This past weekend from September 15th until the 17th, over 20 of Wells’ high school students attended the 13th annual ServICE Conference at NIST International School! The ServICE conference is a collaborative, largely student-led event organized by various international schools in Bangkok. The aim of the conference is to inspire, connect, and empower students to create meaningful changes within their communities and surrounding environment.

The conference provided students with opportunities to share and learn from each others’ experiences in collaboration with numerous local projects and organizations. This was achieved through various activities, such as the impassioned keynote speeches, ‘How-To’ sessions for students wishing to raise awareness about nationwide NGOs, and most memorably, the ICExperiences where students were able to gain firsthand experience with the missions of nonprofits.

On the first day of the conference, students were welcomed with a lively icebreaker, setting the tone for the day, followed by brief meet & greets from the ICExperiences. Followed by another popular event amongst students: the ICE Fair where organizations sold trinkets and were able to raise awareness and funds for their respective causes. To end the day, ‘How-To’ sessions were introduced as students made their way to the first rounds. Keynote speeches were delivered throughout the day as students reconvened in the auditorium to wind down and listen to their peers’ unique experiences.

The second day of the conference followed a similar schedule to the first day; however, it was far more hands-on as new students had familiarized themselves with the events prior. The icebreaker energized students once more as students immersed themselves within their ICExperiences for the majority of the day. Students were placed in diverse groups giving them the chance to network and mingle with other students while simultaneously supporting community organizations, including RoyRak, Shark Guardians, Rescued Glass, Bangkok Soap Opera and Love Wildlife. Needless to say, countless friendships were formed during these workshops and students were able to collaboratively engage in direct service!

The third day was the most hectic, but the most rewarding as the conference came to an end. It was truly bittersweet as our seniors rejoiced over a successful experience, but realized this would be their last conference. Needless to say, the day went by in a flash with most of the day dedicated to ‘ICE Action Planning’ to spark change for the remainder of the school year, carrying on ServICE’s legacy beyond the conference. The ICE Fair was also brought back for the second time before the closing ceremony, marking the end of the 13th conference. Students bid their newly-made friends goodbye, and promised to cherish the memories made over the past few days and continue inter-school collaboration.

Special acknowledgements to a few of our student leaders: Sana Shibuichi, Rachel Kim, Franny Pandya and Tunn Sayamipuk (Class of 2024) for leading a How-To workshop on repurposing plastic bottles to combat plastic pollution in today’s world and raise awareness of the importance of environmental sustainability.

Overall, all of our students left the conference feeling inspired and empowered. It was energizing to interact and collaborate with peers from other schools. Wells would like to thank NIST for their exceptional job hosting the conference, as well as the teacher advisors for their ongoing support with this event.

We look forward to seeing what students will do with their inspiration from the conference, and how they will continue to make a positive difference in the school and local community. We are also very excited to announce that next year’s conference will be hosted by �ۿ۴�ý at our new Chonburi campus! We look back at the 13th with fondness, and look forward to the promise of the 14th!

The post ServICE Conference 2023 first appeared on �ۿ۴�ý | American International School - Wells.

The post ServICE Conference 2023 appeared first on �ۿ۴�ý | American International School - Wells.

The conference provides students with opportunities to share and learn from each other about experiences and successful projects engaging with service learning in their respective schools and communities. The conference provides a stage for various adult and student keynote speakers to share their passions, “How-To” sessions for students wishing to teach others based on their experiences, and networking opportunities to learn from NGOs sharing  projects across Thailand. Students are also given the opportunity to collaborate and plan future student-led inter-school service learning projects.

On the first day of the conference, students attended service trips, known as Burst Your Bubble (BYB) Trips. Our students visited various organizations, including , , and . During the conference, students listened to inspirational keynote speakers, engaged in icebreaker activities and games, attended How-To workshops, and collaborated in discussions with students from other schools.

A few of our student leaders in our American Sign Language (ASL) Club, Risa Takahashi, Franny Pandya, and Zara Jambusarwalla (Class of 2024) led a How-To workshop to spread awareness about ASL and talk about their club mission and accomplishments.

All of the students left the conference feeling inspired and empowered, which is the goal of ServICE. It was energizing to interact and collaborate with peers from other schools. Wells would like to thank Berkeley for their exceptional job in hosting the conference, as well as the teacher advisors for their engagement and support with this event. 

We are eager to see how these students will turn their inspiration from the conference into action, and how they will continue to make a positive difference in their school and local community!

The post ServICE Conference 2022 first appeared on �ۿ۴�ý | American International School - Wells.

The post ServICE Conference 2022 appeared first on �ۿ۴�ý | American International School - Wells.

The conference provides students with opportunities to share and learn from each other about experiences and successful projects engaging with service learning in their respective schools and communities. The conference provides a stage for various adult and student keynote speakers to share their passions, “How-To” sessions for students wishing to teach others based on their experiences, and networking opportunities to learn from NGOs sharing  projects across Thailand. Students are also given the opportunity to collaborate and plan future student-led inter-school service learning projects.

During the conference, students listened to various keynote speakers, engaged in icebreaker activities and games, attended How-To workshops on topics of interest, and collaborated in discussions with students from other schools.

Two of our student leaders in our American Sign Language (ASL) Club, Risa Takahashi and LiHan Sun (Class of 2024) led a How-To workshop to spread awareness about ASL, talk about their club mission and accomplishments, and teach participants the alphabet.

All of the students left the conference feeling enthusiastic and inspired. It was refreshing to interact and collaborate with peers from other schools. Wells would like to thank International School of Bangkok (ISB) for their exceptional job in hosting the first in-person extracurricular event in a long time, as well as the teacher advisors for their engagement and support with this event. 

We are excited to see how these students will turn their inspiration from the conference into action, and how they will make a positive difference in their school and local community with their bright ideas!

The post ServICE Conference 2022 first appeared on �ۿ۴�ý | American International School - Wells.

The post ServICE Conference 2022 appeared first on �ۿ۴�ý | American International School - Wells.

Annual ServICE Conference

From November 15th until the 17th, twenty-nine of our Wells high school students attended the at International Community School in Bangkok. The ServICE conference is a collaborative, student-led event organized by international schools in Bangkok. The aim of the conference is to inspire, connect and empower students to take appropriate and effective service action to benefit their communities and the environment.

The conference provides students with opportunities to share and learn from each other about experiences and successful projects engaging with service learning in their respective schools and communities. The conference provides a stage for various adult and keynote speakers to share their passions, “How-To” sessions for students wishing to teach others based on their experiences, and a community/NGO fair for networking and sharing  projects across Thailand. Students are also given the opportunity to collaborate and plan future inter-school service learning projects.

Day 1: BYB Trips

Day 1 consisted of various service trips, also known as ‘Burst Your Bubble’ or ‘BYB Trips’, including visits to , , . Other activities included painting, teaching English and playing games with younger students, and a community clean up and creation of recycled art with Grin Green International.

Day 2: Keynotes, How-To Sessions & NGO/Student Organization Fair

On Day 2, some of our students were actively involved in promoting and sharing their clubs and ideas with other students in the inter-school community. PAWS, Greenhawks, Love Ocean Life (LOL), and Korean Club represented Wells co-curricular service clubs with booths to share about the initiatives they are undertaking in their community and raise funds for their respective causes. Our How-To sessions included a ‘How to Initiate a Club or Event’, specifically focusing on Youths for SDGs, an initiative in which many of our current students and alumni are collaborating on, and ‘Friendly Life Hacks’. Another student group also hosted a unique simulation centered around the importance of basic human needs.

Day 3: Keynotes, Simulations & Unconferenced Sessions

And finally, Day 3 was focused on reflecting on the first two days and setting up initiatives or action plans for collaborative projects or shared, inter-school interests during what are known as ‘unconferenced sessions’.

Youth Leadership

Thank you to the students who emerged as leaders during this conference and led How-To sessions, and hosted a simulation or a booth: 

Class of 2022: Cristine, Shreyaa

Class of 2021: Hrithi, Poorvi, Soumili, Muskan, Shradha, Sung-Bin, Riddhi, Gia

Class of 2020: Ruby, Lina, David, Su, Annie

All of the students left the conference feeling energetic and inspired. Wells is excited to see how these students will turn their inspiration from the conference into action, and how they will make a positive difference in their school and local community with their bright ideas and initiatives!

The post ServICE Conference 2019 first appeared on �ۿ۴�ý | American International School - Wells.

The post ServICE Conference 2019 appeared first on �ۿ۴�ý | American International School - Wells.