The Swiss Group of International Schools (SGIS) is a non-profit, membership-based organization that aims to actively support the continuous improvement of its member schools.  We encourage and support collaboration between schools through the exchange of information and good practices, and facilitate opportunities for members of staff across our schools to connect with others and further their own professional development. 

Similarly we facilitate opportunities for students to connect with other young people, particularly through our sports programme, leading to a richer educational experience.

SGIS was founded in 1969 and now has 54 member schools.  

Newsflash

FROM URGENCY TO AGENCY – Sustainability at the Heart of Learning

Sustainability Workshop 26th & 27th November 2021

The UN has called ‘Code Red for Humanity’ in its most recent IPCC report. How do we as educators mitigate the climate anxiety our students may experience (and staff, we might add) and use it as an opportunity to forge local actions? In this workshop we base ourselves on the conviction that schools are capable of, and obligated to, play an important role in mitigating Climate Change.

In our view, schools should reinvent themselves to become learning communities that go beyond preparing for the future; instead they should help shape that future, by allowing students and educators to prototype solutions for today’s challenges. By allowing students to actively engage with the local impacts of Climate Change, they could learn about the SDGs, Systems Thinking, Design Thinking, collaboration, etc - all skills which will serve them well in their further lives. In that way, sustainability can become a core driver of education, very much in line with IBO’s vision about student agency. It will allow for learning to be challenge-based, relevant, local and utterly engaging. It will give students a voice and allow them to make necessary changes in their school environment, at home and beyond.

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Arrangements for SGIS meetings and events

COVID-19 has changed the way that all schools conduct meetings or events. As an organisation, SGIS wants to promote safe practices.

Board, group and other adult meetings

Unless there are specific reasons to the contrary, we will hold all SGIS meetings online.

Face-to-face meetings are occasionally necessary.  When this is the case, the meeting organiser must ensure that contact details are recorded and that a distance of at least 1.5 meters from other people can be maintained or, if this is not possible, that a mask covering the mouth and nose area is worn by all participants.  Participants should maintain the meeting safety arrangements if they meet in small groups between sessions (e.g. coffee breaks).

It is in everybody’s best interest if we all take individual responsibility for our state of health.  Meeting participants should be aware of the signs and symptoms of respiratory illness and should not attend the meeting if they feel unwell. If after the meeting a person is confirmed by health authorities to have COVID-19, they should contact the meeting organiser so that the contact details of the other participants can be given to the health authorities if necessary.

Student or adult events

All SGIS events must be held in accordance with the appropriate federal and cantonal guidelines.  It is the responsibility of the hosting school to ensure that arrangements are in place so that participants keep an appropriate distance, wash their hands thoroughly and regularly, and wear a mask where necessary.

More info

Associate members

Other Associations

Honorary Members