“Every cloud has a silver lining.”
Silver lining – something good that comes from something bad.
They say that “every cloud has a silver lining.“
Right now, that might seem hard to believe:
- Covid-19 infection rates are increasing around the world.
- Families are facing the unbearable loss of loved ones.
- Economic problems are pushing many families into financial distress.
Lessons from a crisis
We are all living under a big cloud.
Is there a silver lining to this crisis? Maybe yes.
Maybe this is our chance to learn some important lessons.
Lesson 1: Valuing each other
“Unsung hero” – somebody who helps other people, but who does not receive recognition
How do you measure the value of somebody’s work?
Doctors, nurses, paramedics: of course they are all heroes in this crisis. However, the pandemic also ‘shone a light’ on the unsung heroes: the cleaners, the delivery drivers, the supermarket staff and many more people who put themselves in danger in order to keep us safe.
Learning to value each other more is surely a silver lining of this crisis. To all the heroes and the unsung heroes we say “thank you”.
Lesson 2: Renewed focus on climate change
At the end of 2019, very few people could have predicted that in the first weeks of 2020 our comfortable lives would be turned upside down by a submicroscopic agent.
In 2021, we felt the power of nature. We received a reminder that the human race is inescapably part of the natural world.
The pandemic has focused the minds of governments, citizens and businesses by sending an urgent and clear message that we must work together now to halt climate change.
Lesson 3: The power of collaboration across borders
An incredible European team of scientists made us ask: is there anything we can’t achieve when we work together?
- Developed in under one year by a Turkish-German couple in Germany.
- Manufactured by an American company in Belgium.
The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is a miracle of European & American collaboration. To this team, and to vaccine developers everywhere, we say: “thank you”.
Summer School 2021
Would it be true to say that there is little value in learning ‘life lessons’ unless you apply the lessons? How is More Than English applying the lessons of the pandemic?
Bringing children and teenagers from all over the world to summer school so that they learn to live, learn and work together has never been so important. Teaching children and teenagers how to work in international teams is how we start to solve the challenges of tomorrow, today. However, returning to “business as usual” is not an option. We have to change.
Here’s how More Than English is learning the lessons of Covid-19:
(1) Increased focus on developing the leaders of tomorrow
NEW! Academic Enrichment
Future Leaders
We are now offering a Future Leaders course in the mornings (this course also includes a diverse range of study options in the afternoons). Topics covered on the Future Leaders programme include politics, Model United Nations, journalism and more. Students work collaboratively to research, analyse, prioritise and get the job done. At the end of each week they present a final product: a plan, a document, a presentation, a speech.
Students choosing the Future Leaders course also benefit from a full range of afternoon study options.
(2) Science & Technology
NEW! Academic Enrichment
STEM Robotics
Science is providing a way out of the pandemic. New for this year we are offering a STEM Robotics course.
Students choosing the STEM Robotics course also benefit from a full range of afternoon study options.
Coding and Virtual Reality
NEW! With new afternoon study options in Coding and Virtual Reality, students can also study Science & Technology in the afternoon.
(3) A greener summer school
Summer school has a negative impact on the environment. By introducing reusable water bottles in 2019 we dramatically reduced our plastic waste.
This year, we want to do better.
(i) Carbon Offsetting:
New for 2021! We are researching how to most effectively offset carbon emissions from students’ flights
ii) Social Entrepreneurship:
NEW! Students choosing our new Social Entrepreneurship afternoon study option, will learn about the 17 United Nations sustainable development goals which are designed to fight poverty and inequality and tackle climate change by 2030. As part of a project, they will then persuade other students to be part of the change we need.
A Time For Change
We are living through a time of big change. With damage to economies and heartbreak for families, Covid-19 is playing havoc with all our lives. However, the power to shape and change the future is in our hands. If we choose to take this opportunity, we can make sure that the 2020s are remembered not only as a time of global crisis, but as the decade during which we learnt to value each and secure a living planet for future generations.
That would be a silver lining indeed.
Useful links:
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
Book With Confidence – full refund for any reason until May 20, 2021
