A Reflection from Students to Leaders: Empowering Youths in a Learning City
On June 15th, 2024, the Thai Education Partnership organized the “TEP Forum: Creating a Learning Community in Thailand, Towards a Seamless Transition to Competency-Based Learning.” The event invited education partners to present and discuss the needs of educational personnel with policymakers. During the 'TEP Talk' session, Book-Big – Termphong Kitchanulaks, a Teach For Thailand (TFT) cohort 5 alumnus, delivered a speech titled “A Reflection from Students to Leaders: Empowering Youth in a Learning City.” Book-Big reflected on his two-year journey as a teaching Fellow, which led to his current work in youth development.
“Nine years ago, I had the opportunity to join Youth Camp, a group that became a support system for me. I gained self-confidence and the courage to try, fail, and learn.”
“After college, I joined the two-year Fellow Leadership Program at Teach For Thailand. Along with my students, I formed a ‘TED Club’ under the supervision of TEDxBangkok, providing my students with a safe space to discover their potential and to tell their stories to peers and teachers,” Book-Big recalled his experience working with his students at Matthayom Wat Dao Khanong School in Bangkok.
“In the end, club members gained more self-confidence and participated more in school events. One student even made a career out of his talent show.”
Currently, Book-Big serves as the co-founder and project manager of Youth Plus, a social enterprise dedicated to empowering and building youth capacity.
Book-Big commented on how to create safe spaces to empower and facilitate learning for youth, using a playground analogy to elucidate his point. He identified three main components:
“The first component is ‘curiosity’ that we can build in the youth. The most important thing nowadays is not the knowledge, but the thirst to know. We now have the tools to extend learning beyond the classroom. The question is: how do we create a learning experience that encourages our students to discover themselves?”
“The second component is context, which can mean a physical or online environment. A playground with various equipment and a diverse group of friends makes it more fun and encourages us to play. It becomes a lively and inspiring space.”
“And lastly, the ‘Try to Fail’ mentality. When youths try new equipment for the first time and fall, wouldn’t it be better if they had a supportive voice encouraging them to try again, instead of being scolded for failing? We can be their ‘sandbox’ – cushioning their failures and allowing them to start anew.”
Today, Book-Big and Youth Plus Thailand have worked with more than 120 schools, initiating and managing 28 projects led by youth, many of which are still operating.
“Wouldn’t it be better if we, as teachers, policymakers, or even parents, reflect on our roles to find a way to become a good support system for our youth, starting today?” Book-Big concluded his speech.
Education is everyone’s responsibility. Teach For Thailand, Teaching Fellows, and Alumni believe that Thai education can be changed sustainably, but it requires collaboration among leaders, educational personnel, and citizens from all sectors to ensure all children and youth in Thailand have equitable access to quality education and can choose their futures.
Become part of the change for Thai education by joining our Fellow Leadership Program here.
