Hello! My name is Lara and I am the Global prefect for 2024. My role involves overseeing cultural events and nurturing a strong sense of unity within our OGHS community. Through my role, I get to connect with amazing people and learn how to cultivate unity. 

A fortnight ago, Mrs. Davidson, Tanya Moeono (our National Race Unity speech finalist) and I, had a productive meeting with the staff of our local Ministry for Ethnic Communities, Ministry of Education, and the Refugee and Migrant Education Team. During this meeting, we expanded our knowledge on social cohesion efforts that we could integrate at our school and discussed how OGHS supports social inclusion through various events and initiatives. This elicited the myriad of opportunities our school offers, highlighting our privileged position—an impression that did not go unnoticed. Following this, we were invited by the Director of Education to a Ministry staff meeting last week, where Tanya and I, accompanied by Ms. Dick, presented our initiative to foster social cohesion through our Cultural Day, Whanau Hui, Ramadan Iftar night, International day, Unity week events to list a few of many. One of the key presented initiatives was the OGHS Global Leadership Programme (GLP).

The overarching goal of the GLP is to entice students to engage in OGHS's many opportunities and events. Through a curated list of tasks, our aim is to facilitate a deeper connection with their cultural heritage and to enable students to have better global, cultural and social awareness and understanding. These aspects are vital for personal growth and development, but in our fast-paced lives, they can often be overlooked. We hope to encourage students to rediscover and fully appreciate the importance of being aware of these aspects of their education and personal development.

There are three levels, bronze, silver and gold. The bronze Level is all about sparking leadership potential; students begin their GLP journey by attending cultural events like Polyfest or dressing up for Cultural Day. This initial exposure aims to ignite their interest. Silver Level is about deepening their global understanding and preparing them to lead. One of the task is for students to research and write about an issue and propose their potential solutions. Gold Level involves actively leading and growing throughout the process, where one of the few tasks requires students to put their knowledge into practice by implementing the solutions they proposed in the Silver level. This hands-on experience allows them to truly experience leading and witness the impact they can make on their chosen issue. Students complete the programme, emerging as well-rounded leaders for the global community with a deep understanding of themselves and the world around them. We anticipate seeing ripple effects, as these students are likely to take on leadership roles in the future, such as prefect roles or student representative positions, and they will be equipped with invaluable qualities and leadership skills.

Exciting news! The silver and gold GLP levels are on the horizon. After thorough work, I'm thrilled to announce that the release is scheduled for the close of next week—keep an eye out for them! Meanwhile, we're already seeing a fantastic response to the bronze level submissions—well done to those students. If you haven't already, check out the GLP bronze document on your year level classrooms.

Reflecting on last term I joined a group of OGHS students as well as over 30 students from all over the South Island for an unforgettable experience at the Otago Southland Model UN 2024. These two action-packed days were a packed with leadership and public speaking. We were thrown into the world of diplomacy, assigned countries, and tasked with representing their interests on the stage; drafting amendments to resolutions, debating with students from various schools, and working towards consensus on global issues. We honed skills in information analysis, critical thinking, and effective communication through public speaking and debate. The experience highlighted the importance of collaboration in passing impactful resolutions. Overall, Model UN was an empowering journey that enriched my skills and understanding of global issues.

Lastly, look out for an upcoming Eid party with fun activities and delicious food. We encourage everyone that can to turn up—Stay tuned.

Looking forward to reading your global leadership programme submissions.

Have a lovely weekend.