MS SEW Highlights Creative and Collaborative Endeavors

The focus of this year’s Special Emphasis Week (SEW) in the middle school centered around the Expected Schoolwide Learning Results (ESLRs) of Creative and Collaborative. Over the course of the week, our Oasis students heard from four speakers, each bringing the theme to life in a unique and inspiring way. Students also engaged in activities that required collaborative efforts and creative problem-solving.

Kicking off SEW was Angela Choe, former New York litigator and co-founder of Cold Spring Organic. She spoke to students about pursuing their passion. She shared her journey transitioning from academic success at Georgetown, Columbia, and Yale to moving to Seoul in 2019 to pursue a creative endeavor. Angela guided students through the exploration of their short-term goals, emphasizing the importance of incorporating values and emotions alongside logical thinking in decision-making. The students also had the opportunity to enjoy one of the wholesome organic popsicles produced by her company.

The second day of SEW featured Andrea Park, a material science engineer, entrepreneur, and recent Cornell graduate. Andrea is dedicated to solving some of the challenges faced in material science innovation and has actively contributed to creating more eco-friendly, inclusive, and kinder living environments through her BeTheChange Campaign and work with ComeUnity. Our students were able to view her innovative products, ranging from eco-friendly bags to seashell-based plastics and algae-based bags. 

On Thursday, our students were greeted by John-Michael Becker of the Oak Tree Project. In November, YISS hosted and participated in the Oak Tree Run, raising funds to provide scholarships for Korean orphans. For SEW, John-Michael shared his personal passion, how he is using creativity to address the problem, and how we as a community can collaborate. 

For our final day of SEW, one of YISS’s own, Todd Martinez, spoke to students about art and creativity. He shared with them the journey of his 61 sketchbooks and the lessons behind them. Mr. Martinez gave each student a handmade sketchbook to start in class and finish on their own. 

We are excited to see how the seeds planted from this week grow in our students!