DAIS Takes Action for Call to Earth Day and Beyond
DAIS students preparing to plant Turanga trees on campus
The community at Dostyk American International School (DAIS), Kazakhstan, are making a world of difference in caring for the earth. Most recently, they engaged in projects for CNN’s Call to Earth Day while also reflecting issues central to the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference (COP26).
Leading up to these events, conversations around the school focused on Nature Based Solutions. Students explored what it meant to “safeguard and restore natural habitats and ecosystems to preserve the planet’s bio diversity,” as DAIS Director Head of School Susan Ballantyne shared.
With Interactive Walking Tours, learners of all grades shared their findings and calls to action. Projects included water filter projects; a “Hallway of Earth’s History”; investigations into how human activity has caused climate change; plus, a focus on sustainable solutions.
On top of all this, DAIS students prepared for a school-wide planting of endangered trees. Deserts and semi-deserts make up about 60% of the territory of Kazakhstan; the planting of these rare trees came in partnership with the Turanga Tree Project, which battles the land degradation and desertification that are serious environmental problems in Kazakhstan.
Thank you to Susan Ballantyne and the community of DAIS for sharing these inspiring initiatives! The activities were also officially covered by CNN in their recap of 2021 Call to Earth Day. You can follow more activity from Dostyk American International School on Twitter, plus find a sample of their tweets below.
DAIS students and projects featured in CNN coverage of Call to Earth Day
#CallToEarth Showcase today!! Interactive Walking Tours through the school engaging all learners. Our Atrium is set up with how we have recycled paper and cardboard. #cop26 #issedu #thisisdais pic.twitter.com/glltAR1cl0
— DAIS Eagles (@daiseagles) November 10, 2021
#CallToEarth Another DAIS hallway in our interactive walking tours today with our MS students sharing their #SDG learning with the ES. Sustainable cities, agriculture, transportation, water, & products. #issedu #thisisdais #COP26 pic.twitter.com/A5zZOpgPEB
— DAIS Eagles (@daiseagles) November 10, 2021
#DAISG5grows is learning how human activity has caused climate change and what we all can do to correct it. #COP26 #CalltoEarth #thisisDAIS #issedu @twinkl @ktofua pic.twitter.com/oElaP6GktF
— DAIS Eagles (@daiseagles) November 10, 2021
Students planting endangered Turanga trees. #calltoearth #COP26 #issedu #thisisdais They added plaques celebrating giving, resiliency, uniqueness, and perseverance made from recycled wood. We discovered that eagles nest in these amazing trees. pic.twitter.com/0EaX2hRxY6
— DAIS Eagles (@daiseagles) November 12, 2021
Do you have a school or student initiative to celebrate? We love seeing them and learning more on #ISSedu.