Student-Initiated Actions

From Kindergarten through fifth grade, Hickory Day School emphasizes the importance of student-initiated action, a core component of the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP). Students are encouraged to apply their learning to meaningful community and global initiatives, using their knowledge and skills to make a positive impact on the world around them.

These projects are inspired and developed by the students themselves, with support and guidance from faculty, staff, and the greater HDS community. Student-initiated actions may take many forms, including service-based efforts, awareness campaigns, and fundraising initiatives, allowing students to explore their passions while developing empathy, responsibility, and a commitment to positive change.

The fifth-grade PYP Exhibition serves as a culminating experience that brings together the essential elements of the IB Primary Years Programme and celebrates students’ growth as learners. This significant milestone provides students with the opportunity to demonstrate the attributes of the IB Learner Profile they have developed throughout their PYP journey.

During the Exhibition, students participate in a collaborative, transdisciplinary inquiry process in which they identify, investigate, and propose solutions to real-world issues or challenges. Each student selects a meaningful topic connected to one of the six IB transdisciplinary themes and engages in a thoughtful exploration that requires research, reflection, creativity, and action.

Following the completion of their projects, students share their findings and solutions through presentations at a school-wide closing ceremony. Past Exhibition topics have included house fires, bullying, natural disasters, deforestation, homelessness, and veterans’ affairs. Through this experience, students demonstrate their ability to think critically, communicate effectively, collaborate with others, and take responsible action as compassionate, engaged global citizens.