Round Square International Service

Every year, Round Square organises at least 10 Round Square International Service (RSIS) Projects. These bring students and teachers from our member schools together from around the world to work as a truly international team, helping communities. Every Project aims to help students work towards the IDEALS of Internationalism, Democracy, Environment, Adventure, Leadership and Service.

Round Square works alongside communities and organisations to identify local needs and work on long-term, sustainable Projects. Tasks include building schools, classrooms and community centres; building clean water systems for remote hill-tribes or creating and maintaining trails in National Parks. Local materials are used, and teams always work with local people ensuring that they take ownership of the work once it has been completed. Our teams currently work in Thailand, Cambodia, Peru, Honduras, India, Kenya, South Africa, Romania, India Ladakh and Canada. Please click here for more information!

Each project team is made up of an experienced adult Leadership Team (all of whom are staff/faculty from Round Square member schools) and on average 20 young people aged 16-19 from Member Schools around the world. Our participants meet each other for the first time on arrival in country but bond as a team very quickly as they set about their task.

The service element of each trip usually lasts for 2 to 3 weeks, and the work done by these groups is simple, of real local value and physically hard. It provides a win-win situation whereby the locals receive much-needed assistance, and the young workers learn responsibility and selflessness, learn about other students their age from different parts of the world, and most importantly, that they are needed by so many communities worldwide. After the service element is finished, students then go on a cultural tour to see more of the country they are in, and sometimes take part in local art, music, dance and adventure activities.

July 2013 projects

South Africa
Date: 17 July to 10 August
Task: Construction of a kitchen for the Entokozweni School that currently feeds 750 children.

Click here (1MB) for more information.

Ladakh India
Date: 8 July to 3 August
Task: The project in 2013 will be returning to continue work at the lamdom Model School in Thiksey, near Leh. The teams in 2011 and 2012 completed two rooms of a new dormitory, a storeroom and the dining room. The school is always in need of more facilities, so you'll be continuing our long-term investment in this community.

Click here for more information.

Canada
Date: 17 July to 9 August
Task: In the Kitwanga Mountain Provincial Park, you will develop a 3KM hiking trail. You will learn to prepare salmon for the smokehouse, building winter root cellar. You will also assist the Historical Society in site repairs and landscaping, and lots more!

Click here for more information.

Peru
Date: 17 July to 7 August
Task: Construction of a small kindergarten for the Andean community of Yuncachimpa.

Click here for more information.

Romania (new location)
Date: 10 July to 2 August
Task: Construction of a youth centre.

Click here for more information.