International-mindedness is about developing inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. At ISPP, we feel strongly enough about international-mindedness that we have built this into one of our guiding statements:
Students develop their curiosity about the world, extend their understanding and appreciation of both shared values and cultural differences and strive to effect positive change.”
Within the curriculum framework of the Primary Years Programme PYP, we provide opportunities for learning about issues that have personal, local and global significance. Under all the transdisciplinary themes, students are provided with opportunities to study global issues in depth and over time to understand the complexity of these issues and to consider ways of taking meaningful and responsible action. There are many ways in which the ISPP students live international-mindedness, through the units of inquiry. From the Early Years through to Grade 5, students are guided to look at multiple perspectives and respond to relevant literature. Our curriculum provides students with many opportunities for learning about their own and others’ cultural identities, inquiries into discrimination and prejudice whilst being open-minded and developing an international perspective.
We continue to build on international-mindedness within our curriculum to help students embrace diversity and realise that different perspectives have a great deal to offer. We recognise that there is always more work to be done and the ISPP Diversity Equity Inclusion Committee is working with a consultant (Eeqbal Hassim) in not only mapping out the curriculum in terms of intercultural awareness but also how well we do at ISPP in community engagements and school culture from an intercultural viewpoint. We would welcome parent input into how we as a school can do better. Please contact us at deij@ispp.edu.kh if you would like to find out more.
Liz Ford
Elementary School Principal
