GIN Conference

Dwight students have the opportunity to participate in the European Global Information Network conference, held each year in a different city. At the conference, which was established in 2006, students gather from around the world to discuss solutions to global problems.

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This Year's Conference

Dwight's GIN Team Continues to Inspire Global Dialogue in Luxembourg

What's the harm in eating chocolate? What is the color of money? To answer these questions — among others — Dwight students attended the 11th annual European Global Issues Network (GIN) Conference entitled "Caring for Humanity, Our Duty." A team of ten students, ranging from seventh to eleventh grades, traveled to Luxembourg over spring break to lead their fellow global citizens in discussions aimed at developing solutions to some of our world's most pressing issues.

GIN was established to "nurture and mobilize transgenerational communities of global citizens to build a just and sustainable future," and has drawn students from around the world in increasing numbers since its first conference in 2006. Dwight students have been among them, serving as global leaders and ambassadors in our School's longstanding commitment to global vision.

Amanda Hartman '17, Priya Jayaveerapandia '17, Stephane Hatgis-Kessell '20, and Pada Schaffner '20 posed the question: What's the harm in eating chocolate? They discussed the injustices and crimes that the production of chocolate inflicts on millions of laborers — many of them children — around the world in a presentation entitled: "From Bean to Bar: Is It Really So Sweet?"

Olya Barskaya '18, Zaria Howell '18, Pablo Navarro '20, and Anna Velichko '21 asked conference attendees to consider: What is the color of money? In their presentation, they explored the connections between discrimination and poverty, identified which communities are more susceptible, and discussed the extreme harm and disadvantageous circumstances that affect many of these communities.

In addition, students shared the inspiring process of participating in The Dwight School Foundation's Spark of Innovation Program for a second time this year: Daniil Frants '17 and Ilan Pesselev '18 spoke about how their Spark Tank and GIN experiences inspired them to follow their passions and to raise awareness of global issues. Their impressive keynote speech was followed by a workshop in which the duo created a Spark Tank-like environment and asked fellow GIN attendees to come up with ideas to solve problems and pitch them to a panel of Dwight student judges, mirroring their own experiences here on campus. Congratulations, Daniil and Ilan, for translating Dwight's commitment to nurturing innovation onto a global stage!

We're extremely proud of every member of Dwight's GIN team for representing our School with such thoughtfulness and enthusiasm — and for bringing our collective vision for a brighter global future to life!

Check out this peek inside GIN 2016.