Students captured in front of artwork in Medellín.
By Aireal Anderson, Director of Marketing & Communications at Purdue Polytechnic High School
Students of Purdue Polytechnic High Schools Englewood, ‘PPHS Englewood,’ campus took to Medellín to take on the Medellín Challenge. They immersed themselves in the local culture and addressed real-world challenges faced by the community. The Medellín Challenge fosters collaboration and intergenerational learning to empower youth to cocreate and prototype sustainable solutions for a better future in a global ecosystem.
Purdue Polytechnic High Schools, ‘PPHS,’ is renowned for its innovative approach to STEM education, emphasizing hands-on learning and the Design Thinking Process. This allows students to tackle challenges within industries, neighboring communities, and worldwide. The Medellín Challenge was the perfect opportunity for students to apply their design-thinking skills, such as empathy, analysis, and collaboration, to ideate solutions to solve a human-centered problem beyond the classroom.
Thanks to the unique PPHS model, students thrived in the Medellín Challenge. Despite the unfamiliarity of the environment, they embraced new experiences, overcame discomfort, and grew in confidence as they faced new challenges. Their resilience and adaptability in the face of these challenges are truly inspiring. They embody the spirit of PPHS students, a fact of which PPHS is immensely proud.
Image of Confidence with camera.
Teacher Coach Sophie Longest shared that the trip helped students come out of their shells and strengthen relationships. “It was so fun seeing this bunch of typically quiet students absolutely blossom. By the end of the trip, we pretty much could not stop laughing with each other,” she said.
Coach Longest highlighted instances of significant personal growth among the students. She shared how they tapped into their areas of confidence where they might not have ever imagined. Confidence, typically reserved and creative, took charge of capturing the moment with her camera and delivered her final idea for the final pitches of the challenge despite her anxiety. “Despite being really nervous, she took on the speaking part of our final pitch and did a great job. She really gained a lot of CONFIDENCE!” shared Coach Longest, underscoring the students' development and achievements.
More students honed their speaking skills in various ways. Maria volunteered to speak with other groups for the recap video, while Genesis used her Spanish-speaking skills to help the group navigate the airport, order food, purchase souvenirs, etc. Genesis’s leadership and compassion were evident and appreciated by the group, showcasing the students' initiative and responsibility.
The trip to Medellín provided students with the opportunity to explore and experience another culture. The mission and vision of the PPHS enabled students, who might not traditionally have the opportunity or access to travel to another country, such as Medellín, to engage with real-world challenges that may traditionally only be discussed in a classroom setting or read within a book. The exposure to the challenges of Medellín will have a lasting impact on our students, and we are grateful for the opportunity.
Check out these awesome videos of the challenge where our students were featured: ¿Qué es MDE Challenge?
¡Así vivimos la experiencia MDE Challenge!
