On 2 February 2026, Global Social Leaders proudly powered the inaugural SPARK Workshop & Challenge launched as part of SPARK.Dubai 2026, a global education initiative hosted by the Varkey Foundation, at the GEMS School of Research & Innovation (SRI) in Dubai.
We brought together young people from across the GEMS Education network for an inspiring half-day experience of leadership, collaboration and social action.
The SPARK Workshop marked the launch of the SPARK Social Action Challenge, a follow-on challenge inviting students to take forward a small, meaningful action in their own school or community. With light-touch support, resources and check-ins from the Global Social Leaders team, students are now continuing their journey, turning inspiration into action.
STUDENT’S BLOG
Throughout the challenge, we are inviting students to share their journey and progress.
This blog is from a student at GEMS Our Own Indian School, who is spreading the message about protecting our planet by creating posters, blogs and social media posts that inspire people to make small, everyday changes to help reduce global warming.
The Spark
The problem-solving exercise was one of the most memorable parts of the SPARK Workshop. In this exercise, we were divided into small groups and given a real-world problem that needed to be solved quickly and creatively. What truly stuck with me was how the variety of viewpoints made a straightforward brainstorming session much more lively and perceptive. I came to see that my initial concepts were constrained by my own assumptions, but hearing about other people’s methods—some conventional, some unconventional—opened my eyes to completely different ways of thinking.
The emphasis on “embracing failure as a learning tool” was another concept that left a lasting impression. The facilitator told tales of innovators who overcame setbacks by using them as opportunities for improvement and iteration. This made me reevaluate how I approach problem-solving in my own work and challenged my inclination to shy away from risk. By the end of the workshop, instead of rigidly adhering to tried-and-true techniques, I was actively seeking out different perspectives and welcoming experimentation. It was a profound change in perspective.
My SPARK Challenge
I care about global warming as animals who did nothing wrong are dying because of our unnecessary wants. To encourage people to stop, I am determined to publish my statement in various ways like posters, blogs and social media. After the workshop, I realized that I should not actually demand people to stop causing global warming but instead to suggest that people stop using the things that cause global warming and tell people how to prevent it.
I truly enjoyed every part of the Spark experience, from researching solutions to seeing how small actions can make a difference. Spark has been an incredible stepping stone, inspiring me to continue learning and taking action for the future.
What I’m learning
I learned so much about the problems facing our planet and the many ways we can prevent them. I was genuinely surprised by how much knowledge I gained in such a short time and it really opened my eyes. Working on this project made me realize that I want to go further and actively contribute to stopping global warming.
In One Sentence
The Spark experience was a wonderful stepping stone and I feel blessed to have experienced this.
We look forward to sharing further updates about the challenge.
For further information, email: spark.gsl@future-foundations.co.uk
