Every year, HFI sends over a hundred graduates to well-known universities in the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia and other countries. HFI’s International Day is a chance to bring those countries’ culture (and many more) to the campus. Unlike other International Day celebrations at international schools, our students, all Chinese nationals, do not represent their own country; rather, through a lucky draw held each year, they are assigned different countries, chosen from nations in Africa, the Americas, Europe, Asia and Oceania, making HFI’s International Day one of the most diverse such celebrations in any school anywhere in the world.
The preparation period, which lasts for more than three months, is itself an education. Students conduct in-depth research about different countries and discuss with their teachers and other school staff how they will demonstrate said countries’ cultural characteristics and customs. Students will need to engage in correspondence with embassies, consulates and chambers of commerce in order to gain their assistance. Cultivating diplomacy skills is therefore among the learning outcomes of the event, alongside more obvious ones such as developing leadership and organization skills.
In addition to this, students will need to develop business acumen as they consider how best to generate income from their stalls. This is because all of the revenue from HFI’s International Day, including money from the auction, food and ticket sales, as well as contributions from sponsors, will be directly donated to the school’s chosen charity, which is the Guangzhou Social (Children) Welfare Office. International Day provides students an opportunity to “do their bit” for the community by contributing to public charities, and this is in line with HFI’s emphasis on cultivating students with the ideals of social responsibility and compassion.
On March 9, 2014, HFI successfully hosted its first International Day. The long lasting drizzle did not at all affect the passion of students and parents; on the contrary, good cheer was found to be the main theme at the scene, with the exhibition being quite a feast for the eyes: featuring booths, unique costumes, mouth-watering cuisine and splendid on-the-spot stage shows. Eventually, through the efforts of HFI students, a total of ￥137,393.89 was raised and then donated to the Guangzhou Social (Children) Welfare Office. Through the International Day event, our school has noticed students’ more outward-looking side in addition to their focus on academics, and we hope that this event will inspire students to be more socially conscientious and to learn to give back to the community.
The second HFI International Day is coming soon. It will be held on March 15, 2015 at the HFI Sports Field and will have 25 different countries represented. There will be art, culture, food, and, of course, many people! We will strive to make it better than the last, and do our best to give as much back to the community as possible!
