e-ICON an Awesome Experience!

By Nick Leith | Posted: Wednesday September 6, 2017

Bronte and Ben have returned from an adventure most students don’t get to experience. A week in Korea, working alongside students from top high school and middle schools around the world, at one of Korea’s most amazing new universities in order to create an app to educate and teach science to kids around the world.

 e-ICON 2017 was all about collaborating with other kids to create a new app for education. Ben and Bronte worked with Jiyun and Eunhee from Buwon Girls Middle School in Korea. Together they achieved a Creativity prize for their awesome video to promote their app, called Double S (Science Sharing).

Ben:

At the start when people asked us “what are you going to Korea for ?” We thought that was a really good question because we weren't really sure. Then next thing we know we are sitting in the cafeteria eating breakfast wondering where everyone was? When reality hit because not only did we not know what we were supposed to be doing we didn’t know where we were supposed to be doing it and consequently we missed the start of our first conference.

While in Korea we had to room with people from different countries and I roomed with a person from Taiwan who did not speak much English. We made good friends with the team from the UK. Mark, Jamie and Mr Bliss who were all really cool and Mark even wore a suit for half the time in 35-degree heat.

I think we did really well in our project and we received the Creative award. e-ICON was a great experience and one I would definitely recommend people take as we had lots of fun and laughs.

Brontē:

We arrived in Busan. It was warm outside, which was nice, since we had been in either a plane or an airport for the last 24 or so hours. Also because it’s winter in New Zealand and 28 degree weather really warms you up. 

Alice, the person in charge was picking us up. She was picking up all the different countries from the airport all day and all night, which must’ve gotten a bit boring. We took a bus from Buswan to the university(Unist) in Ulsan. The bus took a while, but after 24 hours in airports, planes etc. it was nothing.

We arrived, got set up and settled in quite quickly. The girls we were working with were in the same dorm as me, which was nice. We befriended the team from England. The first day was very relaxing.

Then reality hit us. We had an app to make, a presentation to make, a video to make, including script, and a 11+ page proposal to complete, all in 3 ½ days! The girls in our group, from Buwan Girls Middle School, made the app, since we had no clue how to. They also made the presentation. I did the project proposal and Ben made the video. It was very stressful, so we went to the supermarket. I bought a Korean cereal called “Oreo O’s” Chocolate O’s with marshmallows. On another night, we went out for dinner and a shopping trip. We found a shop that ONLY had claw machines. We. Went. Crazy. I won a Snorlax and Ben won a Lapras.

4 days gone and the stress was off. The app was done. For the 2nd to last day, we went to a famous temple. It was sunny, then it was raining. Then it was sunny again, and then it was raining once more. And so on, for the rest of the day. When it cleared once again, we had a 3-hour shopping spree. I bought some stuff, Ben spent all his money on another shop devoted to claw machines and Pringles. Many delicious Pringles. I spent some time with the girls in my team and I got an inside look at Korean culture. 

The next day. The last day. The closing award ceremony. We arrived at the place, right next to the sea. After many speeches, the awards were finally given out. We won the “Most creativity award” which was cool. Straight after we went to the airport. We left Korea on course for New Zealand…

We would like to thank Mrs.Goulden for helping us prepare for the trip. We  would like to thank the Christchurch Korean sister city community for kindly gifting us with $200 for the trip. We  would like to thank Mrs Keen as well and most importantly, thank Mr.Leith for accompanying us to Korea. We couldn’t have done it without you and your help is much appreciated!

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