Nord Anglia SEA STEAM Festival 2025 at St Andrews: students from across Southeast Asia explore sustainable solutions to reduce and repurpose waste

From 25th to 27th May 2025, St Andrews International School Bangkok proudly hosted the 2025 Nord Anglia SEA STEAM Festival, welcoming students from across Southeast Asia for three exciting days filled with creativity, collaboration, and real-world problem-solving.

Students from the following Nord Anglia schools took part:

• St Andrews International School Bangkok
  
  

• Nord Anglia International School Manila
  
  

• British School of Tashkent
  
  

• British Vietnamese International School Hanoi
  
  

• British International School Ho Chi Minh City
  
  

• Dover Court International School
  
  

• Regents International School Pattaya
  
  

• British International School Hanoi

The festival started at the Primary School, where students enjoyed a joyful celebration of Thai culture. Our incredible Thai department and Thai ECAs led assemblies and engaging cultural activities that set the tone for a meaningful and inspiring experience.

The next two days were spent at High School, where students got hands-on with all things STEAM. Working in mixed-school teams, students were challenged to explore this year’s guiding question:

"How can we creatively and effectively repurpose or reduce waste at our school to create a long-lasting impact on our community and environment?"

To help inspire their ideas, students took part in a wide range of activities, including:

• Thai dance and musical performances

• Cultural STEAM experiences rooted in Thai traditions

• Inspirational talks from organisations such as getfresh, Gep-sa-aard, and Second Chance Bangkok, focusing on sustainable solutions in real-world settings

• Student-led Design Challenges aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals

• Skill-building workshops in Micro: bit programming, cardboard prototyping, SDG research, visual design, and presentation techniques

• A final expo, where teams showcased their innovative projects to a panel of guest judges from Mango Logic, Eco Beasts, getfresh, and Mr Jarrod from STA, and Mr Ben from BVIS Ho Chi Minh.

Throughout the event, students demonstrated exceptional teamwork, curiosity, and creativity. With the support of dedicated teachers, facilitators, and our fantastic Year 9 STEAM ambassadors, the festival buzzed with energy and forward-thinking ideas.

The event was made even more special by the presence of Mr Andrew Fitzmaurice, Nord Anglia Education CEO, and Lord David Puttnam, Chair of the Nord Anglia Education Advisory Board, who were visiting schools in the region.

A heartfelt thank you to all the participating schools, staff members, and support teams who made this event possible. The 2025 Nord Anglia SEA STEAM Festival was a wonderful reminder of the power of student voices in shaping a more sustainable future.