In December 2024, students from Clark Memorial International High School participated in an event as a culmination of their year-long lessons. Below, we are delighted to share the students’ reflections and future outlook from this experience!
At Clark Memorial International High School, students engaged in Life Design classes in collaboration with Seibo Japan for approximately one year. Through these sessions, they learned extensively about Malawi and its unique stories. The lessons were conducted over several sessions, and guests from various countries joined to share their insights.
For more details, please check the article here.
Students also had hands-on opportunities to explore Malawi further, including coffee tastings and viewing coffee bean replicas.
The idea for this event originated from an assignment in class where students were tasked with creating and presenting event proposals based on various themes. Our proposal, which was selected, led to the realization of this event.
Rather than simply selling coffee, we aimed to incorporate enjoyable and interactive elements to engage participants. This concept aligned with the idea of hosting workshops, which allowed us to bring the event to life.
When brainstorming ideas under the theme of “A Christmas project to showcase the appeal of Malawi,” the following suggestions emerged:
Decorating cookies to enjoy alongside coffee or milk.
Creating Malawi-themed charms by replicating Lake Malawi using resin.
Ultimately, we chose the charm-making workshop for its potential to leave a lasting impression and were invited to collaborate with Ms. Yamada to execute this workshop.
We carefully selected materials needed for the workshop, balancing them against budget constraints. After school, we conducted trial runs to estimate production times and identify necessary tools.
We also held online meetings with the Seibo Japan team during weekends to coordinate efforts and experimented with different molds to refine the charm-making process. Additionally, we worked on optimizing workflows for the event day.
Production Time: Approximately 20 minutes
Steps:
-Pour resin liquid into the mold.
-Add coloring agents and mix to create desired patterns.
-Colors used: yellow, blue, white.
-Harden the resin using a UV light.
-Resin hardens in sunlight, so outdoor activities must be conducted in shaded areas.
-Ensure staff are present to supervise, as resin can be hazardous if it comes into contact with eyes. Gloves must always be worn.
-Conduct the workshop on a flat, clean surface to avoid contamination from dust or sand.
Depending on the UV light type, ensure a power source is available.
To deepen participants’ understanding, we also created posters and materials explaining how to repurpose coffee grounds.
-Posters:
-Coffee Ground Reuse Ideas:
Being able to participate in this event taught us invaluable lessons, from interacting with customers to managing on-the-ground logistics. Every moment, from the smallest details to the larger-scale planning, became a learning opportunity.
The preparation phase also deepened our understanding of customer needs, making the sense of accomplishment even greater upon completion.
Having the chance to explore environmental topics enriched our knowledge and inspired a strong desire to share these learnings with others. We are deeply grateful for this incredible opportunity‼
