CAS

Project Week Final Reflection

CAS

LO7-Recognise and consider the ethics implications of choices and actions.

The trip was a success. In the end, we managed to pull together all of our planning and implement it. Something we had to consider during the trip was how we would conduct activities with the girls at the shelter. We wanted to avoid voluntourism – it was important that our actions had a sustainable and lasting impact.

This was why we chose to do recreational activities such as playing sports, dancing, or reading with them rather than something like teaching english. We felt that these activities would allow us to best connect with the girls despite a language barrier while also developing the relationship between this NGO and UWC for future project week groups.

In the end, we also gave the organisation a donation from out of our budget which would be able to fund all the girls’ meals for two months.

During the trip, we also had to acknowledge other ethical considerations such as supporting local businesses. We made sure to eat in local restaurants with mostly traditional Vietnamese food rather than international food chains.

Ultimately, I felt that this experience really made us far more independent, resilient, and aware of the consequences our actions can have on others.

Project Week Planning Reflection (Preparation)

CAS

LO5 – Demonstrate the skills and recognise the benefits of working collaboratively

The planning and preparation stage for this trip was one of the most challenging things that we had to get through as a group. I don’t think we would have been able to complete all the necessary steps if we didn’t work collaboratively. However, we encountered multiple challenges along the way.

As a group, we were very open to one another’s ideas and willing to work together – there were few internal problems. One of our strengths was also that we were very organised (for example, we immediately created a folder with all of the documents needed for the whole process). However external circumstances proved challenging along the way.

We played to our strengths and divided up the different parts of the trip (activity, service, accommodation) amongst the members. But there were many problems with communication along the way. Our NGO replied to us very sporadically and infrequently. This made it hard for members in charge of logistics, as they weren’t able to solidify any plans until very late in the planning process. Even though we tried to maintain clear channels of communication and tried our best to keep updating the planning document, this was a significant challenge that we only overcame after contacting the NGO multiple times as a group. I think that if we were planning this trip individually, it would have been much easier to give up and find alternatives. But since we were all determined together, it felt much easier to persevere after what we originally wanted.

Another significant challenge we faced near the end was the miscommunication between some of the members in the group. Not everyone was clear with the activity option we originally wanted to do, especially since some members still didn’t have parental consent. This caused a few problems in terms of logistics again, and there was some frustration. I think since we were a larger group, miscommunication was one of our biggest concerns. However, by the end of the process we learnt how to work together in an effective manner by meeting once or twice a week to discuss the updated plan while also using an online group chat.

 

Project Week Initial Reflection (Investigation)

CAS

LO6 – Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance.

The initial phase of project week was probably the most successfully we were able to achieve things as a group. We had grouped together based on our passion for pertinent global issues such as sexual abuse and women’s rights. We wanted to create tangible change and distance ourselves from the detrimental aspects of voluntourism. This was why we researched multiple organisations within the region to volunteer at while also considering some which would have existing relationships with the school. We felt that by choosing an organisation with this foundational relationship, we would create more sustainable and long-lasting change: perhaps future project week groups could go there too.

This was why we ultimately settled on volunteering at “The Little Rose Shelter” in Ho Chi Minh City. The NGO supports and cares for young girls who have been exposed to sexual abuse or human trafficking in some way. For a week, we hoped to engage in recreational activities with these girls while also providing some sort of donation out of our budget for the trip. As a group, we realised that Ho Chi Minh was a place a lot of groups wanted to go to. Since we cared deeply for this issue, we worked quite effectively together (by dividing up the work) to write up a proposal that we were proud of.

STEM CLUB: Final Reflection

CAS

LO5-Demonstrate the skills and recognise the benefits of working collaboratively.

In sessions, we were all working hard to publish our individual projects onto our website (https://stemclubuwcsea.wordpress.com/). Although the objective was for us to create projects independently, I realised the importance of relying on the people around you to edit, refine, and improve your own work. I found this out primarily through the process of peer editing we implemented.

It’s easy to get defensive over your work. But I found that there was real value in listening to suggestions from my peers about my work: what other ideas I could implement, advice to remove long-winding sentences from my writing, and simple grammatical changes. I also found that listening to alternative perspectives helped me broaden my own views on the issue I chose to write about.

For instance, in my article I chose to discuss the implications of asteroid mining. I was originally writing solely about the economic and social repercussions of this phenomenon. But after discussing with some of the members in the club, I found that there were so many more issues I could incorporate into my article such as the political tensions and legal consequences over ownership of land in space. I found it fascinating that my perspective broadened so much after hearing out others’ opinions.

Ultimately, this process really helped me achieve the level of breadth I was aiming to cover in my article. Here is the link: https://stemclubuwcsea.wordpress.com/2018/08/19/what-lies-beyond-us-the-implications-of-asteroid-mining/

Memoirs of a Pioneer Generation (Writing our Article and Building Friendships)

CAS

LO2: Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process

This season, I faced a significant challenge in the form of a language barrier. The woman I was interacting with, Yapiang Aunty, could only speak mandarin. Initially, I thought I could overcome the barrier by engaging in drawing activities or card activities with her. However, instructions were also hard to explain and I could find out anything meaningful about her life. Ultimately, I convinced one of my friends, Karen, to help me translate. This was a more effective long-term solution and we ended up shaping a powerful story of aunty’s fierce independence throughout her life. Despite finding a translator in the end, I learnt that there are ways of overcoming a language barrier without one. Miming and acting were my best friends in this process. I realised that persistence, resilience, and patience were also key during the season.

By the end of the season, we were able to write an article about Aunty, which I consider to be a measure of my success in overcoming my challenges.

I was able to work on a range of skills, especially my communication abilities and collaboration. I learnt to become more patient, open, and clear when trying to express my thoughts, because I didn’t want anything to get lost in translation. I am also quite introverted, so this service was a great opportunity for me to push myself out of my comfort zone and work on my collaboration.

STEM Club: Individual Projects

CAS

LO7: Considering the ethical implications of actions

Over the past two seasons, our club transitioned from a discussion based format onto a project-based one. The other leaders and I introduced an individual project which would allow each member of the club to explore a chosen field of stem in the context of society, economy, or policy. We would then publish their projects (coming in a variety of forms like videos, reports, infographics) on our own website. Like last season, the other leaders and I had planned a timeline for our initiated activities and made sure to give a clear overview to the other members of what we were looking for. We were going to check on progress by giving feedback on first drafts of the projects. However, this was a major hurdle we faced. A majority of the group did not stick to the given timeline and we had to end up extending many deadlines. Under normal circumstances, we would have reprimanded the club a bit more, but we made a conscious choice to let everyone have more time because we realised that everyone was under a lot of pressure. We decided not to make people more stressed, but we did set a final deadline which was still realistic.

There was a significant ethical challenge that I faced as well. As the leader of the club, there are certain responsibilities that I need to take care of. However a lot of the time, this comes with the challenge of balancing what my friends want. A few of the members of the club are some of my closest friends. At times, they ask if I can bend the rules (e.g. extend deadlines or help them edit early) for them because I’m their friend. As a friend, I would have loved to do that. But as one of the organisers, I know this would give them an unfair disadvantage. Although I knew it would be an awkward choice to outright tell them I couldn’t help them, I decided to anyway because I knew the principles I needed to uphold.

 

SEAMC: Action + Demonstration

CAS

LO5: Working together to achieve an outcome

Planning and running SEAMC was one of the hardest yet most rewarding things I have ever done. This year, our organisational committee was faced with the challenge of preparing students for the competition while also partaking in the logistical aspect of hosting. I can confidently say that the outcome of our efficient and targeted planning was a success, especially in regards to how our school’s team performed. We were able to take home many medals and placed 2nd overall, which was an unprecedented feat in UWC’s history.

A major challenge that my fellow planners and I faced was during the week of the competition however. We were given the task of opening the competition with an hour long presentation as well as providing help with running the different rounds. We were only given a week’s notice for this and without our effective communication and organisation, we wouldn’t have been able to pull it off. This was also a personal challenge for me, because I absolutely dread public speaking. I grew into a more confident and self-assured person after presenting to over 300 people and helping them throughout the weekend. It was a great experience of personal growth.

It was thanks to the fellow organisers, teachers, and staff that we were also able to execute this event successfully. We obviously faced challenges with logistics, timings, delivering questions, and the results, but it was ultimately through the support of everyone that we were able to overcome them. For instance, Joanna (another organiser) and I faced the problem of having a lot of volunteers drop out on the last day, so we had to divide the work between ourselves to get everything done instead. It was challenging, but worth it.

Something interesting that we also had to address was an important ethical dilemma. As the organisers of the competition, we had access to everyone’s tests, results, and the questions in the rounds. But we had to be incredibly responsible about maintaining their secrecy. It was an interesting for me to experience such an unfamiliar responsibility, because normally this sort of stuff is taken care of by teachers or other adults. I think it was an important lesson for us to learn for the future; we now knew the etiquette and the trust that comes with leadership.

SEAMC Highlight Reel

Yoga: Final Reflection

CAS, Uncategorized

LO4: Showing perseverance, resilience, and commitment to activities

I participated in yoga for two seasons and I can say with confidence that my fitness level improved. Since I am asthmatic, it was very important that I stayed committed to this activity. I was able to demonstrate this resilience and commitment by attending the weekly sessions, challenging myself with harder poses, and practicing yoga at home with my mom. Maintaining motivation for me was easy because of the wonderfully supportive community during the sessions. Additionally, I knew I was doing the activity to improve my health, which helped me to keep working hard. Although at times it was challenging, especially going on a Monday afternoon (during which I just wanted to go home and sleep), the positive outcomes from the activity outweighed any arguments I had. Every Monday, I saw myself going home relaxed and calm, ready to work.

Kahaani: Final Rehearsals + Performance (Demonstration)

CAS

LO5: Working together to achieve an outcome

Kahaani Full Dress Rehearsal

This phase of Kahaani, I feel, is the most important. I saw this as the time as our group showed the most development and growth. It was remarkable how we went from being sloppy and uncoordinated to one of the most in-sync and energetic performances in the show. I think there were so many important factors that shaped this process. The first was definitely our collaboration as a group. We initially faced a lot of challenges (which were expected of a dance show), but it was our ability to put aside our differences and continuously make time for extra practice which was what helped us overcome them. Everyone’s enthusiasm and commitment throughout the process only further motivated me to stay committed to the process. Their supportive attitudes were also key in making me more resilient when I failed. I would say that this collaboration was crucial in shaping our performance to what it was on the day of the show. I think this experience was spectacular and completely worth it, despite all of the time I had to dedicate to it. This time commitment only helped me manage my time and balance my school work with activities better. I would not have traded this experience for the world.