Written by Aaliyah Anit (Form 5)
The Collaborative Sciences Project, previously known as the Group 4 project, was held from 22 to 23 February 2024.
Our F5 IBDP students dedicated a significant amount of effort to complete the project over the course of two days, providing them with an excellent opportunity to use it as an outlet to express their creativity while applying the concepts of Science.
The project draws inspiration from the pressing environmental issue of plastic waste in Hong Kong. Students worked collaboratively in interdisciplinary groups, each comprising students studying different sciences including Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Environmental Systems & Societies and Design Technology. As a team, their objective was to create an art piece addressing the global issue which could take form in a painting, installation, fashion, or anything!
The Design Technology workshop, reserved specifically for the project, was busy and bustling with students rushing to complete their pieces on time. Demonstrating exceptional dedication and commitment, they utilized every available opportunity to work on their projects as time was of the essence.
Shreyaan from Form 5 was presented with a particular problem, “A challenge we faced was shaping plastics to our desired shapes and size since most of the plastic waste we collected was only designed to withstand some amount of deformation, it made it harder for us to cut the plastics using cutters and shape them afterwards. After experimenting, we ended up using the heat gun from the DT workshop for most of our plastic shaping since it was quick, it smoothened the sharp edges and also was easy to handle.”
Lotta (Form 5) also recalled her experience, “We were worried that our piece was too small compared to others but we decided to make ours more detail-oriented. We decided at the end of the day that all of the Form 5 students were working together to spread the message about plastic pollution and it wasn’t a matter of competition.”
By the end of the second day, students shifted their focus from completing their installations to setting them up on the balcony, eager to showcase their beautifully designed pieces to the rest of the school. The exhibition generated an energetic atmosphere, attracting many teachers and students who were captivated by the intricate designs all while leaving a lasting impact on everyone involved.
When asked about what he has gained from this experience, Marcus (Form 5) answered, “I’ve learned how to utilize plastic waste and give it a second purpose rather than discarding it right away which contributes to non-degradable waste. My awareness towards recycling plastic and making the most use of it has been raised since.”
“I think you guys put a lot of effort and thought into this. I’m really proud to see the results as it’s not just the work that you had to do but you have provided a lot of meaning into the work you have done.” Ms. Guevara, our IBDP coordinator, showing her heartfelt appreciation. She hopes it would not be something that ends here and hopes it actually has a meaning to the students and in the future, they still have that in mind, that concept of not wasting so much and being aware of what they are wearing, what they are consuming and the effect on the environment.”
Lastly, here’s some advice for next year’s cohort, suggested by Kaushiki (Form 5), “Make sure that you and your group mates decide on a message that you are all passionate about and distribute roles early on. Also make sure to use the equipment with care as the teachers and officials trust you enough to give you full access, don’t let them down and most importantly, just have fun because at the end of the day, it’s just a pass or fail.”