Palmer Trinity School

T he COVID-19 pandemic has challenged us all in more ways than we ever imagined. That's especially true for the travel-loving, globally-minded students at Palmer Trinity School, who look forward to every trip and hands-on learning experience. Whether it is a Model UN conference in China, an independent study class that culminates with a trip to Scotland, or a Round Square global conference in India—being globally connected is part of who we are at Palmer Trinity School. PTS is one of 15 schools in the U.S. that are members of Round Square, a global organization of 200 schools from 50 countries around the world. Round Square schools share a commitment to the ideals of international understanding, democracy, environmental stewardship, adventure, leadership and service. Palmer Trinity Round Square student delegates travel to conferences organized by host schools in different countries, which often includes a home exchange with a host school student family, cultural and environmental field trips and a service project. Each conference has a theme and features notable keynote speakers. Unfortunately, the pandemic temporarily paused live conferences; but we found a fun and engaging way to stay connected virtually. Palmer Trinity School students began participating in virtual Round Square conferences during the summer of 2020. The first event took place in June and was a collaboration with The British School in New Delhi, India. It was followed by a Global Conversations virtual session hosted by BB&T School in Boston, Massachusetts that explored the title topic of "Stigmas." Another conference with the Isle of Wight in the UK was themed "Circular Economies," and our delegates discussed the many sustainability programs underway at PTS. One of the most memorable conferences was hosted by Scotch Oakburn College, in Tasmania, where we shared our local traditions. Because of the time difference, our Palmer Trinity School delegates had to sign on at 4 a.m. EST! For experienced Round Square delegates like myself (I first participated in a Young Round Square conference in Colombia in 2018, when I was in middle school), moving to virtual conferences became a great way to stretch from participation to leadership by helping organize events, recruit new delegates and moderate our school's first-ever virtual Round Square conference. This conference, which was themed "Folklore & Legends," took place on January 27, 2021 and featured over 100 student delegates from 20 countries. The challenge to stay globally connected during the pandemic has turned out to be an opportunity for many students to get involved with Round Square for the first time. Take Sealey Bacardi '22, who had been active in Model UN but wanted to join Round Square because of the sense of global community it creates. She started by participating in a summer virtual conference hosted by a school in Asia. "We discussed traditions that are sacred to respective cultures, nations and ethnicities. We talked about how important culture is to a single person and whether or not cultural beliefs translate into other aspects of life," said Sealey. Keeping Students Connected Around the World By Michael Arias '22, Chairperson, Round Square Committee and Global Collaborations Above – Round Square Colombia 2018. palmertrinity.org 28 PERSPECTIVES

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