Project Week 2025: Learning Through Community Engagement Across Thailand

At UWC Thailand, Project Week is more than a tradition—it’s a transformative experience. As part of the Grade 11 programme, it gives students the chance to step outside the classroom and into communities across Thailand, where they take on meaningful, student-led community engagement projects. From 7–14 June 2025, students engaged in a variety of initiatives that challenged them to collaborate, reflect, and act with purpose.

This immersive week fosters skills such as independence, resilience, and problem-solving—but it also helps students grow in empathy and understanding. Each group took responsibility for the planning and execution of their project, connecting directly with local partners and learning through real-world engagement.

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Across Thailand: A Glimpse into Each Project

• At Earth Home in Chiang Mai, students explored sustainable living through natural building, organic farming, and community-based learning focused on environmentally conscious practices.
• The group working with the Mirror Foundation in Chiang Rai supported the foundation’s work by assisting with a variety of tasks that contributed to its ongoing community initiatives.
• In Bangkok, students at the Mercy Centre contributed to a range of activities supporting children in an underserved urban neighbourhood, gaining insight into grassroots community support systems.
• At Baan Unrak Children’s Home in Kanchanaburi, students engaged in everyday life at the home—helping with practical projects that support the wellbeing of children and strengthen a sense of shared community.
• The group at Yaowawit School in Phang Nga worked alongside educators and students, participating in school activities and cultural exchanges that deepened their appreciation for education as a force for opportunity.
• At Nature Minded, students immersed themselves in environmental education, learning about biodiversity, conservation, and sustainability through direct interaction with the natural world.
• At Plum Village, students visited a temple and experienced mindfulness practices rooted in the Zen teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh, taking time for reflection and cultivating a sense of presence.
• On the island of Koh Panyee, students contributed to community efforts by engaging with the local school, painting shared spaces, and supporting learning through play and creative expression.
• Finally, the PlayYard Group completed their Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award expedition through a multi-day kayaking journey. Travelling along coastal routes, students relied on teamwork, navigation skills, and perseverance as they paddled through open waters—an experience that tested both their physical and mental strength.

Student Voices

“Spending one week at Koh Panyee was nothing short of incredible. Meeting and interacting with a community so vastly different to what I am used to opened my mind. I will remember the time I spent with my group teaching the kids at the school, what we joked about when we were painting the canteen's walls, even how we complained about exhaustion after having to work an entire morning. But if there is something that I will remember and keep close to heart, is the fact that we all did it as a team, and it was an experience that deeply touched all of us.”
— Fernando, grade 11 (El Salvador)

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Learning That Lasts

Whether connecting with children, exploring sustainability, or kayaking under the sun, students returned from Project Week with more than just memories. They brought back new perspectives—on community, on engagement, and on themselves.

At UWC Thailand, Project Week stands as a powerful reminder that education isn’t just about what we learn—it’s about how we engage with the world around us.

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