I can, you can, together we can!
Innovation is the ability to see change as an opportunity, not a threat.
Steve Jobs
What is the first word you think of when you think of the 21st century? I’d have to say that it is innovation. The ability to innovate and think creatively is given to all humans but only some choose to use it. I had the privilege to use and showcase that ability at two conferences, one at the national level and another at the international level.
iCAN or the Design for Change conference is one of the best opportunities for young innovators started by Mrs. Kiran Bir Sethi. I attended the 2021 conference, along with my team consisting of Misha Raval – 9H, Advaith Salil Pillai – 9H, Arhaan Singh – 9H and Soham Chakraborty – 9H. The national event was held on the 9th of November and many teams across the country participated. We were lucky enough to be selected for the international round which was held on the 18th, 19th and 20th of December.
Many teams from various countries and backgrounds were present, like Team Kenya, Team Serbia, Team Palestine, Team Sudan, Team Lebanon, Team India, etc. On Day 1 we had an introductory session with the opening ceremony and many cultural events and showcases. For the official opening ceremony of the conference, our principal, Mrs. Nargish Khambatta, released two white doves to signify peace and unity. We had dances from the different teams, many in which we joined, like the Serbian dance, which were all equally captivating and enthralling. After that, we had a dhow cruise with dinner which was fun as we bonded with many different teams and danced into the night.
On Day 2, we had our first round of presentations at school. We had many well-thought-out and novel ideas pitched to us and we were blown away by the standard that was set for us. Truth be told, we were getting nervous as innovators as young as 10 years old were pitching world-class products and we were mesmerised. After the presentations we went to Expo 2020 and were taken to the India Pavilion. We had fun business-building sessions and a great time with the one and only Nitin Mirani as he taught us important lessons with chuckles and laughter galore.
We watched as students put on many performances on the huge stage near the pavilion. After all this learning, I think we were all ready to unwind and our school had just the thing planned.
It’s desert safari time, y’all! We had the whole package, starting with some epic dune bashing. It was an exhilarating drive. Once we reached the site, we had a quick bite before we were told about our next attractions and performances. We had camel riding which was awesome and we watched two perfectly coordinated belly and tanoura dances. We then had food and watched a spectacular fire show which was sizzling hot/fire/lit (I could make infinite puns on this). We then went back while doing another round of dune bashing and day two was a wrap.
The last day of the conference was finally our day to present. This was the moment we were waiting for. The day started with a few presentations and then a quick picture in the shape of iCAN taken with a drone. Once we went back inside the auditorium, we were the last to present (saving the best for last, evidently). There was a distinguished panel of judges waiting to hear us out and then we heard it, “Next we have team Obscurus to pitch their idea to us.”
We had some pre-presentation nerves but as soon as we went on stage it changed into a sense of calm and confidence. We pitched and answered all questions posed to us. The judges showed a keen interest in our idea and we were excited to hear them ask such refined questions. When we left the stage, we were proud of what we had accomplished and how far we had come.
After our presentation, we had to go to the India pavilion where we had our closing ceremony and while leaving, we got some popsicles to beat the heat.
All in all, I’d like to thank the entire iCAN team and the school for this opportunity. If all of us use the gift of innovation that is given to us, we could better the lives of many individuals and in turn better the world. I am ending with a quote I used for my pitch in the conference, “Be the change you wish to see in the world”.
– Tanisha Mathur, 9H