As part of the international Round Square school network, Steinmühle offers its students new and additional opportunities for personal development as well as for education both inside and outside of school. “Round Square promotes intercultural learning and provides our students with great opportunities to engage with young people around the world,” summarizes Theresa Großer, head of the lower secondary school and the international high school program at Steinmühle.
What does Round Square stand for?
Round Square’s approximately 260 selected member schools worldwide form an international network committed to shared educational goals and values. Round Square sees itself as a pioneer in tolerance, community, and global learning. Member schools in the network are encouraged to incorporate the 6 IDEALS (Internationalism, Democracy, Environmentalism, Adventure, Leadership, Service)—which guide the network’s collective actions—into their school programs. This results in a comprehensive educational program that prepares students for life in a global world.
Customized Exchange Opportunities
For students at Steinmühle, the network offers excellent opportunities to experience international learning and gain insights into a foreign culture. This takes place in various ways. First, individual exchange opportunities are organized through Round Square for students in grades 8–10. The exchange programs typically last 2 to 10 weeks. The students live locally, some in boarding schools and others with host families. Regardless of where the young people are housed, a Round Square exchange requires full commitment from the participating schools and families, ensuring that a warm welcome and diverse experiences are an integral part of the exchange.
There’s also a wide range of countries to choose from: from Australia to the U.S., from Colombia to Okinawa and Bermuda—the global network welcomes its students on nearly every continent. The costs for the exchanges remain manageable: the only expenses are flights to the destination country, on-site activities, and a placement fee of €500.
For students in 8th grade and above
Students in 8th grade and above are eligible to participate in a Round Square exchange. It’s important to note that anyone interested must also host an exchange partner—typically for the same length of time that they themselves were able to spend abroad. While Round Square exchanges are generally individual, it is often possible to travel to a school as a small group (2–3 people) at the same time.
Information Session on March 24
“We are delighted by the keen interest in participating in a Round Square exchange and by our students’ openness to experiencing new countries and cultures,” says Theresa Großer. With about 40 exchange programs, the school year is off to a good start in terms of interest in Round Square exchanges.
Those interested can contact Linda Hörner and Theresa Großer by email at Roundsquare.exchange@steinmuehle.net. Information about Round Square is also available on the Parent Cloud.
An information session will be held on March 24 at 7:30 p.m. The application deadline for the following school year is April 30.
What else does Round Square offer?
In addition to exchange opportunities, Round Square hosts international student conferences and organizes social projects in developing countries. We are also considering participating in these initiatives in the future. Furthermore, membership enriches daily classroom life by facilitating authentic interactions with students abroad through joint online meetings and projects. In addition, the school offers an elective course in which students take care of our guests from abroad, plan excursions, conduct interviews, and much more, all to ensure that every guest has a wonderful time at Steinmühle.
Our photos show Matilda, a 11th grader, during her stay in Colombia at the Colegio Anglo Colombiano.
(Theresa Großer/Angela Heinemann)
