The 12th-grade ISC course at TCS encourages critical thinking and social innovation. Through the 4 quarters of senior year, students brainstorm impactful final year projects under the Innovation to Social Change course, aiming to make a positive impact on the community.
Towards the end of the third quarter and beginning of the fourth, seniors at TCS prepare for the upcoming ISC fair in the high school colosseum, where they must show their innovative projects addressing social issues. Alongside the project completion, seniors are also struggling with college applications, AP exams, and finishing senior year, highlighting the balancing act between academic demands and social life.
“Planning my future while trying to keep up with finishing school with good grades has been hard but I think we have had enough time to do the ISC project so I am not as worried about the time we have left, ” Senior Tomas Villegas said.
In quarters two and three, the class focuses on brainstorming and working on the project, teaching students multiple methods of planning and conceiving ideas that will match the right project following the standards. The projects are usually about recycling,
Students must take into account the environmental, economic, and social impacts their projects must have.
“I find it really helpful to research real-life problems that are similar to our ideas so I can find inspiration and create a solution. I also find it pretty useful to search for multiple solutions and mix multiple ideas, integrating their best aspects to create one solution that adapts to my problem,” Senior Pedro Gomez said.
When brainstorming, students also need to consider whom they are aligning with on the project. During the ISC project, groups need to collaborate with external entities in order to achieve social change. In past years, students have worked with big Colombian companies such as KTM, Outeco, Pecositas, while others have collaborated with smaller local brands such as Amoramar, a student-owned business.
“At the beginning of the brainstorming process, it was really hard for me to come up with ideas because I was also thinking about which company I am going to work with and if it’s possible. Brainstorming with both the company and ideas at the same time slowed down my process,” Villegas said.
During the last months, students dedicate their time to completing and materializing their own projects. Simultaneously, they apply to universities and receive responses as these periods are commonly known for university applications. Due to the class organization, seniors are not as pressured as many may think, they have been working to achieve this project since the beginning of the year.
“As a student applying to Francisco de Vitoria for an engineering career, effective time management is crucial. I began by allocating my time for progress, balancing work and rest to build a path of success in both academics and well-being,” Villegas said.
