On October 9, 2023, the Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) students of SISC filled the Luxembourg Campus walkway with a variety of vibrant booths and immersive educational games for the International Week Fair to promote global mindedness and citizenship.
SHS students from 11-Efficiency, 11-Industry, and 12-Diplomacy set up 11 interactive activity stalls that spread information on countries and unique cultural practices while applying social science disciplines. The whole-day event served as a reminder of the potential impact education can have in fostering an interconnected and culturally aware society.
“With the increasing instability in the world, the International Week Celebration aims to emphasize the importance of an individual's role in society beyond their national borders and equip students with a global perspective to become agents of change in the 21st century and beyond,” said Sir Joseph Aristotle “Greg” Gregorio, the HUMSS Strand Coordinator.
With the main vision of the fair being about encouraging global awareness and understanding, these attention-piquing booths aimed to help Monarchs become much more informed, responsible, and engaged in global issues.
The carefully curated booths ranged from HUMSS topics such as geography, history, psychology, sociology, anthropology, sustainability, and globalization. Monarchs pinned country images on their respective map locations, created their own custom passports, and answered varying trivia questions in some of these booths.
The International Week Fair is the second event of the schoolwide International Week Celebration 2023 and is also its second iteration since last year.
“These booths provide[d] a platform for students from various backgrounds to share their cultures, traditions, and experiences with their peers. This exchange can foster a sense of curiosity and appreciation for the diversity of the world through the exhibits that were displayed,” Sir Greg added. He emphasized that intercultural sharing develops global citizenship.
For 12-Diplomacy student and “World Tour” booth leader Nayoung Kim, this year’s fair marked her second time contributing to the activity She stated that from “these two experiences of making interactive booths for the event, I have come to realize that simply engaging with people from different countries and backgrounds promotes citizenship and mindfulness.”
“Through engaging activities held during the event, we have successfully exposed participants to various cultures, traditions, and customs from around the world. This promotes understanding and appreciation for the diversity of humanity, teaching us that differences should be celebrated,” she continued.
With Monarchs finding the fair as a refreshing and fun opportunity for them to learn more about being much more globally aware in the 21st century, the true heart of this experience is the journey that the teachers and HUMSS students went through to execute such an event.
Sir Greg was delighted that the HUMSS students have put their best efforts into practice for this event, expressing that “[I have observed a] commendable display of the 5Cs - Competence, Commitment to Achieve, Creativity, Character, and Cooperation. This was vividly evident as students dedicated themselves to the meticulous conceptualization of their booths.”
Kimoon “Martin” Kim of 11-Industry, who oversaw the “Odd Ones Out” booth, said that “The HUMSS students showcased their dedication to fostering open-mindedness and civic engagement at the event by creating elaborate booths that featured engaging activities, fostering teamwork and collaboration and highlighting the unique qualities of our academic strand in an enjoyable and significant manner”
His classmate, Matthew Mariano who was a member of the “Sociology Photo Booth,” said he felt that “one aspect that many members of our society, regardless of generation, lack is awareness. Initiatives like these, particularly those led by the youth, offer a means to address this and give light to relevant social issues while at the same time having fun.”
The International Week Fair 2023 proved to be a success among its participants. As the event concluded, it left a resonating message to Monarchs: education has the power to shape global citizens. The event not only fostered a sense of curiosity and appreciation for global awareness, but it also successfully equipped the Monarchs with the tools and perspectives needed to navigate an interconnected world.
The International Week Celebration 2023 began with the Chuseok and Mid-Autumn Festival hosted by the General Academic Strand. Previously, the International Week Fair 2022 served as the very first onsite International Week activity since quarantine learning, and the first student-led initiative for the said celebration.
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