Round Square Day Global Challenge
On 5 June, we will celebrate Round Square Day with our annual call to action for student fundraising.
This year, students in Round Square schools across the world have set an internationally collaborative challenge to circumnavigate the globe in sponsored miles, raising funds for Round Square’s bursary and community service programmes as they go.
To collectively complete 24,901 sponsored miles (40,074 km) by 5 June 2025, the students in each Round Square School will need to complete 100 miles (161 kilometres), raising one or two dollars for each mile covered.
In true Round Square fashion, it’s up to the students to determine how to interpret this challenge, and so there will be walking, dancing running, swimming, cycling, hopping, crawling, skiing, climbing, rowing, and many other creative approaches to completing the distance. Other creative ideas pledged include distance covered in litter picking, trees planting, pages of books read, toys donated and other service-oriented activities.
Whilst for many schools the culmination of the challenge will take place in the coming week, including on 5th June itself, others have already completed their miles.
Stiftung Louisenlund in Germany undertook a hike of 15 kilometres, with 125 students participating, completing 1,875 km between them, whilst students from Aubrick Multicultural Bilingual School in Brazil completed their miles with pedal-power, on a bicycle-powered blender, raising funds by making and selling juice, as well as organising a bazaar and selling second-hand clothing. Felsted School in the U.K, along with students on exchange from Holy Trinity College in Argentina, completed 152 miles of hiking between them, and held a bake sale.
In Pakistan, students at First Steps School of Arts & Sciences completed 100 miles through running, jogging, cycling, skating, dribbling and bouncing, and in Canada, students from Glenlyon Norfolk School explored their local community on foot, walking 239 miles. In India, students at Vivek High School covered 102 miles with a Cross Country run and hill trek, Genesis Global School cycled 130 miles as part of a ‘Ride for a Cause’ initiative, and The Emerald Heights International School hosted a Triathlon, with the School’s Culinary Club supporting with baked cookies and chocolates.
Also in India, Rajmata Krishna Kumari Girls’ Public School held a Walkathon, covering 172 kilometres, students at ODM Sapphire School danced, sung, swam, and performed music to raise funds, during their annual “Summer Fiesta”, and more than 450 students and 40 teachers from Pinegrove School completed a 5000+ km hike (approx. 3,107 miles!) across breathtaking and challenging terrain in the heart of the Himalayas and raised additional funds through turning organic waste into nutrient-rich compost, and selling “Bags of Goodness”.
Every student, from Reception to Year 13, at Colegio Gran Bretaña in Colombia ran 0.65 miles during their PE lessons, whilst students from Millwood School in the USA completed “Millwood Miles for Meaning” which involved dancing, hiking mountain trails, racing cross-country courses, playing soccer, and biking to raise funds. Also in the USA, Dunn school took part in a variety of active and community-building efforts, including hiking, biking, walking, and and school-wide colour run. In China, students from Olive Tree International Academy walked a rugged coastal path, learned to surf and walked along the perimeter of the ancient city of Beijing, whilst 700 students from Shenzhen (Nanshan) Concord College of Sino-Canada completed a 5km coastline walk, collectively covering a distance of more than 3500km (2174 miles).
These are just a few examples of the many fantastic ways in which the Round Square Community is stepping up to enable access for those students who could not otherwise not be able to participate alongside them in a range of programmes and activities, and to ensure that communities in need around the world continue to be supported through RS International Service Projects.
Sarthak, a student at Modern School Barakhamba Road in India, who engaged in a range of sporting activities and raised funds with a lemonade stand, says that giving back through service, “fosters empathy, builds community and enhances our personal growth…. service reminds us of responsibility, humility, and that we are part of something much greater.” Speaking about what it means to have the opportunity to participate in international programmes, his classmate, Amara, says “it broadens our world view, allows us to exchange ideas, understand diverse perspectives, and collaborate in ways that shape our understanding of global unity. These conversations not only enrich us but also prepare us to work effectively in international teams for our near future”.
Vaishnavi from Vidya Devi Jindal School in India, where students completed miles of weekly gardening at the local Heritage Park as their Round Square Global Challenge, says “service not only helps the communities and cultivates compassion but also reminds us that true change can be brought by taking small dedicated steps”.
“This is not just an exercise in fundraising”, says Round Square’s Chief Executive, Rachael Westgarth. “We are pursuing an idea generated by students, and simply helping them to scale it globally. Hopefully together we are going to learn that we can achieve a lot together when we each contribute a little. 100 students each walking a mile in every Round Square school can get us right around the world. It’s a great metaphor for what it means to live our lives with a spirit of service.”
If you would like to make a donation to Round Square for our Discovery Fund to support bursaries and RSIS Projects, you can do by clicking on the button below.