Amidst a tough transition period during which students struggle to adapt to the busier, more hectic life of school, the PCA student council elected to create an educational breakout room to allow kids to learn in a more casual, interactive environment. Our event was very successful, with 40 students ranging from 1st to 8th grade attending our breakout sessions through Zoom.
The PCA student council met up each week for 5 weeks and worked earnestly under the supervision of the presidents, Sophia Liao and Edward Mei, and counselor YiFei Zhao. Groups of 4-6 were quickly and efficiently organized to effectively work on the escape room. Each member was given opportunities to brainstorm ideas, contribute, and give constructive feedback. Additionally, members played to their strengths, ensuring that each aspect of the event was polished to the absolute maximum. What resulted was a conglomeration of separate concepts and ideas that fit together to make a comprehensive escape room.
Our breakout room utilized available technology resources to its full potential, allowing us to incorporate educational themes into all sorts of complex puzzles. Through these challenges, we were able to educate participants on the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the origins of America. Additionally, by placing participants in separate groups, they were able to learn about teamwork and problem solving skills. Most importantly, we made the entire process intriguing and fun, capturing the attention of participants. As this was our first event with new student council members, this was a learning opportunity for us too. As each of us navigated through the processes of working together, we learned to build on each other's ideas in a cumulative manner. As such, this event was an opportunity not only for young kids, but also the PCA student council to explore the intricacies and nuances of cooperating and leading in a group setting with kids of varying ages.
As the event on Zoom began, I was greeted by a wall of smiling faces, all of them eager to learn and explore what we had in store. After they were split into predetermined groups, they set off on their adventure, enraptured by the captivating story and intricate puzzles. As they progressed through the rooms, I was able to witness the thought process and development of my group in real time. It was very rewarding to see their gradual advancement into truly working as a team. It was also extremely gratifying to see my group’s beaming faces when they completed the challenge, all of them elated by their success.
Overall, this event was a great success, receiving positive reception from both students and parents alike. We were also able to procure much needed advice and insight into how to further improve and refine our future events. Each and every one of our members put in their utmost effort to realize our plans, with many putting in extra hours, so we would like to thank them for their diligence and commitment. Our members are already beginning to structure a new event, this time even more exciting than the last, so stay alert for any news on upcoming events!