LCS Students Travel to the U.K. | Round Square International Conference

This month, a group of delegates from LCS attended the Round Square International Conference in the United Kingdom. This year's event was hosted by five schools: AKS Lytham, Felsted School, Latymer Upper School, Ryde School with Upper Chine, and Box Hill School. Over 800 students from 50 countries around the world came together for the conference, which commenced at Oxford University before splitting out into the five schools. Five of our Grade 11 students had to opportunity to attend this event and are pleased to share their experiences abroad.  

Tell us about your trip abroad!

 

Caleb '24: "This trip was an amazing experience and I can't begin to say how lucky I was to be able to travel to the UK for the Round Square Conference. This year, the conference was focussed on “taking less and being more”. We heard many speakers from around the world talk about their life experiences and how they implemented the “take less be more” attitude in their day-to-day lives. At the conference, we were able to meet many people from different walks of life and learn tons of new things about not only them as individuals but also their countries."

Owen '24: "This trip was something that I had dreamed of doing for years. When I came to LCS in Grade 9, I heard all about the trip and how our Grade 11s loved it. When I attended this year, it made all of my dreams come true."

What was one of the most memorable things you learned at the conference?

Caleb '24: "The most memorable thing about the whole conference is the (hopefully) lifelong friendships I created. I became great friends with not only my peers on the trip with me but also people from around the world. I now have friends that live in Australia, India, America, Peru, Columbia, and many other places."

Owen '24: "This trip taught me about the environment and how everything we use and do contributes to global warming. This has made me more conscious about the clothes I buy, the food I eat, and the water I drink. After hearing all of the speakers address the issues our world is facing, it caused me to think more about the school and how we can make a change here to lower our emissions and contribute to helping our planet. The conference has created an ever-lasting spark in my mind about plastic and global warming, which I will be aware of for the rest of my life."

Gabi '24: "The speakers all had unique career trajectories and that translated into them having valuable lessons to share. One that stood out was that when things feel overwhelming, it is most helpful to take things step by step, and before you know it the hard part will be over."


Gabi '24: "The conference definitely increased my passion and awareness of sustainability. Climate change is an overwhelming issue, but doing something small is so much better than doing nothing at all. I was also so impressed with the manner in which the speakers communicated, and now have the resolution to say ‘like’ much less!"

Maude '24: "The Round Square Conference gave me a newfound interest in plastic consumption and how I, personally, can lower the amount of plastic I use. I have now started to second guess taking any type of plastic because I have seen the result of it ending up in the ocean and polluting our food system."

What was your favourite part about exploring the UK?

Owen '24: "While in Oxford, we were able to meet all of the delegates and start our friendships that will, hopefully, last for a lifetime. Every day we listened to keynote speakers who would talk about current issues that the world is facing. Then, we would break into groups to discuss what we had just learned to further our knowledge. This trip was a big deal for me. To have the opportunity to meet like-minded people and connect with them was amazing."

Caleb '24: "My favourite part about exploring the U.K. was all the amazing sites I saw. From the beaches to the cities, there wasn't a day where I didn't see something amazing. I saw so many different monuments and landscapes. Every day was a new adventure and I was always excited to wake up and find out what was on schedule for the day!"

Maude '24: "My favourite part about exploring the UK was seeing the old buildings that are still standing and experiencing the rich history that surrounds Oxford University. At Keble College, the campus that we were staying at, had such beautiful dorms that transported you back in time."

Would you recommend attending the Round Square Conference?

Gabi '24: "Yes! The Round Square Conference is an event that grants experiences that are not otherwise accessible. It’s very eye-opening to be able to discuss other points of view from around the world (52 different countries) and I, for one, have made strong friendships with students I met at the conference, that I hope to carry on. Attending the conference feels like being part of something bigger than yourself, it feels like being a part of the future and there is so much to learn from that."

Maude '24: "Definitely. Just from being at the conference and hearing all the keynote speakers, I learned so much about the different paths people have taken to achieve their dreams. Emily Penn was one of the speakers; she had a dream to travel around the world in the most environmentally friendly way possible. Once she was set on her dream, she researched how it would be possible and she found the EarthRacer, a boat which completely ran off of Biodiesel fuel. On the EarthRacer, she was able to travel from the UK to Australia at 85 km/h. She then ended up staying on the boat for another 923 days to travel the world. The conference gave me a new perspective on global issues and that Canada is only one small country in the grand scheme of the world."