AIS Team Wins Recognition in World-Wide Contest
In the largest ever global contest held for schools, the Mondialogo contest, AIS was selected as one of 25 finalists from over 1,460 teams. More than 24,000 school students between 15 and 18 years of age from 126 countries participated. The Mondialogo contest was co-sponsored by Daimler-Chrysler and UNESCO, with the aim of promoting inter-cultural dialogue among international partner teams. Eight AIS students were paired with a rural Cambodian school and joined together to produce a collage that celebrated the diversity and unity of their two cultures.
As a finalist team, the sponsors invited the team leader, Andrea Feuer, and Tobin Bechtel, the faculty sponsor, to a symposium in Barcelona. At the symposium, the teams were able to meet for the first time in person and joined together to present their projects to an international jury and members of the press. The symposium offered workshops on inter-cultural dialogue and exchange as well as giving students an opportunity to add to the current international conference being held in the purpose-built Barcelona Forum.
At the closing ceremony, four teams were given further recognition by the jury for their teamwork; however, the jury again recognized the achievement of all the finalists being selected from such a large field of contenders. The jury consisted of a high-profile group of international renown including: the first-ever female president of a western nation, Iceland, Vigdis Finnbogadottir; the Brazilian author, Paulo Coelho; and Countess Setsuko Klossowska de Rola of Japan. The Daimler-Chrysler representatives were particularly impressed with the efforts of the AIS team. Valerie Becker of the External Affairs and Public Policy division showed interest in visiting AIS to learn more about the extent of our good work in CAS activities. Congratulations to Andrea and the rest of the Mondialogo team on an outstanding project!