At ISN, we are committed to supporting our community by actively engaging in local projects that make a difference. Each year, the ISN proudly participates in the Banque Alimentaire, a nationwide food drive that has been supporting those in need across France for 40 years.

Students, teachers, and parents from ISN—across Primary, Middle, and High school—joined forces to contribute to this vital cause. The Banque Alimentaire initiative, dedicated to fighting hunger and reducing food waste, collects non-perishable food items every November to help individuals and families in need. It embodies a strong commitment to solidarity and sustainability.

This holistic effort aligned with multiple United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including:

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger—providing essential resources to those experiencing food insecurity.
• SDG 4: Quality Education—encouraging students to learn the value of community service and global citizenship.
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production—reducing food waste through ethical practices.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals—strengthening collaborations between schools, businesses, and local communities.

Additionally, this initiative supported ISN Pillar 4: Community Partnership Opportunities, promoting meaningful engagement with local organisations. Through this project, ISN students embodied inclusion, sustainability, and responsibility while making a tangible impact.

During the campaign, ISN CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) students volunteered at collection points, including the Intermarché near Gare du Sud in Nice and Fontvieille in Monaco. Led by the IB CAS programme, students worked diligently to assist with public donations of food and hygiene products.

"Working with the Banque Alimentaire was overall a really great experience. Even just standing at the doors of an Intermarché, handing out plastic bags and collecting donations, you could see how generous and willing people were to help others they had never even met before. Also, witnessing the amount of people from our school who came together to organise such a huge task was really amazing," shared Toby, ISN Grade 12 student.

Their efforts not only helped those in need but also strengthened ties within the local community and highlighted the importance of addressing social inequalities.

“Almost 2% of people in France live in households that experience severe food insecurity. It was our privilege each year as CAS students to join the national food collection, la Banque Alimentaire, at supermarkets in Nice and Monaco. Over forty of our students participated this year, and we joyfully estimated collecting about 1,500 bags of food,” said Joanna Marple, ISN CAS Coordinator.

To further bolster the campaign, ISN Middle School students, Mirna and Elina, chose this as their MYP Community Project. As part of their efforts, house boxes were placed at school to collect non-perishable food and hygiene items, with house points being awarded for contributions.  Students received donation bags to collect food and hygiene items, with all contributions due by Monday, December 2nd.

“It was amazing being able to help all the people in need. We feel really proud to be able to help fellow students follow their paths, without them having to worry about food and when they're going to have their next meal," Mirna and Elina, ISN Grade 8 students.

Grade 8 students then contributed to the effort, as they visited the Banque Alimentaire on Monday, December 2nd to volunteer and help sort all the donations from the ISN Community as well as the regional donations. This hands-on experience allowed them to directly engage in supporting their community and gain a deeper understanding of the logistical work involved in making such a large-scale food drive successful.

The Banque Alimentaire campaign highlighted the profound impact of collective action in addressing pressing societal challenges. By coming together as a school and community, ISN demonstrated its commitment to fostering empathy, service, and responsibility in its students. Through their involvement, students not only helped to combat hunger but also took meaningful steps toward creating a more compassionate and equitable world.

This initiative served as a powerful example of how schools could inspire students to become changemakers, blending education with action to make a difference both locally and globally.