Innovation in Action: Real-World Problem Solving at WAB’s STEMX Science Day

From diagnosing disease to training algorithms and navigating uncertainty, today’s STEM challenges demand deep learning, research, and interdisciplinary knowledge, alongside creativity and teamwork. That mindset was on full display at WAB’s STEMX Science Day, a student-led event designed by the STEMX club and hosted for visiting students from across Beijing’s international school community, including from BIBA, THIS, ISB, DCB, and Stanford Online. 

STEMX is a student-led High School club that brings together learners who love understanding how things work and turning that curiosity into action. Each year, the team hosts STEMX Science Day, inviting students from international schools across Beijing to rotate through hands-on challenges designed, tested, and run entirely by STEMX members. In one challenge, students simulated an artificial intelligence network: a neural network and reinforcement learning system. Through this experience, students gained a tangible understanding of how algorithms are trained, how patterns are recognized, and how decisions are refined through feedback. 

In another rotation, students used Google’s Simple Machines platform to build and train an AI model capable of detecting skin cancer. This required participants to think critically about data: what training data is needed, how examples influence accuracy, and why ethical and reliable data matters. The session concluded with a Kahoot quiz that tested students’ understanding in a fast-paced, interactive way. 

The third challenge focused on robotics and applied AI, with students working hands-on with AI-powered Raspbot cars to explore computer vision and machine learning. After a brief introduction to different models, including ultrasonic sensing, autopilot, gesture following, and color tracking, teams selected, adapted, and refined a function to navigate their car through a maze. With minimal guidance on which model would perform best, students tested ideas, troubleshot in real time, and optimized their approach collaboratively. Through direct experimentation, they discovered the strengths and limitations of different AI models, gaining insight into how machine learning is used in real-world automated vehicle systems. 

The event included an inspiring keynote presentation on AI in Medicine, from Dr. Lurong Pan, researcher and CEO of Ainnocence. Drawing on her extensive experience in computational biology and the search for novel treatments, she shared some of the frontiers of AI in healthcare and the pathways that might be available to our learners.  

"It was really great teaching the kids about artificial intelligence and seeing them engage with the activities. My greatest takeaway was learning how to adapt my presentation style to different types of audiences. Since the groups were younger students (Grades 6-9), I had to simplify many concepts and language in the presentation so the kids would understand. Later in the afternoon, as the kids got a bit tired, we had to change the pace of our activities and be more engaging with them,” shared STEMx member Anna (Grade 11). 

STEMX Science Day builds on the club’s earlier achievements. Last school year, their first iteration included workshops for Middle and High School students, culminating in the school’s first interschool Science Day. These earlier initiatives set the foundation for the high-impact, student-led challenges seen at this year’s Science Day, demonstrating the club’s ongoing commitment to creativity, collaboration, and making STEM learning engaging for all ages. 

Reflecting on the day, incoming STEMX leader Myron (Grade 11) said: “I had a lot of fun running this event! I enjoyed MCing the opening ceremony and helping out during Jeopardy. I also co-led the AI & Machine Learning activity with Anna, where students simulated a working AI. A key challenge was managing our preparation time, as we spent countless hours perfecting activities. This involved meeting outside of club sessions, coordinating with 8th-grade homerooms for testing, and more.” 

STEMx leader Hannah (Grade 12) added: “This event required constant improvisational problem-solving. The real challenge was staying composed despite the risk of failure and leading the team to resolve problems collectively. I realized that building and leading a team is not only about delivering a successful event, but also about strengthening relationships among members.” 

“What makes STEMx exciting is its approach to leadership and learning,” she continued. “The club operates more like a startup than a traditional school club, encouraging all members to contribute to planning, execution, and innovation.” Students take ownership in different areas, for instance troubleshooting robots, designing challenges, creating visual materials, or coordinating logistics. This means that leadership is shared and everyone has the agency and opportunity to step up in different ways. Curiosity and a willingness to contribute are the only prerequisites, not prior mastery of STEM subjects. 

STEMX represents a new avenue to explore STEM education, fostering collaboration and more opportunities for project-based learning. The impact is both internal and external: participants gain knowledge through the challenges, while STEMX team members develop skills by creating and running the event, learning to code, troubleshoot, and design in real time. Looking ahead, STEMX hopes to continue shaping the future of STEM at WAB, integrating its innovative approach with the wider school curriculum and inspiring the next generation of problem-solvers. 

“We are really proud of the students and their capacity to innovate, care, and make complex topics accessible and engaging to young learners,” says Director of Innovation (and STEMX co-supervisor) Stephen Taylor. “This is agency at work, as they ideate, learn and solve problems at multiple levels.” Ian Featherer, IBDP Coordinator (and co-supervisor) adds “the best learning happens when the students are wise enough to know how to get started and what help they need, yet courageous enough to dive into action and make it happen!”  

This year, through our Innovation Series, in collaboration with Stephen Taylor, our Director of Innovation, we’ll be sharing stories and examples of what innovation looks like across WAB. We’ll share stories from classrooms, examples from alumni, and insights from global partners. Our hope is that together, we can build a clearer picture of how innovation at WAB helps our students become better learners and prepared for life beyond WAB.