A Worldwide Community of Global Citizens

01 Nov A Worldwide Community of Global Citizens

Saturday, 30 October, was Worldwide Woodstock Day, our annual celebration for everyone in the school community, wherever they are in the world. In a typical year, alumni gather together in far-flung places across the globe, to mark their time in the Himalayan foothills and celebrate their shared Woodstock experiences.

There is something truly special about the Woodstock School experience which transcends boundaries and creates a common bond between our former students, whether they graduated recently or decades ago. Some of this can be put down to collective nostalgia, recollections of the walk to school and hikes in the mountains, and fond memories of games of four-square in the Quad and basketball at Ridgewood Field. Perhaps more important, however, is Woodstock’s commitment to global citizenship, which has always been an intrinsic part of our educational experience.

Growing up with classmates from a wide range of nations, cultures and creeds, grants some degree of global awareness almost by osmosis. As you live and learn alongside others with different outlooks, you not only gain an understanding of their perspectives, but a lens through which you can examine your own identity and beliefs. Alongside this, we very deliberately integrate global citizenship into our living and learning experience, whether it’s in the classrooms or extra-curricular activities. We seek to empower students to develop their global cultural capital, to gain awareness and understanding of the wider world and their place in it.

When I meet members of our alumni community, this global consciousness always shines through – in their outlook, what they hold dear, and how they’ve chosen to make a positive impact on the world. For such a diverse diaspora, it’s a powerful reflection of what’s special about the Woodstock School experience. Today’s students are tomorrow’s alumni, and each one has already started their respective journey as global citizens. As they make their way, we hope to instil in them the ability to adapt, and thrive, wherever they find themselves in this wide world.

Dr Craig Cook, Principal, Woodstock School