Next week, over 100 schools along with students, educators, scientists, spiritual leaders, technologists, researchers, artists, youth leaders, environmentalists and mental health experts will gather to celebrate the first Festival of Hope in India.
Following successful student-led events in Chicago and Cardiff, the IB’s Festival of Hope is travelling to New Delhi and Mumbai with over 100 schools and an inspiring community of people attending a two-day event. Under the theme “Educating in the Meaning Crisis: Rebalancing Head, Heart and Hand” this series of events will include more than 25 student-led panel discussions, exhibitions, hope path dialogues, student presentations and teachers roundtables.
First, students will come together at Pathways School Gurgaon on 29 May, where they will be joined by inspirational speakers including Deepak Ramola, Founder and Artistic Director of Project FUEL, and take part in student-led sessions exploring what hope means for them. Then, the festival continues at Dhirubhai Ambani International School on 31 May. Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Diploma Programme (DP) students will lead presentations on their projects and ideas from accessible parks to climate change.
The Director General of the IB, Mr Olli-Pekka Heinonen, will be attending both events along with other IB leaders as he shares a platform with students, alumni, educators, school leaders and the community, to express their innovative ideas and share their unique perspectives.
The event will feature an inspiring and diverse line-up of keynote speakers, including:
- Manish Freeman – Founder of Game-a-thon and creator of Flying Foxes, the first Ultimate Frisbee team of Udaipur.
- Anoushka Jolly – Creator of ‘Anti-Bullying Squad Kavach’ app. Awarded in the Social Service Category, she became the youngest entrepreneur to win funding on the reality show ‘Shar Tank’ in India.
- Deepak Ramola – Founder and Artistic Director of Project FUEL. He received the Young Writer Award in 2020 and he is Ambassador for the UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Peace and Sustainable Development.
- Aarushi Kataria – Founder of Letters to Strangers + India and the Regional Coordinator + India Ambassador for Letters to Strangers.
- Isha Mukesh Ambani – Indian businesswoman and Director for Reliance Jio InfoComm and Reliance retail ventures in 2015 was named among 12 powerful businesswomen in Asia.
Learn more about the Festival of Hope
Check out the Festival of Hope trailer on YouTube
