What exactly is sustainability? Is it just a “oh let’s do good things for the environment” or “let’s use less plastic?” I’ve never had to answer that question myself. I understood the importance of the topic, yet it always seemed to be looked over. It felt like I needed a push to get started or even take interest in these topics, and that is why when my friend mentioned the Youth for SDGs, it definitely sparked my interest. Personally, I’ve never had an experience with competitions ever before but Youth for SDGs was extremely attractive as it encourages youth such as Gen Z, the newest generation, born between 1997-2015 and 6-24 years old, to create a brighter future by discovering ways to impact SDGs (sustainable development goals) through crafted projects.
Sustainability has always been an interest of mine, and especially as I struggle to create anything close to a fully-sustainable lifestyle on a day to day basis, I thought this would be a great first step. Speaking to professionals and peers from other international school communities expanded my knowledge about sustainability in Thailand and throughout the world. Even though Youth for SDGs took place online, it was truly plenty of fun. By referring to “fun,” the event itself even briefly turned into a chaotic, yet thrilling place when a topic about “how to make cereal” was brought up. It was so funny how such a simple topic could turn controversial so quickly, even making it onto what we called “Tarra merch,” where the mascot was paired up with a bowl of cereal. It was not just the sustainability topics that made this event memorable, but it was these moments filled with giggles and laughter as well.
There were so many incredible ideas from other schools and even from the RIS community, I can say for myself that I valued every minute of the event. We worked extremely hard, even to the very last minute, and applauded for actually submitting the project on time. Our project focused on solving the issue of youth unemployment due to covid-19 fallouts in Thailand, where we divided the solutions into a public sector (revolving around governments and companies) and a private sector (revolving around individuals) while carrying out the agricultural aspect, one of the most important businesses in Thailand, into the project. My teammates and I were really overwhelmed and impressed with the work created by others. This is why it was such a shock when the final top 3 was revealed. Our team Sproutz was one of them! I remember vividly sitting on a soft-cushioned gray couch, typing so aggressively to my friends with pure confusion and excitement. Our hard work was really paying off. We are thankful for the judges who brought us into consideration and the peers who supported us during the events. Receiving the position of 3rd place was rewarding for our hard work, and I especially feel gratitude towards my teammates for making this one of the best times when online lessons were in place.
The event in the long run made me continue the habit of implementing sustainability and satisfying those goals on a regular basis. Working as part of an environment club, I had the opportunity to bring back ideas and even plans. Sharing these experiences with my club members, we had the opportunity to start a new project revolving around recycling plastic. This event, the Youth for SDGs, reminded me of the most important factor that even us YOUTHS, we can make a difference. Even though these are just small steps, I’m sure we can make big changes if we just take them one at a time!
Staff Writer, Sirin (Cream) Luckanasutin can be reached at sirinl23@rism.ac.th. Follow her on Instagram @cream.lk
Editor-In-Chief and Illustrator, Manyasiri (Pear) Chotbuwong can be reached at manyasiric23@rism.ac.th. Follow her on Instagram @peary.chot
