Middle School Students Showcase Impactful Learning in Exhibition

Middle School students put their year’s worth of work on display last week, showcasing how they applied their learning to make a positive impact in their communities.

The Middle School PLEx and Community Project Exhibition was a demonstration of ICS’s commitment to innovative learning and empowering students to take on real-world challenges through critical thinking and problem-solving. PLEx (for Grades 6 and 7) and the Community Project in Grade 8 are unique programs which offer students the chance to identify a need in their local or global community and tie their personal interests to create a project which addresses it. You can find an album to view and download photos here.

Students worked on a range of different topics, including combatting child malnourishment in Ethiopia, encouraging environmental sustainability on campus and in Addis Ababa, advocating for gender quality, developing marketing campaigns, and writing and donating bilingual children’s books to promote literacy.

Students Hafsa, Nia, Mei Li, and Veronica hosted a drinks sale at the PTO’s Community Market and used the funds they raised to write and publish a children’s book in English and Amharic. Inspired by the high school service club Read to the Future, Hafsa and her team donated the books, as well as sanitary items purchased with their leftover money, to Mekdela School, a local school ICS students have supported with several initiatives.

As part of their process, before taking action, Hafsa’s team met with the director of Mekdela and interviewed them about the school’s mission, history, and most urgent needs.

“What I learned in the process was that things take a lot of time to do and in trying to help a community, you need patience and tolerance. It is all part of real life and developing these skills now helps you in the future,” Hafsa said.

"The Community Project has given me a chance to learn how to take responsibility for something and actually see it through, even when things get tough.”

For students Amanuel, Rayan, and Yonah, the focus was on supporting international organizations in Addis who are working to combat childhood malnourishment. The team hosted a basketball tournament fundraiser on the ICS campus and organized a game between students and their teachers, as well as UNICEF staff, making a donation which was matched by the organization. They also spent time educating their peers through events and campaigns on campus to rally support.

On top of learning about the issue they chose, Amanuel said he developed skills related to critical thinking, professional communication, conflict-resolution, and event management.

The Community Project humbled me,” Amanuel said in reflection. “The Community Project forced me to think about people outside the little bubble that surrounds ICS. The Community Project really connected with me and allowed me to think about what I'm doing to help people outside ICS. When I realized that I wasn't doing anything, I really wanted to change that fact and help.”

On top of a chance to share their work with the community, the Exhibition was also a chance for students to celebrate their learning with family and friends through a community picnic on the grounds surrounding the middle school building.

At ICS Addis, we believe that every student has the potential to achieve greatness, and our innovative learning programs provide learners with the tools they need to make a difference in the world. PLEx and the Community Project are just two examples of how ICS is preparing students to be leaders and change-makers in their communities and beyond. To find out more, visit our Learn page.