ARIS Introduces G-SOLES

ARIS has taken on ambitious projects, one after the other, and rightly so. We are firm in our vision and mission. Every educational institution, not unlike our own, is developing and taking on new projects - but the quest lies in its impact and its message whether direct or indirect.

Last academic year, ARIS started the Flight 7 Project which was one of our biggest projects of bringing in a recycled plane art installation into campus. We held workshops with Nana Anoff, the mastermind behind Flight 7, and collaborated with other schools to spread the message of recycling and creativity in all avenues. After a few months within our campus, the flight went into another IB World School and will continue to be circulated.

This year, it is the “Upcycled by G-Soles” Project! What is G-Soles, you ask? To put it simply, it is handmade African couture footwear that has been upcycled. The company behind this, “GUTTA Soles” also has a higher-end line which up-cycles tires that would otherwise be dumped or burnt. The mission of the company is to design shoes durable enough for Ghana's surface conditions. Moreover, as a community-based organization, the model supports local artists, as well. Win-win!

In the spirit of creativity and ARIS Cares projects that have been invested in 'green', sustainable projects, ARIS has partnered up with G-Soles. The G-Soles shoes can now be swapped with black shoes, as part of our regular uniform. Even facilitators and educational leadership can buy these shoes, as they are in fact quite fashionable! The exciting part is this, the possibilities of customization - people can put in an order to customize their shoes in any way they prefer, unleashing their creativity.

Soon, ARIS will start holding workshops as well in collaboration with our Creative Arts department to get students more hands-on. It will also provide opportunities to explore various social entrepreneurship models, especially considering that ARIS is now the first IB-Continuum school to get Candidacy Status for the IB Career-related Programme (IBCP).

Sustainability is the name of the 21st-century game. ARIS is looking to explore all possible avenues within our reach, and educate the next generations to be more aware, responsible and forthright in their advocacy projects.