployment rates... to find solutions, to save lives. Whether it be about the size of the universe or seeing outside our cave of reality, being open-minded comes from accepting that we all have limits to what we know - what’s important is that we keep searching for new ideas, possibilities, and perspectives to understand the world better.”

And that is truly the essence of what a changemaker is all about here at ISKL. It is about how even the smallest gestures can make a big difference in an individual or situation. It is about the realization that each of us has the ability to be a changemaker.

In its commitment to achieving ISKL’s vision and mission, ISKL will be offering the ISKL Pathways Scholarship for two Malaysian students who will complete their Form 3 school assessment in the year 2021. The scholarships are merit and need-based and are equivalent to a four-year study of the High School Program, from Grade 9 to Grade 12.

The scholarships will be awarded to deserving and inspirational students who are passionate about achieving the competencies to make a positive impact and be nurtured and guided in further developing their passions and understanding of the world to transform themselves, others, and the environment.

So what does a changemaker look like at ISKL? They are students who possess the characteristics of natural leaders, have shown academic excellence, are committed to being a socially responsible citizen, demonstrated impact in their community, have a proven track record of positive outreach initiative, encouraging youth engagement to make our community and the world a better place, consistently demonstrates a sense of intrinsic voluntarism, strives to be well informed on global issues, show strong collaborative, problem-solving, listening, consensus building and leadership skills, is committed to being a promoter/active ISKL’s School-wide Learning Results (SLRs), and is an engaged school community member leading vision-aligned students initiatives.

With a diverse and multicultural student base representing over 65 nationalities, ISKL ensures that the school has a wide range of school-wide events to celebrate the diversity of our school and individual programs to support students in becoming socially responsible global citizens with a global perspective and outlook. For example, our High School Global Action Program (GAP) initiatives are integral to our curriculum. They have been designed to build students’ awareness of emerging global issues by involving them in various cultural, environmental, and service opportunities within Southeast Asia.

Our IB Diploma students that are doing the Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) Program are often asked to think about what “service” means to them, in light of the service definition of CAS, which is collaborative and reciprocal engagement with the community in response to an authentic need. This is an ongoing subject that ISKL, as a school community, is also engaging with – through various activities with community partnership programs and sustainability practices with multiple groups and NGOs in KL and beyond. Some examples are community recycling by the Earth Club and Social Change Makers or Red Hats.

Ensuring that students understand that they can make a positive change in the world and learn how to make that difference is an essential part of the learning experience at ISKL. With an educational philosophy that ensures students understand the importance of service, they develop the necessary skills to take action through hands-on efforts that impact the communities around us.

With this in mind, we invite changemakers and ones who believe a simple act can have the most significant impact to come and Be All You Are with us at ISKL. Scholarship recipients will have access to high-quality, transdisciplinary pathways that enable every learner to choose the curriculum best suited to their abilities, interests, and aspirations. This merit and need-based scholarship is only open to Malaysian students who are completing Form 3 and will pass the final year school assessment at time of application.

If you are keen and would like to know more about ISKL Pathways Scholarship, an information session will be held on Wednesday, September 8, 2021, 5:00 - 7:00 pm. Please register for the event here and click here for more information on the ISKL Pathways Scholarship.

Find Yourself at ISKL today, choose the best pathway for you to become all you can be. 

This content is provided by The Society of the International School of Kuala Lumpur.

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