On January 18, 2021, The International School Awards 2021 were live-streamed around the world. We are pleased to announce that The International School of Kuala Lumpur (ISKL) has won an International School Award in the ‘Well-being Initiative’ category! Congratulations to all the award winners and shortlisted schools across the various categories, and thank you to the award committee for this prestigious award. We are honored to have been shortlisted for two categories and to win in the Well-being Initiative category.
The aim of this Well-being Initiative was to find a way for our community to stay connected, united, and supported, while we remained at home during the government-mandated campus closure. Through this, our community was able to come together and see all the amazing initiatives that were taking place across all school divisions, as well as with parents, alumni, faculty, and staff.
Using the school mascot, Panther, as the Head of the newly established Department of PAWsitivity, its role was to be the furry friend and chief cheerleader celebrating ISKL’s spirit, the fun times, and all the great things that take place across the entire community.
The ISKL team created a virtual newsroom, sharing 100% community-generated content that includes positive learning stories, creative performances, imaginative challenges, virtual (with school friends) and in-person (with family) moments experienced by our community, as well as outreach initiatives by and for, our community.
This online initiative on social media provided a platform for our students, faculty, staff, and alumni to share their heartwarming ‘PAWsitive’ ideas and experiences, express their feelings, and reach out to their friends and colleagues in the only way they could – virtually. Using the hashtag #PAWsitivity, the inspiring submissions aimed to lift spirits and connect people in the face of a global epidemic and included stunning performances such as being part of the ‘Call To Unite’ movement. Here, the ISKL High School virtual choir took part in a 24-hour live stream global broadcast, celebrating a worldwide shared call to action to be inspired, and shared the stage with performers, visionaries, and leaders such as Oprah Winfrey, Julia Roberts, Naomi Campbell, Deepak Chopra, Steve Aoki, and Marie Kondo.
#PAWsitivity also brought the community together through artistic, musical, and physical challenges, such as the Friday Fun Photo challenges, TikTok Tootsie Slide challenges, Getty Art creations, Earth Week projects, and a refugee food drive donation. Last but not least, Virtual Virtuosos was launched to share the joy of music during the lockdown – a movement so #PAWsitive that it has branched out into all divisions of the ISKL community.
Even though we were not able to see each other face-to-face, we were able to keep spirits high through the internet during the monotonous months of quarantine. From video and photo challenges to social media movements, the Panthers were able to stay connected whenever and wherever – and all of this was highlighted and dedicated to our magazine named The Paw!
Out of all the applications from international schools in over 60 countries, ISKL was also shortlisted for our ‘Strategic Leadership Initiative’. We are delighted to have been shortlisted in this category amongst other amazing schools and would like to extend our heartiest congratulations to Nord Anglia International School, Hong Kong for winning this.
The annual International School Awards, hosted by ISC Research, provide the opportunity for international schools to share best practices, creativity, community participation, and innovation.
To read more about our initiatives in the award categories, please click here.
