Not Just About Grades, Education Develops Creativity and Problem Solving Skills

JAKARTA - Education is not only about academic values or achievements in the classroom. In the midst of rapid technological developments and changing lifestyles, education also becomes a space for young people to learn to adapt, collaborate, develop creativity, and find ways to deal with various problems of life.

This spirit is reflected in the achievements of Ravakatyra Andra (Andra) and Nicholas Emmanuel (Nicho), students of the 12th grade of EcoScioTech School (EST), Tbk. Sitanjung, a school previously known as HighScope Indonesia School.

The two managed to win first place at the 15th e-ICON World Contest through Hugrow, an application they developed to help families build healthier communication, cultivate positive habits, and strengthen relationships between family members.

In this competition, Andra and Nicho did not fight alone. They collaborated with two students from South Korea, Kim Siwoo and Kim Mirae, and also gained valuable experience working in a cross-cultural team.

The e-ICON World Contest is held under the auspices of the South Korean Ministry of Education. This event brings together students from various countries to create technology-based solutions for social problems, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Hugrow team chose SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being as the focus of the solution they developed.

"When designing our contribution to SDG Number 3, we chose to integrate various existing factors into a solution. We see the family as the core of society and as a key opportunity to address mental health and well-being," said Andra, from the official statement.

For today's young generation, technology has become integrated with daily life. However, technology is not only about entertainment, education, or work. If developed properly, technology can be a means to build healthier habits and relationships within the family.

That's what Hugrow is trying to offer. This application is designed with a number of features that help families understand their communication conditions, build positive habits, and evaluate the development of relationships periodically.

- Initial Assessment & SMART Goals are useful for mapping the initial condition of family communication as well as determining specific and targeted improvement goals.

- Daily Check-In & Feature Recommendations to monitor the mood of family members periodically and provide recommendations for daily activities that are appropriate.

- Habit Building & Voucher Shop, which invites users to participate in personalized daily challenges and receive vouchers as appreciation for their consistency.

- Regular Assessment & Global Ripple Map to monitor the development of family relationships periodically, equipped with mapping patterns of problems anonymously as well as tips and testimonials from fellow users.

This concept shows how digital lifestyles can be directed not only for practicality, but also to support the quality of relationships and family well-being.

Hugrow's journey to the podium of champions does not stop at the stage of creating ideas. This concept must pass through a strict assessment from experts in the fields of education, technology, and industry.

The jury panel consists of Prof. Sonssik Suh (Chuncheon National University of Education), Kihyun Park (CEO Tevkile Education Co., Ltd.), Prof. Inseong Jeon (Gwangju National University of Education), Yoojin Hwang (Senior Professional, Samsung Electronics), Miae Choi (Chief of Korea Education and Research Information Service), and Ilkyu Yoon (Director of Korea Foundation for Science and Creativity).

Participants are required not only to present interesting ideas, but also to be able to explain the reasons, relevance, implementation plan, to the impact that may result from their solutions. For Andra and Nicho, this process is an experience that tests their abilities thoroughly.

"Our feelings are mixed between being happy because we managed to reach the final round and being nervous when we went on stage to make the final presentation that would determine the winners. However, through this experience, we were able to effectively convey the concept of our application to the judges who have years of experience in this competition," he said.

The experience of developing Hugrow gave lessons that could not be obtained from books or classrooms. Andra and Nicho learned to face pressure, manage time, communicate with people from different cultural backgrounds, accept criticism, understand other points of view, and defend ideas in front of experts.

This achievement also shows the success of a student who does not stand alone. Behind a success, there is a long process involving schools, teachers, families, and supportive environments.

The development of Hugrow is built through a process of continuous learning, hard work, teacher guidance, parental support, and opportunities for students to explore their own ideas.

In the process, teachers not only play the role of delivering the material, but also become mentors who help students see a problem from various perspectives, conduct observations and research, test ideas, and dare to make decisions.

This role is even more important when Andra and Nicho have to work with an international team, complete tasks within limited deadlines, refine products, receive feedback, and present in front of a panel of professionals.

A good educational environment is not only about how students acquire knowledge. School is also a place where they learn to recognize themselves, try new things, face failure, correct mistakes, communicate, cooperate, and discover potential that they may not have realized.

In the midst of a changing world, abilities such as critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, and problem solving become important assets for young people. These abilities are not always formed through theory. Direct experience, challenges, group work, competition, and opportunities to develop ideas are actually valuable parts of the learning process.

Hugrow's victory in Seoul is one example of how these kinds of opportunities can open up space for students to show their abilities on an international level.

"In this competition, students learn that ideas are born from understanding the problem, then formed through discipline, concern, thinking ability, and creativity. However, our greatest achievement as educators is when we see students believing that their ideas have meaning, that their skills can bring change, and that they have the courage to make it happen." concluded Dewmaran Ithel, a mentor teacher who accompanied Andra and Nicho.

Andra and Nicho's achievements are proof that Indonesian students are able to compete on the global stage when given the space to develop their ideas and test their abilities.

Student achievement is not always seen from the numbers in the report or test results. There is a new potential when a child gets the opportunity, challenge, support, and confidence to try.

From Jakarta to Seoul, Andra and Nicho's journey shows that education can be part of a lifestyle that encourages young people to continue to learn, dare to innovate, and care about the issues around them.

When education, family, technology, and a supportive environment go hand in hand, achievement is not just about winning competitions. More than that, this experience is a resource for young people to face a world that is constantly changing and bringing their ideas to a wider level.