DAIS Students Champion Art and Service at ACAMIS Leadership Conference

On March 7, a delegation from Dalian American International School (DAIS) traveled to Beijing for the ACAMIS Student Leadership Conference. Hosted by the Beijing International Bilingual Academy (BIBA), the event brought together eight schools from across Northern China. The conference's primary goal was to support student-led service projects and cultivate a culture of service throughout ACAMIS-affiliated schools.

DAIS was proudly represented by The Creative Inquiry Society, a student-led art service club, alongside Mr. Jacob Singleton, the club's supervisor, and DAIS's Secondary School Social Impact Lead. The society focuses on supporting art education for students with limited economic resources. Currently, the group is developing an ambitious initiative that uses artistic expression to challenge unrealistic beauty standards. Leading up to the conference, they submitted two ACAMIS Service-Learning Grant applications to help fund their efforts, and they utilized the Beijing trip to further refine this specific project.

Club member Fayrah L. underscored the group's mission: "Beauty doesn’t have just one standard. Too many people feel bad about themselves because they try to look the same. I want to bring this idea back to the school: we should accept ourselves and respect different kinds of beauty, not just the ones we see online." Armed with this clear vision, the students entered the conference with confidence.

Upon arrival, the delegation was welcomed by BIBA’s Chief Director, Dr. K.C. Pang, who helped facilitate the event. The agenda began with students being sorted into mixed groups with peers from other visiting schools. In these collaborative sessions, participants pitched their service projects and exchanged probing questions to help refine each other's ideas. Afterward, the students reconvened with their home school groups.

Creative Inquiry Society President Yian Y. noted how this process clarified her approach: "The sessions really emphasized how innovation often comes from breaking away from conventional thinking and embracing diverse viewpoints. I want to bring back the idea of encouraging students to think more openly and creatively, especially in how they express themselves through art."

Now equipped with a thoroughly tested plan, the students were tasked with creating a storyboard for a 90-second video advertisement for their initiative. These videos will be filmed and submitted to ACAMIS by March 27. For Yian, this storyboarding process was the highlight of the trip: "We sat together and created a comic strip as a group, and it was interesting to see how everyone contributed their own ideas and drawing styles. Even though we had different approaches, we found ways to make the story flow together. It was a fun and creative way to collaborate."

Following the storyboard creation, the DAIS students presented their proposed video and provided an overview of their service project to the wider audience. They fielded questions from their peers, embracing this final opportunity for feedback and collaboration with like-minded student leaders.

The Creative Inquiry Society left Beijing feeling accomplished and ready for their next steps. The ACAMIS Leadership Conference succeeded in its mission to elevate student voices and clarify the purpose of their initiatives. For Fayrah, the takeaway was profoundly clear: "I want to help make our school a kinder place. I can start by being more positive, supporting my friends, and reminding people that they are good enough just the way they are. I hope to help everyone feel more confident and accepted."