Dhirubhai Ambani International School joined Round Square in 2008 as a Regional Member (South Asia & Gulf Region). The school's overarching aim is to help every child grow to full potential and develop as a whole person, which distinctly aligns with the Round Square philosophy - international understanding, democracy, environment, adventure, leadership, and service (IDEALS). The School aspires to continue to build on these precepts and expand and refine them on a continuous basis so that every child is encouraged and supported to develop a wholesome personality.

As an acknowledgement of our work based on the Round Square philosophy, our school was awarded Global Membership to Round Square in 2010.

An Inspirational founder- Kurt Hahn

Round Square developed from the inspiring theories of Kurt Hahn, a philosopher and educationalist.

"I regard it as the foremost task of education to insure the survival of these qualities: an enterprising curiosity, an undefeatable spirit, tenacity in pursuit, readiness for sensible self denial, and above all, compassion" - Kurt Hahn, Founder – Round Square.

Hahn believed that schools should not just be places to prepare for further education. He believed that they were places to prepare for life.

Kurt Hahn’s birthday falls on 5th June and, as a tribute to him, in 2011 DAIS students planned a unique activity that involved all students from Lower Kindergarten to Class XII. The students put together a 5 ft x 5 ft portrait of Kurt Hahn using only their finger prints and palm prints. The portrait was made on canvas using oil. Each of the 1000+ students marked the portrait with their finger prints resonating Kurt Hahn's philosophy and the IDEALS of Round Square. The objective was to get the entire school to collectively pay tribute to this inspiring founder of Round Square. The picture was mounted on a jute canvas and displayed in the school atrium with information on Kurt Hahn and his philosophy.

Round Square History

The title "Round Square" is derived from a seventeenth century building at Gordonstoun School in Scotland where a "square" was traditionally the administrative centre for an estate. Estate square was used to house horses, carriages and equipment for the estate. It was built to a circular design of similar buildings, the designer, Sir Robert Gordon, had seen on his travels in Italy. That led to the odd name (really a paradox), the "Round Square". However, the "square" of Gordonstoun School in Scotland, where Hahn held the first conference, was in fact, perfectly round. Thus, the paradox, the Round Square.

Philosophy

Round Square schools share an educational philosophy based on the teachings of Kurt Hahn that supports the growth of the "whole person". This philosophy is based upon the Round Square "IDEALS" - an acronym that represents the six pillars around which Round Square schools function:

• Internationalism
  
• Democracy
• Environment
  
• Adventure
  
• Leadership
  
• Service

The common goal is to develop every student into a whole person through academic, physical, cultural and spiritual experiences.

Our School's activities related to Round Square IDEALS
Internationalism:

• Paigaam: An Indo-Pak-Bangla Peace Program; opening minds, offering new perspectives, forging friendship sans frontiers.
  
  
• DAIMUN (Dhirubhai Ambani International Model United Nations): Students from different schools seek, through discussion, negotiation and debate, solutions to the various problems of the world.
  
  
• Indo-French exchange: A cultural exchange between Indian and French students, discussions on global issues.
  
  
• Film shows: War and Peace (on Indo-Pak relations) by Anand Patwardhan.

Democracy:

• Just A Minute (JAM) on different aspects and dimensions of Democracy.
  
  
• Polling and Voting on The Right to Vote and its significance as a way of life, knowing the importance of opposition in a democratic system of government.
  
  
• Democracy Week where different activities on Democracy were conducted.
  
  
• Documentary on Democracy: Students produced a Documentary on Democracy.
  
  
• Film show: Pita, Putra and Dharmayuddha by Anand Patwardhan.

Environment:

• Earth Day Celebrations: Be Water Wise
  
  
• Carbon Footprint Audit
  
  
• Ozzy Ozone: Ozone Day awareness
  
  
• Nature Trail: Visit to Maharashtra Nature Park at Mahim
  
  
• Case Studies of Mithi River Pollution and Bandra Sea-shore
  
  
• Christmas celebrations with recycled plastic bottles
  
  
• Participating in Rally against Firecrackers
  
  
• Vermi Composting
  
  
• Micro-Garden
  
  
• Project on making Eco-Friendly Dyes
  
  
• Nature Club: Students work on recycling waste and reduction of consumption on campus by recycling paper and providing support to the rag-pickers of Mumbai.

Adventure:

• IAYP (International Award for Young People) trips: Students learn to tackle problems and overcome their phobias in these adventure trips. Additionally, they trek, climb commando nets, jumar and a host of other activities that build and boost team spirit, confidence and resilience of the mind.
  
  
• Himalayan Adventure Getaway trips: These trips aim to introduce students to the natural and cultural heritage of India. The programs include easy rafting, trekking, rock climbing, rappelling, cycling, jeep safaris, nature walk, bird watching, outdoor skills and nature education.
  
  
• Adventure treks in Maharashtra Nature Park at Mahim.

Leadership:

• DAIMUN
  
  
• THIMUN (The Hague International Model United Nations)
  
  
• Leadership games and activities
  
  
• Student Council

Service:

With NGOs:

• Pratham - an organization working against Child Labour by providing them shelter and education.
  
  
• Muktangan - an educational program offering community-based, low cost education to economically disadvantaged sections by training members as teachers.
  
  
• CCDT- supports children of marginalized communities, especially suffering from HIV/AIDs.
  
  
• Advitya - work towards encouraging the creative talent of mentally challenged individuals.
  
  
• Goonj - an unique resource mobilization initiative, turning urban wastage into a resource for rural India.

 DAIS Initiatives

Following are some of the specific initiatives/projects at DAIS that resonate the IDEALS of Round Square:

• Aid for Bihar Kosi flood victims - collected food and dry food items, warm clothes for flood victims.
  
  
• DAIS Akanksha Centre - provides school premises, resources and financial support for the education of underprivileged children.
  
  
• Across the Road - provides educational and developmental support to young children and women in the immediate locality of the school.
  
  
• Hassachipatti Village Project in Matheran - a student initiative to address hygiene requirements, takes care of school requirements and improve infrastructure.
  
  
• Indo-French Schools, an exchange service project between our school and L'Ermitage School, Paris and The Franco-Indian School of Bombay, organise an Eye-Camp, for over 1500 children, from BMC schools. The students visit areas in Malad, Navi Mumbai where all-day camps are set up, with the examination of eyes and finding remedial solutions for poor eyesight.
  
  
• In 2010, a group of students have decided to start a project called EVE (Empowering Villages Everywhere) where they visit villages where electricity is scarce and provide the villagers with solar lamps to help them in their education, daily chores and employment. Our students have supplied solar lamps to each household in the Hassachipatti village.
  
  
• Two DAIS students took part in Round Square International Service (RSIS) Ladakh project. The project consisted of helping with the construction of an additional dormitory in The Thiksey Model School at Thiksey, Leh. The school is run by a village society and work concentrated mostly on building a hostel for both boys and girls from far-flung areas. Some of the students have to walk for several days to get to a road before getting on a bus to the school. Hence, this new dormitory will be very important to the school community. The school comes under the management at Leh and the funds are being raised by the village society.  The Prince Alexander Project Fund (PAPF) funded the costs of the materials for the building and the village society was responsible for the employment of the labour and the remuneration of the workers. The tasks involved normal construction jobs like mixing concrete, moving rocks and sand in long chain-gangs, building walls and helping with the general manual labour. They built two rooms and also put the roof of a dining hall. Living and working with people from different parts of the world, each having their own culture and traditions, helped broaden our students’ world view.

The Round Square Conference

Once a year, there is a Round Square Regional and International Conference, attended by all Round Square Schools the world over. These are special experiences that in so many subtle ways help students become better world citizens. Students from different parts of the world interact with each other over a period of four to five days, experiencing each other's culture, customs and traditions and bringing in vibrancy that gives each conference a life of its own. Each conference is unique by itself as it is hosted by different schools in different world regions.

In 2010, our School hosted the Round Square South Asia and the Gulf Region Junior Regional Conference at the School and DAIS Study and Activity Centre at Matheran, with participation of 200 delegates from 20 schools across Bangladesh, Jordan, Sultanate of Oman, UAE and India. The theme of this conference was water conservation.

As par part of this Conference, we have taken up an exemplary initiative to provide drinking water to horses in Matheran. Horses serve as a primary carrier of people and materials on the hilly terrain of Matheran but it was found that there was no provision of drinking water to them during day time while they are on duty. Through the initiative of our students, we took the lead in cleaning and renovating a well and installing required pumping and piping systems, which on average which has provided 8000 liters of water for horses and mules during the summer of 2011. This endeavour of ours has been much appreciated by the local community.

In 2011, the School also hosted the Annual General Meeting of the Round Square South Asia and Gulf Region members, with participation from Heads of Schools, Honorary Members and Friends of Round Square and Round Square Representatives.