REFASHIONING IN ACTION
The project has three main objectives:
First, it aims to familiarize students with the concept of the Circular Economy through a programme called "Circular School." The intention is to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of how the Circular Economy operates and its significance in promoting sustainable practices.
Second, the project seeks to create an emotional connection with the students, making them aware that they are integral contributors to the chain of sustainable living. By involving students emotionally, the project aims to instill a sense of responsibility and ownership in promoting eco-friendly behaviors and adopting circular practices.
Last, the project aims to evaluate the long-term impact of student participation in fostering a circular living mindset. By conducting assessments and measurements, the project aims to gauge the effectiveness of the educational approach in cultivating lasting behavioral changes and a deeper commitment to sustainable living practices.
During the initial introduction to the project, Changkat Primary School management’s passionate attitude and behavior towards circular practices immediately captured the students' interest in the subject. Following the introduction, the students were exposed to a series of videos aimed at familiarising them with the importance of sustainable living and the need for circular practices.
To gain a deeper understanding of the stakeholders' perspectives, the students were tasked with conducting face-to-face interviews and surveys. The close involvement and scrutiny of the project mentors ensured that the students' planned questions aligned with the project's expectations, leading to relevant and insightful results.
Throughout the semester, weekly in-class discussions and individual team consultations were conducted to sustain the students' interest and keep their team's progress on track.
As the semester progressed, the students were inspired to expand their research beyond their assigned stakeholders' scope. They actively sought out additional viewpoints by engaging experts, individuals related to the school uniform industry, and interest groups.
The project provided a comprehensive learning experience by combining the project mentors and Changkat Primary School management’s passion, multimedia resources, practical interviews, and open exploration. This approach not only sparked students' interest but also encouraged them to actively explore and embrace circular practices and sustainable living beyond the confines of the classroom.
During their reflections, the students discussed several noteworthy points that emerged from their engagement with the Circular School project and the concept of Circular economy. Firstly, they expressed a greater familiarity with the Circular economy and understood the driving force behind the Changkat Primary School’s passionate pursuit of this initiative.
The students also lamented their previous practice of discarding used uniforms without considering their potential for alternative uses. Through the project, they learned that used uniforms could be repurposed and given new life, leading to a shift in their perspective on waste.
Their research into the detrimental impact of the "Throw away culture" provided them with compelling evidence. Notably, they observed changes in their own behavior, such as avoiding the use of plastic bags for lunch boxes, opting for reusable drink bottles, and becoming more conscious of excessive packaging for food items.
An interesting discovery made during the project was the success story of Refash, a popular used clothing shop started by a former SMU student. This success story piqued the interest of some students, igniting aspirations of pursuing a career in the Circular Economy.
Furthermore, the abundance of upcycled products and objects created from old Changkat Primary School uniforms served as inspiration for certain students, motivating them to explore similar creative endeavors with their own uniforms and apparel.
Overall, the project proved to be an eye-opening and transformative experience for the students, as it not only exposed them to the Circular economy concept but also instilled a sense of responsibility and creativity in embracing circular practices for a more sustainable future.
"This project with Changkat Primary School has increased my personal practices of recycling and upcycling to include school uniforms. In the past I have mostly used preloved materials from thrift shops. Through the many discussions and interactions with each team I was able to map the changes in some of the students towards this subject matter. Even though the changes were small but they did reflect the efforts the students were willing to adopt. Their suggestions too had made an impact on the designs of my upcycled products. I am grateful to SMU-X for this project tie-up with CKPS’s Parents-in-Education representatives. It had enriched both my students and I."
- Faculty of COR1301 Leadership and Teambuilding
Students (various):
1. "The project mentors was very nice and friendly. They were also very passionate and grateful when we completed the feasibility study and gave our suggestions towards their project. Their project also inspired me to do better in this report because it touches on sustainability which was something that I believed in strongly."
2. "Very encouraging and cooperative, and would like more opportunities to keep in contact and directly collaborate"
3. "Changkat Primary School mentors are very open and accommodating to our ideas, as well as providing us with adequate feedbacks."
4. "The project that we worked on is a feasibility study of the circular school project. It was definitely quite daunting at the start as the circular school project had too many factors to cover under a feasibility study, but things became clearer when Changkat Primary School and Prof Hanoi came to a conclusion that the feasibility study should be about starting a social enterprise around the circular school project."
5. "I like this project because we can see that they are supportive and helpful in disseminating our survey to our target audience. At the end of the final presentation, I love it when the project mentors shares an overview of what they like. We are grateful for the time they have given us."