Millennium School hosts Round Square Junior Regional Conference 2008

The conference was organised by Round Square International, a world-wide association of more than 60 schools on 5 continents sharing unique and ambitious goals. The Millennium School is the only school in the UAE to be granted membership of the Round Square

The four-day conference held under the theme 'MOSAIC 2008- Colours of Life', aimed to promote cross-cultural understanding and give students an opportunity to learn from different cultures.

The event hosted a number of guest speakers including Burjor Patel, Vice President, Strategy and Development, Khaleej Times; Aida Al Busaidi, co-host of the popular show 'Her Say' aired on Dubai One TV; and Brian Wilkie, the Chairman of the Dubai-based charity organisation 'Gulf for Good' and Founder and Deputy Chairman of the Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Center.

The student groups got to know each other by participating in entertaining 'ice-breaker' games. Students from the Millennium School made a presentation on the UAE, which was followed by discussions on the multicultural UAE society and the ongoing development in various sectors in the country.

Aida Al Busaidi recounted her own experiences as a young, successful Emirati woman and spoke of the opportunities available to women in the UAE as well as the challenges faced by them. Her lively, interactive talk culminated in an animated question and answer session in which students asked a number of thought provoking questions.

In this speech, Brian Wilkie highlighted the importance of volunteer work in the UAE and stated that schools and educational institutions should instill that in the children from a very young age.

Group discussions called 'Barazas' were held on each day of the conference. Each Baraza comprised students from different schools and was moderated by a Baraza Leader from the host school. Discussions centred on the relevance of the speakers' messages in the lives of the students.

Michael Guzder, Principal of The Millennium School said, "Round Square Junior Regional Conference proved to be inspiring and transformational experience for students. It provided an ideal platform for students to understand each other and interact with prominent speakers on different topics."

The school also arranged a desert safari and sightseeing trips around Dubai for delegates and teaching staff. Furthermore, they got to participate in an art workshop which encouraged free rein to creativity by inviting all participants to express 'Colours of Life' on canvas.