Four eighth graders from Las Palmas Leadership School for Girls are back home after representing San Antonio on the international stage during a STEM program in China.
The students spent nearly two weeks participating in the Destination Imagination Summer Experience, an international program that challenges students to solve real-world problems through science, technology, engineering, the arts and teamwork.
KSAT’s Alexis Scott first met the students in June as they prepared for the trip of a lifetime.
During their time in China, the students joined participants from around the world in workshops and team challenges designed to test their creativity, collaboration and problem-solving skills.
Throughout the program, students were presented with timed scenarios that required them to work together to develop innovative solutions using STEM concepts and critical thinking.
One of the highlights, the students said, was the opportunity to collaborate with their peers from another country.
“We were able to be partnered up with a Chinese team, where we were able to collaborate our ideas and perform with them at the closing ceremony,” Roxy De Leon said.
Beyond the competitions, the students visited cities like Beijing and Shanghai. They also immersed themselves in Chinese culture by visiting historic landmarks and museums.
“My favorite thing has been going to China’s Natural History Museum,” Nayli Hernandez-Cruz said. “I think we all learned a lot about animal species and things that we’ve never seen before.”
Destination Imagination has been inspiring students around the world for decades through hands-on learning experiences that emphasize teamwork, innovation and creative problem-solving. The Summer Experience brings together students from multiple countries to collaborate across cultures while tackling STEM and fine arts challenges.
While students from across Texas participated in this year’s experience, the Las Palmas Leadership School for Girls team was the only group from San Antonio to qualify for the international program.
School leaders said the opportunity allowed the students to strengthen their STEM skills while gaining a broader perspective of the world through cultural exchange and collaboration.
For the four young women, the experience was about much more than competition. It was a chance to represent their school, their district and their city on a global stage — bringing home new friendships, new experiences and memories that will last a lifetime.
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