The annual Global Odyssey at school is a vibrant explosion of cultural exploration. This year, however, my experience went from cultural appreciation to full-blown entrepreneurship, unknowingly ticking off several key IB CAS learning outcomes in the process! Along with two friends, we transformed from hobby bakers into miniature business owners, setting up a dessert stall overflowing with homemade treats.
LO 2: Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process.
We meticulously planned our menu, calculated costs with surprising financial literacy, honing valuable business skills.
Finding dishes that were not only quick and easy to create but also easy on the pockets of us high schoolers, we had to bend a lot of cooking rules. Searching the web for various easy to cook dishes that also had ingredients easily available in our locality was another challenge that we had to face. However, we adapted to the situation and tried to mix and match similar ingredients while also opting for ingredients that could add onto more than one dish, in an attempt to save costs.
LO1: Identify your strengths and areas for growth.
We even designed eye-catching posters to advertise our sugary creations, showcasing a newfound confidence in self-expression. By exploring a new realm of creativity through digital designing, I quickly recognized my skill of trying to recreate similar bigger brands with a trendy twist to boost engagement with my audience. This use of logo making as a means of marketing was a skill I only would have gathered through an experience like Global Odyssey. This also prompted me to try my hand out in digital designing in my pass time, to explore my fancy towards it.
LO 5: Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively
The big day arrived, and nervous excitement took hold as we set up our tiny “bakery.” Soon, the crowds of students and teachers began exploring the cultural booths, and our anxieties melted away. We were inundated with a delightful mix of customers, all eager to sample our culinary delights.The joy of seeing people savor our creations was truly rewarding. We witnessed firsthand the power of food to bridge cultural divides. Baking wasn’t a solo act. My friends pitched in, and our kitchen became a floury, chocolatey haven of laughter and teamwork! This experience fostered my ability to collaborate effectively
LO 6: Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance
We had not only honed valuable business skills like planning and budgeting, but we also fostered a deeper appreciation for the diverse culinary traditions that make up our global community. Through baking and cooking different dishes, we realized how important calculation of every ingredient could be. This is on account of food wastage becoming so prominent in today’s age. Hence, to ensure that we do not add to it, we made sure that all our ingredients were calculated accurately and also any leftovers were distributed to people in need.
In all this experience was not just a school event it was a crucial moment in that helped me recognize skills that I had. Skills that might not have had a chance to be reflected unless I had taken up the opportunity to put up a stall. The learner profile that I could attribute to this entire experience, could be Thinkers. This is on account of how I had to be skilled at critical and creative thinking, in this entire process. I analyzed complex problems, considered multiple perspectives, and devised innovative solutions.
