The Class of 2025 finally embarked on the highly anticipated annual DP retreat after the torrential Typhoon 8 interruption back in August. Heeding to the CDNIS tradition, all Grade 11 students spent an overnight sojourn at the Gold Coast Hotel engaging in experiential activities relating to global issues.
The students took part in two core activities during the retreat: the Refugee Run at the Crossroads Foundation and a Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) game. The Crossroads Foundation, a non-governmental organisation renowned for its global humanitarian aid and development, collaborated closely with refugees to design a simulation that replicated the distressing experiences of the lives of displaced persons around the world. Through the emulation of pseudo attacks, ambushes, and injuries, the students were exposed to the distressing lives faced by those who are deracinated from their own countries. The realism of the scenarios allowed the cohort to gain comprehension towards a prevalent and rampant issue which is ongoing in the current world.
“It was an eye-opening experience,” Jasper Wong said. “It allowed me to step in the shoes of refugees and gain a deeper understanding with a fraction of their experiences.”
The rest of the retreat itinerary revolved heavily around the integration of life skills while emphasising ethical entrepreneurship. To nurture financial literacy and prudence, the SDG game deployed a creative and collaborative approach to teaching students how to work as a community. In the game, the Grade 11s were given cards with tasks to complete individually — such as a project to build sustainable dams or to develop education systems in a country — while also working together to achieve a sustainable society. The game ingeniously modelled real-life situations concerning local and global investments, underscoring time as a limited commodity, while reaching equilibrium with the social, economic, and environmental standards in the society. Thus, the game introduced students to the core values of ethical entrepreneurship and trade.
Before staying in the hotel rooms, the cohort enjoyed an enthralling game of Go Bananas. Through this game, students were once again exposed to the intricacies of ethical entrepreneurship in the modern world, particularly in the primary sector in underdeveloped countries. Each of the four simulated days in the game consisted of price fluctuations for bananas (cut from paper) and materials (such as scissors and highlighters to complete the paper bananas), which compelled the groups — each imitating families — to make tough choices in saving expenses while trying to maximise income. An enrapturing aspect of the game was the concept of fair trade families, where the rules only allowed certain groups to attain exemptions to school fees and the ability to secure higher rates when selling bananas. Therefore, fair trade groups experienced a notable advantage, as the game sought to emphasise the benefits of acting ethically responsible in the current world.
Following the fervent game of Go Bananas, the students also engaged in a series of trivia questions that spanned general knowledge, music, and science-related topics. The night concluded with the Secret Santa gift exchange which kindled the festive spirit as Christmas approached.
Ultimately, the DP retreat provided the Class of 2025 with profound and meaningful experiences, leaving with an elevated sense of global awareness.
