Sustainability Expo Field Trip
Good Balance, Better World. This was the theme of the 2024 Sustainability Expo that G9 and G10 students had the opportunity to visit on Thursday, October 3rd, 2024.
SX2024 reminded us of issues we collectively need to address in order to create a better world, and showed us an exciting array of local entrepreneurs, artists and businesses already on the way to making a positive change.
The specific exhibits that students engaged with were:
• SEP INSPIRATION: the impact of individual actions on sustainability through interactive exhibits and from leaders in global and national sustainability efforts.
• BETTER ME: adopting a sustainable lifestyle focused on nutrition and mental health to improve long-term personal well-being.
• BETTER LIVING: climate adaptation strategies, innovative solutions, and lifestyle changes aimed at achieving net-zero emissions and mitigating climate change.
• BETTER COMMUNITY: successful social, environmental, and economic projects that foster inclusive communities through collaborations from various sectors.
• BETTER WORLD: artworks that highlight sustainability.
This demonstration of “Good Balance, Better World” across these domains helped students connect deeply with the IB’s mission of fostering international-mindedness by considering the inter-connected layers of individual, local, national and international actions. This trip also aligned with our goals in the MYP programme of contextualizing student learning in real-world, authentic issues that impact our everyday lives.
Ms. Rachel Samson MYP Coordinator
Student Reflections:
The Better Me booth was connected to the SDG 3: Good Health and Well being. They addressed a global community need through using a robot that helps the elderly to make doctor appointments, stores their medical records and appointment history and makes the reception process more streamlined. This booth stood out to me because it uses modern technology such as robots and AI to address global community needs.
Paris (G9)
I liked the climate change countdown booth which is associated with SDG 14 climate change. I like this booth because it tells us how urgent the problem is and how we only have 4 years before it is too late. This booth made me change my view on climate change because at first I thought climate change would take a long time but it is actually fast approaching and we must do something major about it within 4 years.
Kenta (G9)
Thai Union Booth was connected to SDG goal number 14 Life Below Water. The community needed help in making energy, specifically communities near water, so they decided to make water generators that are easy to function for the locals. This booth stood out as it is not about how fancy the invention/program is, but more how functional or how easily the people who actually need it can use it.
Icon (G9)
This booth addresses a community's needs locally. They mainly focus on Thailand's environmental and climate change. They are planning to accelerate the climate transition to ensure our safety against climate change by developing solar panels and studying indexes. My thinking has been affected positively by the booth to care about our environment and understand consequences if not solved or taken seriously with thoughtful action. This stood out to me because my personal project is about the heat in Thailand which is extremely similar. I could take the information I gained from the booth to improve and further develop my product.
booth that really stood out to me was the wheel chair booth. The booth addressed the problem where the population of old people is increasing but less people are giving birth. There are less people who can help themselves. Their solution was to invent machines for old people for them to take care of themselves. After learning more about them my thinking changed. Now I realized I have to help my parents in the future, meaning I should encourage them to exercise to stay healthy. I thought it was very creative and a good idea so it stood out to me, helping the elderly was something I had to experience sooner or later.
I got to visit a sensory simulation, which allowed visitors to experience what it is like to be disabled by losing certain senses like our sight and hearing. For the blind portion, we used a blindfold and walking sticks and learned how to use our other senses to detect our surroundings, and we also got to learn sign language as we immersed ourselves into what it’s like to be deaf. After going through this simulation, I realized how challenging these peoples’ daily lives are. For example, the floor bumps for the blind although they help them navigate to different places, they are actually really hard to use and feel with the walking stick. Plum (G10)
Cheeno (G10)
One
Libang (G10)