Sustainability and Innovation Take Roots in HighScope Indonesia

Integrating automation and robotics to solve real-world challenges

The world continues to change at an unpredictable speed, and so do the challenges rising in the education sector, ranging from global pandemics and environmental disasters to shifts in values, cultural transformations, and even economic instability. In addition, technology is advancing rapidly, offering the public easy access to artificial intelligence, virtual reality, augmented reality, and other groundbreaking innovations. One of the 4 Pillars of Indonesia's Vision 2045 (Indonesia Emas 2024) includes “Human Development and Mastery of Science and Technology” by enlightening the nation’s livelihood. The current generation faces challenges on an unprecedented scale. They are bombarded with a constant stream of information and are becoming increasingly reliant on quick-fix solutions. They are at risk of experiencing a monotonous learning journey. In lieu of these issues, Sekolah HighScope Indonesia has been striving to provide innovative and effective solutions to answer these challenges.

Since its establishment in 1996, SHI has been committed to developing children's decision-making abilities through a unique and practical approach to learning. The school's curriculum is designed to provide students with various experiences that hone their skills for decision-making. At SHI, students learn mathematics, science, and language through projects that discuss natural and social phenomena occurring in the world. They are taught to solve problems using learner outcomes, which comprise eight life skills that are included in the curriculum for each subject. These skills include: Synergistic Collaboration, Creativity & Innovation, Audience-Centered Communication, Expert thinking, Adaptability & Agility, Metalevel Reflection, Ethical Leadership, and Empathetic Social Skills.

The Sekolah HighScope Indonesia Sustainable Innovation Fair (SIF) is an annual event that began in 2020. Its main objective is to help K–12 students sharpen their forward-thinking and problem-solving skills by utilizing design thinking as a process for innovation. The festival also aims to raise awareness about sustainability by providing a platform for students to practice and enhance their expert thinking skills, creativity, and innovation. During the event, students are encouraged to explore real-world science problems through design thinking, such as magnetism, environmental impact, and the Earth-Sun-Moon system. They develop creative solutions and continuously monitor their learning by asking thoughtful questions like 'Why does the problem I chose matter?', 'How can I come up with other ideas?', 'Why did I choose this idea?' and 'What can I do differently?'.

The Sustainable Innovation Fair is an exciting opportunity for students to showcase their talents and make a positive impact on the planet. The event culminates in a project showcase, where students present their ideas in various formats, fostering collaboration and learning. They are encouraged to design reusable, energy-efficient solutions and minimize their environmental impact. Through this fair, students can develop critical thinking, scientific understanding, and innovation, all while keeping sustainability in mind.

Sekolah HighScope Indonesia is breaking new ground this year by integrating automation and robotics into science for grade 8–9 students. This breakthrough project is now part of the curriculum. It aims to help students apply their understanding of electricity and electromagnetism to create automated solutions to solve problems they face in their daily lives. Students also apply their skills learned from digital literacy subjects to create complex conditional statements to code their automated solutions. Examples of these automated solutions include an automatic door for a retirement house, a robot helper in a pharmacy, tap water automation, plant watering systems, and evacuation procedures. According to experts, educational robotics serves as a transformational tool for learning, computational thinking, coding, and engineering. According to Amy Eguchi, Ph.D. (Associate Professor of Education from Bloomfield College, United States), educational robotics is a critical element of STEM learning in K–12 education, and with increasing popularity, it must be well integrated as a technological learning tool in everyday classroom settings.

The results of this integrated project have been exceptional. Parents were impressed with the students' excellent group collaboration, persistence in overcoming obstacles, and the practical and innovative solutions they came up with. "I am delighted to see that the students are learning robotics not only for the knowledge itself but also for how robotics can provide solutions to a problem." Said Ony Serodja Hafiedz, parents of two Sekolah HighScope Indonesia students, during the Sustainable Innovation Fair Exhibition at Sekolah HighScope Indonesia TB. Simatupang. "My son Ale, along with his friends, made a trash bin with an automatic sensor. So, the problem they saw was cleanliness and health—how to dispose of trash in a more hygienic way to reduce the spread of bacteria and viruses." Ridho Hafiedz, a notable musician and parent of two Sekolah HighScope Indonesia students, added, "Learning robotics is not something new, but I am most impressed with how robotics is applied so that my children can identify real-life problems and propose relevant solutions. In my opinion, for a middle schooler to have such a mindset is already very impressive."

The students were equally excited about the project, with one student, Ariefandi (Grade 9), commenting, "The part I found most interesting was learning how to use a breadboard circuit, creating robots, and combining both of what I've learned." Another student, Radiktya  (Grade 8), was captivated by the concept of robotics and automation, saying, "I always wanted to see how robotics worked when I was younger." The project has also helped students engage with coding and automation, with one student, Carrisa  (Grade 8), saying that the most engaging part was "The part where we explore the code to be able to apply the automation in the product." The Sustainable Innovation Fair is held annually across all Sekolah HighScope Indonesia Schools with elementary, middle school, and high school programs across Indonesia. Sekolah HighScope Indonesia's innovative approach to education and commitment to excellence in teaching have made it a leading institution in Jakarta. The school's dedication to providing practical and engaging learning experiences has helped students develop essential life skills and prepare them to face future challenges.