Round Square
Round Square is an international network of more than 280 schools across 50 countries on six continents, dedicated to fostering character education through experiential learning and holistic development.[1] Founded in 1966 at Gordonstoun School in Scotland and named after a distinctive round building on its campus, the organization draws from the educational philosophy of Kurt Hahn, emphasizing personal growth, global awareness, and service to others.[1][2] Central to Round Square's approach are the six IDEALS—Internationalism, Democracy, Environmentalism, Adventure, Leadership, and Service—which guide member schools in cultivating compassionate, resilient leaders capable of addressing real-world challenges.[3] These principles manifest in student-led initiatives, such as international exchanges, adventure expeditions, community service projects, and environmental stewardship efforts, promoting cross-cultural collaboration and practical skill-building over traditional academic metrics alone.[1] Member institutions, including prestigious boarding schools worldwide, participate in annual conferences like the Round Square International Conference (RSIC), where students engage in dialogues and activities to embody these ideals.[1] The network's growth from a small group of Hahn-inspired schools to a global community reflects its enduring appeal in countering modern educational trends toward rote learning, instead prioritizing virtues like self-discipline, teamwork, and ethical responsibility.[1] While lacking major controversies, Round Square has been recognized for empowering students to pursue impactful projects, such as biodiversity conservation and democratic governance simulations, aligning with Hahn's vision of education as a tool for societal renewal.[1]History
Founding and Kurt Hahn's Legacy
In 1966, the heads of eight schools convened at Gordonstoun to celebrate the 80th birthday of educator Kurt Hahn, initiating what would become Round Square as a network for sharing his experiential learning principles.[4] The gathering, suggested by Jocelin Winthrop-Young—a former pupil of Hahn at both Salem and Gordonstoun, and headmaster of Anavryta School in Greece—aimed to formalize collaboration among institutions embodying Hahn's model of character-building education.[5] In 1967, the group officially adopted the name Round Square, derived from the uniquely shaped building at Gordonstoun that hosted the first conference.[5] Kurt Hahn (1886–1974), a German-Jewish educator who founded Schule Schloss Salem in 1919 and later Gordonstoun in 1934 after fleeing Nazi Germany, developed a philosophy rooted in addressing perceived modern societal weaknesses, including declining physical fitness, emotional self-control, and opportunities for altruism.[6] He advocated for education through rigorous outdoor expeditions, community service, and projects that demanded teamwork and resilience, influencing parallel initiatives like Outward Bound and the United World Colleges.[6] Hahn's legacy endures in Round Square as its philosophical foundation, with the organization expanding his vision into a global framework for holistic development, emphasizing practical challenges over rote learning to cultivate responsible leadership.[4] Schools in the network implement Hahn-inspired practices, such as adventure programs and service initiatives, to foster the personal growth he deemed essential for countering individualism and fostering societal contribution.[7]Early Development and Initial Schools
The origins of Round Square trace back to Kurt Hahn's educational philosophy, which emphasized character development through experiential challenges, service, and international collaboration, as embodied in schools he founded or influenced, such as Gordonstoun in Scotland (1934) and Schule Schloss Salem in Germany (1919).[5] Early collaborative efforts among Hahn-inspired institutions began in 1953, when schools coordinated student expeditions to aid earthquake recovery in Argostoli, Kefalonia, Greece, highlighting a commitment to practical service as a means of fostering resilience and global awareness.[5] This initiative laid groundwork for formalized networking, driven by shared adherence to Hahn's principles of addressing societal ills like physical fitness decline and emotional fragmentation through adventurous education.[5] Momentum built toward institutionalization in 1966, when school heads gathered at Salem to commemorate Hahn's 80th birthday, an event proposed by Jocelin Winthrop Young, headmaster of Anavryta School in Greece and a former Hahn pupil.[5] The pivotal first Round Square Conference convened in 1967 at Gordonstoun's distinctive Round Square building, chaired by King Constantine of Greece (a former Anavryta student), with the aim of establishing a enduring association for student exchanges, joint projects, and mutual reinforcement of Hahn's ideals.[5] This gathering formalized Round Square as a collaborative framework rather than a centralized body, initially comprising eight schools: Gordonstoun (Scotland), Schule Schloss Salem (Germany), Box Hill School (England), Anavryta (Greece), Battisborough Hall (England), Athenian School (USA), Aiglon College (Switzerland), and Louisenlund (Germany).[5] These founding members, spanning Europe and North America, prioritized peer-led conferences and expeditions to cultivate leadership and cross-cultural understanding, setting the stage for organic growth without rigid membership criteria.[5] By the early 1970s, activities evolved to emphasize student participation, with the 1974 conference at Cobham Hall School in the UK shifting focus from headmasters to youth delegates, thereby embedding democratic processes and personal agency central to Hahn's vision.[5] This period solidified Round Square's non-hierarchical structure, relying on voluntary alignment with core tenets like service and adventure, which distinguished it from more prescriptive educational networks.[5] Initial challenges included logistical coordination across distances, yet the framework's emphasis on shared philosophy ensured cohesion among diverse institutions committed to holistic development over academic metrics alone.[5]Global Expansion Post-1990s
In the 1990s, Round Square formalized its educational framework through the development of the RS IDEALS—encompassing Internationalism, Democracy, Environmental Stewardship, Adventure, Leadership, and Service—which catalyzed broader appeal and membership growth among schools worldwide.[5] This period marked a shift from its European-centric origins, with initial international service projects in the 1980s evolving into structured global collaborations that attracted institutions committed to experiential learning.[5] By the early 21st century, the network had expanded significantly, incorporating schools from diverse regions including Asia, Africa, and the Americas, reflecting a deliberate push toward geographical and cultural inclusivity.[5] Membership surged, enabling cross-continental student exchanges, joint projects, and conferences that reinforced the organization's Hahn-inspired principles. Key milestones included the 2015 launch of the RS Discovery Framework during a conference in Singapore, which integrated 12 student "discoveries" into the IDEALS model and highlighted growing Asian engagement.[5] Further expansion was evident in Africa and Latin America, where new member schools adopted Round Square programs amid rising demand for character-based education. The 2020 pivot to online initiatives, such as Zoom Postcards and virtual language labs, sustained momentum during global disruptions and facilitated connections across time zones.[5] In 2024, the first South American International Conference in Bogotá, Colombia, drew 900 delegates, underscoring deepened ties in the region.[5] As of 2024, Round Square encompasses 270 member schools across 50 countries on six continents, a testament to post-1990s strategies emphasizing scalable, values-driven partnerships over mere numerical increase.[5] This growth has prioritized quality alignment with core principles, with admissions processes evaluating schools' commitment to experiential initiatives like adventure challenges and community service.[5]Educational Philosophy
Core Principles from Kurt Hahn
Kurt Hahn, a German educator exiled by the Nazis in 1933, articulated the Seven Laws of Salem as the cornerstone of his philosophy for holistic education at his first school, Schule Schloss Salem, founded in 1919. These principles, which prioritize experiential challenges, moral formation, and communal responsibility over rote learning, profoundly shaped Round Square's ethos following its inception in 1966 at Gordonstoun—another Hahn-founded institution. Hahn viewed education as a means to counteract societal ills afflicting youth, fostering resilience and ethical action through deliberate confrontation with adversity and opportunity.[8][9] The laws are interdependent, with Hahn emphasizing their collective application to cultivate character rather than isolated implementation. They include:- Providing opportunities for self-discovery, allowing students to test personal limits in real-world settings.[10]
- Exposing students to both triumph and defeat to build emotional fortitude and realistic self-assessment.
- Encouraging self-effacement through service to the school community, instilling habits of altruism over individualism.[11]
- Highlighting the paramount importance of human personality from early education, to nurture empathy and relational depth.[8]
- Offering avenues for creative expression, such as poetry, dance, painting, and music, to counter mechanistic modern life.[9]
- Prioritizing rigorous training of the will via deliberate practice of unpleasant tasks, viewing this as education's primary aim.
- Valuing originality above conformity, to preserve innovative thinking amid standardized pressures.[10]
The IDEALS Framework
The IDEALS framework forms the core of Round Square's character education philosophy, encapsulating six interconnected themes—Internationalism, Democracy, Environmentalism, Adventure, Leadership, and Service—that member schools integrate into their curricula and activities to cultivate well-rounded students. Developed from longstanding educational practices within the network, these ideals emphasize experiential learning, where students engage directly with challenges to build resilience, empathy, and responsibility, rather than passive instruction.[3][4] Internationalism promotes understanding and collaboration across cultural, national, and linguistic boundaries, encouraging students to value diversity and address global interconnectedness through exchanges, multilingual initiatives, and cross-cultural dialogues.[3] Democracy instills participatory governance and ethical decision-making, teaching students to engage in school councils, debates, and community forums to appreciate collective responsibility and the mechanics of fair representation.[3] Environmentalism focuses on stewardship and sustainability, urging proactive measures against ecological degradation via projects like habitat restoration, conservation research, and advocacy for resource management.[3] Adventure challenges physical and mental limits through outdoor expeditions and novel experiences, fostering self-discovery, perseverance, and adaptability by pushing participants beyond comfort zones in controlled risk environments.[3] Leadership develops initiative and influence skills, equipping students to inspire peers, manage teams, and navigate conflicts through roles in projects that demand strategic thinking and accountability.[3] Service emphasizes altruism and societal contribution, involving hands-on efforts to support underserved communities, thereby building compassion and a commitment to long-term positive impact.[3] In practice, the IDEALS are not rigid doctrines but flexible guides that schools adapt to local contexts, often linking to the Round Square Discovery Framework (RSDF), which pairs them with 12 personal virtues—such as courage, curiosity, and tenacity—derived from observed student outcomes across member institutions. This open-source RSDF supports "learning by doing," followed by reflection and articulation, enabling measurable progress in character attributes without prescriptive uniformity. Over 280 schools in 50 countries apply these themes to unify diverse educational settings around shared outcomes like global citizenship and ethical leadership.[3][1]Integration of Experiential Learning
Round Square integrates experiential learning as a core mechanism for character development, emphasizing practical engagement over theoretical instruction, in alignment with Kurt Hahn's philosophy that significant personal growth occurs through direct confrontation with challenges. Member schools apply this by organizing activities around the six IDEALS—Internationalism, Democracy, Environmental Stewardship, Adventure, Leadership, and Service—where students participate in hands-on initiatives such as community service projects, environmental expeditions, and international exchanges before reflecting on their experiences. This "do first, describe later" approach fosters competencies like resilience and empathy, with over 26,000 students annually engaging in local service and more than 8,000 attending collaborative conferences.[14][3] Central to this integration is the Round Square Discovery Framework, an open-source tool that links the IDEALS to twelve specific discoveries students cultivate through experiential processes: appreciation of diversity, courage, commitment to sustainability, communication, compassion, inquisitiveness, inventiveness, problem-solving, self-awareness, sense of responsibility, teamwork, and tenacity. Schools embed these into curricula by mapping activities to the framework—for instance, adventure programs to build tenacity and courage, or service projects to develop compassion and responsibility—allowing adaptation to local contexts while ensuring measurable growth in non-cognitive skills. Piloted in institutions like Stanford Lake College since 2016, the framework has been incorporated into subjects such as humanities lessons and student presentations, enhancing ethical decision-making alongside academic pursuits across diverse systems like the International Baccalaureate.[15][3] Practical examples include international service projects where students construct water systems or schools in underserved communities, immersing them in local cultures and requiring teamwork and problem-solving, with over 1,800 participants in exchanges yearly. In member schools, this manifests as residential challenges or democracy forums that simulate real-world leadership, promoting self-awareness through debriefing sessions. The framework's flexibility enables schools to track progress via tools like the interactive Whizzy Wheel, which illustrates interconnections between IDEALS and discoveries, ultimately aiming to produce globally minded individuals capable of causal impact.[14][3]Programs and Activities
Conferences and Student Exchanges
Round Square facilitates conferences and student exchanges to promote internationalism and experiential learning among member schools, aligning with its IDEALS framework by encouraging cross-cultural immersion and global dialogue.[16][17]
Conferences, such as the annual Round Square International Conference (RSIC), gather delegations of at least six students and one teacher from participating schools, typically in September or October, for workshops, discussions on global challenges, and collaborative activities.[18] The 57th RSIC, held in Dubai in 2025 and hosted by The Millennium School Dubai, The Indian High School Dubai, and GEMS Modern Academy, exemplified this format, drawing participants to explore themes like "Beyond the Dunes."[19][20] Regional and themed conferences supplement the RSIC, providing platforms for students to address pressing issues in supportive, multicultural environments.[18]
Student exchanges enable participants to study abroad for up to eight weeks at partner member schools, fostering deep cultural understanding through reciprocal arrangements where students host peers before traveling.[21][7] Round Square serves as a facilitator, offering protocols established in 2019 to standardize safety, logistics, and educational alignment across exchanges between candidate and member schools.[22] These programs incur lower costs than conferences, primarily covering airfare and incidental expenses, making them accessible for broader participation.[23] Exchanges contribute to global competence by immersing students in diverse educational and social contexts, as evidenced by member school reports on enhanced international friendships and perspectives.[24][25]