Grade 5 WAB students are pioneering the way through the biggest project of their academic careers: The PYP Exhibition.

Presenting live online from around the world this week, WAB students put their learning on display, showcasing their work as part of the IB Primary Years Programme’s culminating task. Students choose global issues, and then create questions, perform research, and use their conclusions to inspire positive change in the world. Normally hosted through the winding corridors of Western Academy of Beijing’s Elementary School building, the 2020 PYPX was exhibited worldwide.

“I like to think of our students as reporters from their place in the world,” said Grade 5 Teacher Leanne Ericson. “Of course, it does have its challenges with the time zones and lack of face-to-face interaction. However, I also think it has brought students together at a time when they may be feeling isolated.”

“The resilience that this group of students and teachers has shown throughout the process is truly remarkable,” said Jonathan Mueller, WAB’s PYP Coordinator. The students have represented our school community well by living the school's mission and core values.

The Grade 5 students launched their dedicated PYPX website on Monday. Community members were invited to explore the different projects and global issues the students were researching and then join their live presentations on Wednesday and Thursday.

The projects covered a range of different issues and topics including human rights, renewable energy, public health, and animal cruelty,

Hayley G. decided to research climate change. She said it was a very important topic to her, because we all care about the planet, and she wants to help people understand what they can do to protect it. Handling the exhibition online, Hayley said, presented several challenges, like technical issues and communication problems. But she was driven to learn as much as she could so that she could make an impact on her audience by creating a researched-based picture book and her live presentation.

“I wish to inspire others to take care our environment. I expect more and more people to know about how serious climate change is from my picture book and do small actions from day-to-day life,” Hayley said. “Everyone cares about our Earth. My hope is that the world becomes more healthy.”

To see more from WAB’s PYP Exhibition from Around the World, visit the PYPX2020 website.