Despite the unfavorable odds between Russia and Ukraine, two young innovators from these countries have collaborated at a Dubai school, transforming their classroom project into a product that is now part of the school uniform. It is officially available for online purchase.
Year 5 and 6 learners were tasked with designing their own T-shirts as part of the school's Citizens’ Entrepreneurship Curriculum and Project-Based Learning (PBL) program. This initiative inspired Artem Buhai and Bers Nikaev, then in Year 6, to create a unique design that has since become part of the official uniform and is worn by several learners.
Ukrainian expat Artem and Russian expat Bers initially created three designs, none of which they liked. They decided to adopt a planets theme, drawing many designs to symbolize world peace and simplicity, always considering the school's preferences.
After discovering similar designs by other teams, they focused on their home planet, experimenting with representations of the world and rivers before settling on a simpler approach. They finally conceived of planet Earth with water and grass elements on the T-shirt.
By the time they reached Year 7, they had forgotten about their creation. Realizing a year later that the T-shirts were available on the school’s website and had become part of the school uniform, they felt incredibly proud and aspire to create more designs and possibly become entrepreneurs.
Artem described how his mother, a designer, has consistently inspired him. He enjoys drawing and finds it satisfying to see his creations used by others. Bers introduced colors to the design, and together they brainstormed and conceptualized the idea, including the school's logo on the sleeves.
Bers explained that the design looks visually appealing and conveys a powerful message about protecting our natural environment. They aim to collaborate more on designing clothing and are considering designing shorts if approved by the school.
Dr Adil Alzarooni, Founder of Citizens School, explained that the Entrepreneurship Curriculum provides hands-on experiential learning and real-world application of knowledge, developing critical thinking, problem-solving, resilience, and teamwork skills essential for today’s ever-evolving world.
