100 years...
There are centenaries – and then there are centenaries.
It’s one thing that an institution dedicated to conventional teaching (always a worthy undertaking, when carried out ethically, competently and altruistically) should survive, through its effective practices or through sheer stamina, for 100 years – impressive enough though that may be.
It’s quite another matter that a school created with the groundbreaking, utopian and unprecedented mission of providing an international education, and an education for peace, whilst maintaining high academic standards, should not merely make it to the 100-year mark, but that it should also have inspired thousands of emulative establishments, masterminded the world’s first universal school diploma – the International Baccalaureate – and become the oldest, largest and most renowned educational entity of its kind.
The marriage of true minds between League of Nations officials and Institut Jean-Jacques Rousseau educators in 1924 gave birth, on the 17 September, to a touchingly, tenderly tentative experiment: eight students of different ages and three teachers, on the grounds of a borrowed chalet, huddled around a hutch they were building for the pet rabbit that one of the children brought. A school too small and fragile to succeed, one might have thought, but it was animated by the founders’ faith and the commitment of a tiny group of pioneering parents. The fact that the rabbit was pregnant is symbolic. Today Ecolint is a gentle, benevolent colossus with three magnificent campuses, 4,500 students representing a record 143 countries, and over 1000 members of staff, operating on a strictly non-profit basis and in the vibrantly, dependably democratic spirit of its host country.
Ecolint’s Centenary is not merely about staunch and stoical survival (though during World War II this was indeed a key factor): it’s about a noble and idealistic mission, centred on the core conviction that every human life has equal value – a mission that has been fulfilled beyond the founders’ most wildly optimistic hopes.
Programme
More details...
- June 2024
13-16 June
Alumni World ReunionEmbark on a fantastic journey with us as we mark the first Centenary of Ecolint!
Brace yourself for a series of unique events that will unfold across our three vibrant campuses. This is your chance to ignite nostalgia and reconnect with Ecolint, rediscovering the magic of your school days alongside cherished former classmates and inspiring teachers.
19 June
Creative Awards LaunchAs part of our school centenary projects, the Ecolint Creative Awards celebrate and honour excellence and innovation in creative writing, visual arts, theatre, music, dance, public speaking and film around the 3 themes of our Centenary: education for peace, education for all, and education for the planet’s future. Entries from students, staff, parents and alumni are all welcome.
See the Ecolint Creative Awards dedicated page
- August
29 August
Centre des arts 10th Anniversary
Register here18:00 : Speeches Education for peace
Dr Conrad Hughes - Director General, Ecolint
Youssou N'Dour20:00: Concert Youssou N'Dour & Le Super Étoile de Dakar
N'Dour was nominated as Goodwill Ambassador of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on 16 October 2000.
In Senegal, N'Dour became a powerful cultural icon, actively involved in social issues. In 1985, he organized a concert for the release of Nelson Mandela. He was a featured performer in the 1988 worldwide Amnesty International Human Rights Now! Tour collaborating with Lou Reed on a version of the Peter Gabriel song "Biko" which was produced by Richard James Burgess and featured on the Amnesty International benefit album The Secret Policeman's Third Ball. He worked with the United Nations and UNICEF, and he started Project Joko to open internet cafés in Africa and to connect Senegalese communities around the world.
- September
17 September
Campus centenary celebrations and inter campus relay runA special Relay Run linking all of our campuses on Ecolint’s 100th birthday.
The relay will begin at La Châtaigneraie campus, where groups of four will embark on a journey that will pass through Campus des Nations (Pregny and Saconnex sites) before concluding at La Grande Boissière campus.
Runners will hand over the baton/Ecolint flags at each stage, with distances ranging from 1km to 3km.22 September
Foundation birthday gatheringThe Foundation birthday gathering aims to celebrate the 100th anniversary of our school by involving all students, parents and staff in an event which will create an immersive and joyous experience, bringing the Ecolint community together in a spirit of celebration and appreciation.
A highlight of this celebratory day will be the concert by our talented Music School faculty who will be joined on stage by alumni, students and parents at 13h00 in the Greek Theatre. The concert will feature rock, jazz and funk classics!
17-24 September
100 years: a school for peace, bilingual musical-theatre play
Register hereFive students in crisis miss the dress rehearsal for the 100th concert because they no longer believe in the values of the school. In the principal's office, they find a book that will take them on a journey through time. They will be witnesses to key events in history and the history of the school. Bilingual musical theatre specially written by Marion Decorvet for students in bilingual classes, teachers, administrative staff, parents and alumni. Come and discover this show with 100 roles for 100 years, sung in eight languages! A cry of love for peace.
- October
10 October
The Nick Tate Address
Register hereDr Nicholas Tate, former Director General of the International School of Geneva from 2003 to 2011, will be speaking at Ecolint on 10 October as part of our 100th anniversary.
17 October
Vernissage Interactive Painting
Register hereExperience the unveiling of interactive displays by Art Design Story, offering a captivating journey through the history of our school. These innovative artworks will immerse you in the rich tapestry of our past, showcasing the milestones and memories that have shaped Ecolint over the last century. Don't miss this unique opportunity to commemorate our heritage and envision the next chapter of our community's story.
17 October
Musical tribute to Marie-Thérèse Maurette
Register hereWe are excited to present this unique project that simultaneously celebrates the 175th death anniversary of Frédéric Chopin and the notable influence of women in music. Our goal is to highlight the valuable musical contributions of women, in general, especially those who faced and overcame societal barriers. The concert will feature works by Chopin and underrepresented women composers (past and present), performed by the highly-accomplished women piano faculty of Ecolint and their students. Holding this event during Ecolint’s Centenary Celebration would be especially meaningful as a tribute to Marie-Thérèse Maurette, who served as Director of the school from 1929-1949, and whose “pedagogy of peace” set the foundation for valuing respect and acceptance in international education.
28 October
Vernissage Art Sculpture
Register hereA steel sculpture of two hands clasped. A simple image arises on campus, humanist and universal: two monumental hands clasped in unity. Fluid lines of welded steel create the image, depicting connection free from race, gender, background or other distinction.
- November
6 November
OHCHR ExhibitionOn the occasion of the Zero Discrimination Day celebrated globally on 1 March, and to launch the start of Racial Justice Month, the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) joined forces with the non-governmental organizations Minority Rights Group International, Freemuse and the City of Geneva to organize the International Art Contest for Minority Artists. The contest aims to celebrate minority artists who have exposed, explored, or addressed matters relating to intersectional forms of discrimination through their artwork, and to raise awareness on the human rights of individuals and groups belonging to minorities and facing compounded forms of discrimination. This year’s exhibition will be held at the Centre des arts, at La Grande Boissière.
22 November
Education Conference I - Education for AllA unique opportunity to meet and learn from key speakers with Julia Gillard, Former Prime Minister of Australia, David Adetayo Olusoga OBE, British historian, writer, broadcaster, presenter and filmmaker, as well as Ecolint alumna Yusra Suedi, an academic specialised in Public International Law.
We will also have the great pleasure to welcome Madame la Conseillère d'Etat Anne Hiltpold for an introduction to this conference's fundamental topic: Education for All.
- December
5 December
Victoria Hall Concert
Register hereA new piece by renowned composer Scott Stroman which highlights students from each campus. The Ecolint Orchestra and a parent/staff choir will incorporate themes alluding to diversity, inclusion and peace. Scott has worked several times with Ecolint and this event promises to be a fitting Centenary piece we hope can be used many more times in the years to come.
11-13 December
Extended Student League of Nations with AlumniThe Students’ League of Nations (SLN) takes place at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. This was first invented by Ecolint in 1953 as a simulation of the United Nations and has since become a world-wide phenomenon in most international schools known as the Model United Nations.
Students learn to draft resolutions, to present them at a General Assembly and to conduct a debate which leads to voting for or against the drafted resolutions. Two of the cornerstones of freedom of speech are used: the right of speech and the right to reply. To coincide with the Centenary of Ecolint, we will run an alumni version of the SLN.- January 2025
20-23 January
Under the Ice - Theatre Performance
Register hereA group of explorer-scientists are hunting for clues to ancient civilisations. They work in sub-zero temperatures in search of enlightenment. Camped on one of the world’s most delicate eco-systems, excavation proceeds with painstaking care until the group’s diligence is finally rewarded: preserved in the ice are the children of a nomadic tribe that once thrived and multiplied. What is their story and can anything be shared? How can two different civilisations hope to connect?
We all know the climate is changing. Students are acutely sensitive to the environment in which they live. They are increasingly conscious of history too, and their responsibility to study the world around them with imagination and empathy. This drama aims to embrace those values whilst telling a thrilling, unpredictable tale.29 January
STEAM Summit
Register hereThe 2025 Ecolint STEAM Summit embodies Ecolint’s vision and values in part by focusing on the integration of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) approaches to address environmental challenges. By promoting transdisciplinary skills, we aim to prepare our students not just for academic success, but to engage meaningfully with real-world issues. This summit will showcase how STEAM fields contribute to solving real-life environmental and humanitarian crises, emphasising the importance of digital tools in fostering collaboration across diverse teams towards a common goal.
- February
3 February
Education Conference II - Education for the PlanetThe conference will bring together top speakers addressing the role of education in the planet’s future. With Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, WTO Director General, Vandana Shiva, an Indian scholar, environmental activist, food sovereignty advocate, ecofeminist and anti-globalization author, as well as Ecolint alumna and University of Oxford graduate Alexis McGivern who serves as the Net Zero Standards Manager at Oxford Net Zero.
16 February
Music School Chamber Music Concert
Être Humain - A voyage through the inner life of music.The Music School Faculty Ensemble and students will perform together as equal partners in small chamber music groups seamlessly passing on generational musical expertise in a joyful collaboration.
- March
3-7 March
Theatre Production ISTA Performing Arts WeekA Performing Arts project for Campus des Nations' students in Years 3-6 with ISTA (International Schools' Theatre Association). We will collaborate with a team of artists who will lead this creative project based on our centenary goals.
22 March
Coalition to Honour All Learning Conference
Register hereThe Coalition to Honour All Learning is a federation of schools across the world representing more than 100 thousand students in national, independent and international systems that aims to influence the discussion on school leaving certificates to recognise the whole person. The Coalition will meet to continue its work on the way we are celebrating and curating student competences, ensuring that it reflects context and offers a richer narrative than grades alone.
30 March
Ecolint Orchestra Performance/5th Annual Ecolint Concours de Musique Laureate Performances
Register hereThe 5th annual performance of the Ecolint Concours de Musique Laureate with the Music School Faculty concert is the embodiment of striving for excellence in an environment that supports the student. The Ecolint Orchestra, dedicated to nurturing and facilitating a community appreciation for music, presents its spring programme. Student and adult musicians develop their musical potential through the performance of a wide variety of symphonic music. Each section of the orchestra is headed by a Music School teacher, providing a supportive learning environment for all players.
- April
4-11 April
Menuhin Competition
Register hereThe Centre des arts will be hosting the Menuhin Competition, the leading international competition for young violinists. Join us for this extraordinary event.
8, 10, 11 April
Ecolint OlympicsThree Sports Days with the goal of bringing together our community of students as one Foundation.
10 April
Sing Out 2025! Choral Festival and ConcertsA special Centenary version of our popular Sing Out! Choir festival. The songs will focus on our Centenary goals.
14 April
Parents Promoting Pedagogy
Register hereParents bring fundamentally important insights to our schools: we are partners and it's important to listen to their views on education. Come and listen to our talented parents.
30 April
International Jazz Day
Register hereInternational Jazz Day, proclaimed by the UNESCO General Conference in 2011, is a global celebration of jazz music held annually on 30 April. It aims to raise awareness on the role of jazz as an educational tool and as a force for creativity, dialogue and intercultural exchange, and highlights how jazz:
- breaks down barriers and creates opportunities for mutual understanding and tolerance;
- is a vector of freedom of expression;
- brings people together in celebration and reduces tensions between individuals, groups, and communities;
- encourages artistic innovation, improvisation, new forms of expression, and inclusion of traditional music forms into new ones;
- stimulates intercultural dialogue and empowers young people from marginalized societies.
We propose a day of Jazz at Campus de La Châtaigneraie involving world class musicians and incorporating performances by students and professionals.- May
20 May
Time CapsuleWhat are our students’ hopes for the future and how will they take shape as drawings, poems, stories, sculptures, pictures, paintings, etc.? We may never know, as we will put them in the ground, for future generations of students to find at the appointed time. This way we link to students of the future, who have not yet been born and we share the perspective of 2025 on how we hope the world will turn out. How will that look in 2050, 2075, 2100, 2125? In the course of the school year 2024/25 we will provide opportunities for our students to produce artworks and artefacts that will be put in a time capsule to be retrieved by future Ecolint students!
24 May
Foundation Sports GalaA foundation-wide gala dedicated for our community sharing our passion for sports. Our Foundation Sports Gala promises to be a memorable celebration of excellence, dedication, and the spirit of sportsmanship that defines our school. We are committed to honour the outstanding achievements within our sports community of all those students in our three campuses who develop their physical fitness while acquiring the values and attitudes essential to their social development, such as team spirit, leadership and respect by participating in recreative & competitive sports, the International Award, or the Ski Team.
Let’s come together to celebrate this landmark gala, showcasing the best of Ecolint athletes.25 May
ENCORE Dance RecitalOur performing arts academy, ENCORE, aims to build confidence in young people through professional training, offering students a safe and inclusive environment to express themselves with even more creativity, even more mastery and even more fun!
To celebrate our Centenary, ENCORE students will show us their engagement and creativity through live drama and dance performances.26 May
Book Launch - Changing Assessment: The Key to a Better World at UNESCO IBE
Register hereJoin us at UNESCO's International Bureau of Education for the launch of Conrad Hughes' fourth book, this time on assessment. Changing Assessment, published by Brill, is about how we need to reform high school assessment across the globe to create a more inclusive and holistic appreciation of student learning and human gifts.
- June
4-6 June
2024-2124, the challenges of a school for peace, bilingual musical-theatre play
Register hereAs in the show "100 years: a school for peace", five pupils make a mistake and are summoned to the principal's office. A paranormal phenomenon occurs and they are taken on a journey into the future. They will witness the major issues of the future and the importance of adopting school values. Bilingual musical-theatre specially written by Marion Decorvet for students, teachers, administrative staff, parents and alumni. Come and discover this show with 100 roles for 100 years, sung in eight languages! A cry of hope for the future!
11 June
Education Conference III - Educating for Peace
Register hereThe International School of Geneva, born in the ashes of war, was founded for peace across nations. Join speakers Monica McWilliams, Northern Irish academic, peace activist, human rights defender and former politician, Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director General for Education, Bartholomew Patrick "Bertie" Ahern, the Irish former Fianna Fáil politician, as well as AC Grayling, British philosopher and Principal of Northeastern University London, for this conference on Peace Education inspired by Ecolint's DNA. We look forward to continue sharing and building our story of peace and human flourishing together.
11 June
End of Centenary Party12 June
"The Ecolint Story" documentaryA documentary film focusing on the 100 years of Ecolint, depicting its key players and milestones over the years of the school's history, and its significance as the first international school as well as the birthplace of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. It also looks to the future to highlight the impact of its excellence in education for peace.
17 June
Creative Awards Ceremony
Register hereThe Creative Awards winners are revealed.
Contact us
If you would like more information about the programme or any other Centenary related topics, please contact us at the following email address: centenary@ecolint.ch