The Round Square IDEALS Challenge offers an opportunity for students to explore each of the six RS IDEALS through a curated library of Ted Talks, content from National Geographic, and other film clips, accompanied by activities and reflective exercises, all framed around a big question. Students can work through the six IDEALS Challenges independently, and/ or teachers are encouraged to harvest content, worksheets, and other resources to incorporate into their lessons. The challenges are designed to cater to a wide age range (13-18) and allow students to engage at a level that suits them, resulting in a challenge output appropriate to their age and ability. The RS IDEALS Challenges link to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Students that complete and submit the final task from all six Challenges receive a completion certificate from Round Square.
With a spirit of INTERNATIONALISM we ask whether we can promote greater international understanding through exploring and sharing our cultural influences. Students explore globalisation, national identity, multiculturalism, and cross-cultural communication and intelligence, before creating a visitors’ guide to the landmarks, experiences, history, and people that make up their own personal culture.
With a spirit of DEMOCRACY we ask whether free speech is a help or a hindrance in times of adversity. Students explore democracy as a balance of rights and responsibilities. They consider how to be selective about what they read and share on social media, and how to make a positive difference in the world through well-informed, responsible, and active citizenship.
With a spirit of ENVIRONMENTALISM we consider how our behaviours impact the environment. Students explore our relationship with the air, oceans, life on land and the earth’s climate. They celebrate marine life through a craft activity using recycled ocean plastics and learn about the earth’s biodiversity, natural disasters, deforestation, and air pollution, before creating a sustainability action plan.
With a spirit of ADVENTURE we ask what adventure means to me. Students consider what makes their pulses race and takes them beyond their comfort zone, giving them a sense of achievement when they rise to the challenge. We ask whether adventure changes with context and culture, and students create a personal bucket list that captures what adventure means to them in their own context.
With a spirit of LEADERSHIP we ask what makes an effective leader in times of adversity. Students reflect on the qualities and attributes that make for successful, courageous, and compassionate leadership. They consider what sort of leader they want to be, and they identify a leader within their country, who they admire for their beliefs and actions in the face of global adversity, and tell their story.
With a spirit of SERVICE we ask how our communities can pull together. Students consider their role within the communities they are part of, and reflect on their ability to help others through consistent, respectful and meaningful actions. They look for the opportunities in everyday life to be considerate towards the needs of others, and how to make a difference by promoting positive community action.
Internationlism
Can we promote greater international understanding through exploring and sharing our cultural influences?
Our global community is full of diverse cultures, traditions, languages and nationalities, weaving together to make a rich international tapestry. In this challenge we consider the national and international influences that shape our personalities and drive our behaviours, exploring the similarities and differences between them and those of our international neighbours. Through the station stops in this section we explore international and intercultural influence, challenge preconceptions, celebrate global diversity, and grow our understanding, appreciation, respect and for each other and the many ways in which we are connected. The ultimate question asks you to research, create and share a visitors guide to the landmarks, experiences, history and people that represent the cultural influences shaping your life and behaviours.
Democracy
Do you consider free speech to be a help or a hindrance in times of adversity?
This challenge explores what it means to have a spirit of democracy through a balance of rights and responsibilities. We consider how to make a difference by lending our voices to causes that campaign for positive change and listen carefully and selectively to those voices we hear and share – through the news, in our communities, on social media. We explore how people-power can create a movement, and the ways in which we can each become a force for good through well-informed, responsible and active citizenship. We reflect on what it means to be authentically true to our beliefs and values, in our actions, communications, and the ways in which we present ourselves to the world. Finally we ask ourselves: Whilst freedom of speech can have the power to promote equality, justice and fairness, is it always wholly positive during times of adversity and is it always used for the ‘greater good’ of everyone in our communities? The ultimate challenge is to determine your debating position on the big question and prepare an opening statement to support your point of view.
Environmentalism
What impact does changing our behaviour in response to global challenges have on the environment?
This challenge considers how our behaviour impacts the environment, and how changes to that behaviour might change our impact, both positively and negatively. How are the two connected? How do we shape our surroundings, and what is the evidence that our behaviour makes a difference? Can small changes really add up to a big impact or do we only need to make big changes to see a difference? When global events overtake national policy, what can we learn from the experience and what are our positive takeaways for the future? In this section, you will be asked to explore and interpret data and debate, find evidence of the impact of global events on the environment and consider ways in which positive change in the face of adversity can create a blueprint for future action. The challenge question will ask you to examine and quantify your personal practices and behaviours, consider how these might have changed with growing awareness and create a personal sustainability action plan for the future.
Adventure
What is my own personal definition of Adventure – what does it mean to me?
This challenge will ask you to consider your own personal definition of adventure. What makes your pulses race? What takes you beyond your comfort zone? What scares you and dares you and gives you a sense of achievement when you rise to the challenge? For some adventure is found in the wilderness and the great outdoors whilst for others this is a comfortable place to be. Some find it easy to speak or present in front of a large audience and for others this takes enormous courage. Does adventure change with context and culture or is it the same the world over? The ultimate challenge asks you to consider, capture and share what adventure means to you in your own context.
Leadership
What makes an effective leader during times of global adversity?
This challenge asks you to consider the qualities and attributes that make for successful, courageous and compassionate leadership. Are they the steadfast and unchanging or are they different for each of the three? What leadership qualities do you think are important? What kind of leader will you be? In this section, we have pulled together some TED talks around the theme of leadership and some short tasks and reflective questions to guide you into blue-sky-thinking about the kind of leaders you want to have and the sort of leader you want to be. The ultimate challenge asks you to identify a leader within your country who you admire for their beliefs and actions in the face of global adversity and tell their story.
Service
In what ways can communities pull together in times of adversity?
Each of us has a place within our communities and we each have the ability to help others through consistent, respectful and meaningful actions. This is never more important than in times of adversity, when communities large and small rely on mutual support. How can we look for the opportunities in everyday life to be considerate towards the needs of others in socially-responsible and lasting ways? In this section, we consider the challenges faced by our communities in times of local, national and international adversity, and the ways in which we can make a difference by promoting positive community action. The ultimate challenge asks you to consider ways in which your own communities can work together for mutual benefit and create a campaign plan for your ideas.