After months of work and preparation, they shared four powerful presentations on sustainable design, political literacy, the psychology of identity, and the balance of creativity against stress. It was a day of sparking ideas and building connections with the wider international school community, and we invite you to experience the event through the following student reflection.
Linete, Grade 11: When did productivity replace purpose?
People are part of systems. We’ve always known that, but when did we allow productivity to replace purpose? I explored this for a TED talk and I think it is so important to become aware of the consequences of letting systems around us shape who we are.
I chose this topic after noticing how often people, including myself, follow routines, algorithms and expectations from others without really questioning them. I realised how easy it is to just “go along” with things and do whatever you’re told. And it's something worth raising awareness about, especially in a school community.
Right before stepping up on stage to present I felt excited. I felt excited and confident to spread something worth raising awareness about. But what most people don’t see is what happens behind the scenes. The confidence and clarity comes from hours and hours of work I spent writing, rewriting, practicing and rehearsing my script.
But even so, during the talk, I would lose myself and go off script. But instead of stopping, I paused, breathed and refocused on my point. I learned that communication doesn’t have to be perfect to be effective. And I hope the audience left with greater awareness of their own thinking and began to question what influences them. Even a small change in perspective would make the talk meaningful.