Round Square
 Round Square logo | |
| Type | Educational |
|---|---|
Membership | New schools inducted by election of member schools |
Official language | English |
| Website | www.roundsquare.org |
Round Square is an association of schools in 40 countries.
History
The concept of Round Square was conceived in 1966 based on the educational ideology of Kurt Hahn, who founded two of its original member schools, Schule Schloss Salem in Germany,[1] with Prince Max of Baden, and Gordonstoun in Scotland.[2]
In 1966, King Constantine of the Hellenes, a former pupil of Anavryta (later a founding Round Square Member School), chaired a meeting of the Heads of seven schools and proposed[3] the creation of an international association of schools based on Kurt Hahn‘s method of teaching. The association was later named after the Round Square building at Gordonstoun, where the first conference took place in 1967.[4]
Activities
Conferences
Students have opportunities at various age levels to attend Round Square Conferences at national, regional and global levels. Each conference has a theme based on the ideals of Round Square, and consist of a combination of guest speakers, group discussions, cultural visits, community service and adventure activities.
Each Round Square school brings a delegation of up to six students to each International Conference, and each year they return with a vast set of new experiences and ideas that have a profoundly positive impact on their world outlook. In the past few years Conferences have been held in Thailand, South Africa, England and India.
Projects
Round Square schools encourage students to take part in a range of community service activities both locally and internationally. Many projects are run through the school and further opportunities are available via the Round Square Region, Network and Worldwide Organisation.
Exchanges
A key feature of the Round Square experience is the exchanges of students and academic staff between member schools. Teacher exchanges may last for one academic year, and student exchanges vary but are usually one or two terms or semesters in duration. Each individual Round Square School sets its own terms and conditions for exchange and provides its own requirements, information and advice. Round Square schools wishing to arrange an exchange can find a partner by logging in and using the exchange online tools.