Anniversaries
When we think of anniversaries, we usually think of celebrations. Thankfully so! A community that can come together to celebrate is a community that allows itself to let go, to feel proud, and to gather energy for what lies ahead.
But an anniversary can be more than that. It can be a moment to build and strengthen relationships beyond the immediate circle - and to gain new impulses for one’s own practice. In short: anniversaries can help organizations to resonate with themselves and with their surroundings.
From this perspective, I designed the 25th anniversary festivities of the German International School Toronto in my role as Business Manager. In this article, I’d like to walk through the approach I took, framed in five steps and concluding with the formats that emerged along the way. I hope it is a useful blueprint for you when you design events, too.
1. What do we really need right now? Defining the functions of the celebration.
Anniversaries offer a chance to pause and reflect. What shaped us? Where do we stand? What matters to us going forward?
At the German International School Toronto, we quickly realized that this moment was about more than looking back for ourselves. We wanted our 25th anniversary to be an invitation to our neighborhood, to our networks, to institutions near and far.
Founded in 2000 with just ten students, the GIST is today a thriving, multilingual, and IB-accredited school with more than 100 students and a dedicated team. Over the years, the school has grown, and with it, its identity: from a German elementary school to one that now includes a full secondary program and sees itself as a bridge between educational cultures. Today, GIST increasingly welcomes families who don’t speak German at home. With its new location in Islington, the school is working to grow roots and become a meaningful presence in the local community.
From this, three key functions for the anniversary emerged:
Building connections with other German institutions and businesses
Accompanying the school’s evolving identity
Fostering visibility and a sense of belonging in the local neighborhood
The history of a school in one frame: We reached out to all former principals of the school from 2000 to today for a virtual encounter. Understanding where we came from helped us to think into future.
2. Rethinking the classic celebration. Designing a set of event formats.
Could all of these goals be achieved through one single event? No.
Instead, I decided on a multi-format approach, drawing on what our partners already do well and adapting the format to each audience.
For the German Canadian Chamber of Commerce (AHK), it became an afternoon virtual event for their members. For the Consulate, a formal reception. For the Goethe-Institut, an open film afternoon for families.
This diversity of event forms allowed us to communicate with different audiences in different registers.
In “Growing Up as a Business” we collaborated with the German Canadian Chamber of Industry and Commerce and invited three business leaders for a virtual rountable to talk about different perspectives of growth.
3. Invite or involve? Defining the roles of our partners.
Being invited is nice. Being involved is better.
From the start, we asked not only who should be present, but also how. In what ways could our partners contribute? What perspectives could they share? Which roles would feel right and meaningful for them?
We tried to avoid symbolic presence. Instead, we looked for real dialogue and genuine collaboration.
Instead of inviting the Consul General to our school, we suggested holding the reception at the consulate. A collaborative choice that respected their role and helped us connect with a wider circle.
4. Creating resonance. Connecting with a shared narrative.
Was there a theme that reflected something essential about our school and at the same time spoke to others on a personal level? We found it in the phrase Growing Up.
A term that can be read in many ways: personal and professional, institutional and emotional. It became the thread tying our anniversary year together: From the question of what it means to grow up as a school, to our joint event with the AHK, Growing Up as a Business, where business leaders reflected on their own journeys of development and growth.
In Voices of GIST, our students became interviewers, capturing stories of alumni and partners, and collecting reflections on what growing up meant to them. The anniversary became not a celebration of the past, but an invitation to think forward.
Who do you want to become when you grow up? Visitors of our school shared their thoughts.
5. Making it happen. Framing participation with care.
Participation is often a buzzword. But meaningful participation needs clarity. And respect for people’s time, skills, and resources.
That’s why we didn’t just ask who could participate, but also how. We created spaces that invited input without overwhelming. That gave room for ownership while still offering guidance.
Students, for example, developed their own projects for the anniversary and designed a storytelling format featuring voices from the GIST community. Or when designing a talent show, we made sure that they were accompanied by performance experts of our school community.
25 Years Growing Up - The Anniversary Program:
1. When I grow up
A participatory installation in the entrance hall of GIST
2. Happy Birthday GIST
Reception hosted by the German Consulate General Toronto
3. Voices of GIST
A storytelling project: Students interview alumni and partners about Growing Up
4. Growing Up as a Business
Panel discussion in partnership with the AHK—featuring leaders from a startup, a mid-sized business, and a large enterprise
5. The Principals’ Conference
A virtual gathering of all former GIST principals, reflecting on what it means to grow as a school
6. Goethe-KidsKino
A family film afternoon with two short films on childhood and growing up
7. 25 Year Fest
A summer festival for families, friends, and the extended school community