EMPOWERING THROUGH EDUCATION BY DIANA VERNON, PRINCIPAL & CEO, KELLETT SCHOOL
Offering opportunity is a central commitment of Kellett School, the British International School in Hong Kong, and one that extends beyond the school’s student body. For a few years now we have been offering educational opportunities in the form of bursary places to children who otherwise would not be able to access a Kellett-quality education. With generous donations from parents and Old Kellettonians (our alumni), as well as fundraising efforts by our students, we aim to offer two fully funded bursary places per year. We currently have seven bursary students, all of whom are thriving at Kellett. As well as providing these children with a life-changing opportunity to attend Kellett School, we are also clear about the benefits of bursaries to the School. The Kellett community is diverse and we have long embraced the benefits of diversity in all its forms – recognising the rich learning for all members of the community in understanding a range of different perspectives. We also see sharing with others as being enriching for the whole Kellett community, not just in the range of viewpoints, but also in the act of giving that it exposes students and their families to. As the School began working more closely with NGOs to find suitable bursary candidates, we learnt more about the challenges facing children living below the poverty line, becoming better informed and wanting to explore how we could use our resources to help more children. After a COVID delay Kellett Outreach opened in September 2022, offering free classes for children living below the poverty line on Saturdays in School term time. Run by Kellett teachers, supported by volunteer students and other partners of the school, the mornings focus on delivering enriching academic opportunities, and the afternoons are packed with sport and expressive arts activities. The 100 or so children who now attend Outreach are bussed to the school, given breakfast and lunch, and educational resources to help their learning and to offer them broader inspiration.
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