The Thunder Bolt

The Global Codeathon is an annual event held at Concordia Hanoi International School. This year, 34 Concordia students from grades 3-5 participated on our campus. Other schools participated by Zoom including Concordia International School Shanghai, Yew Chung International School of Shanghai, and Jakarta Intercultural School. The virtual opening ceremony showcased the participating schools and the students.

This year's theme centered around the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7, aimed at fostering affordable and clean energy to contribute to a better world. Our focus was on raising awareness for this crucial goal under the theme 'Promoting Affordable and Clean Energy.' Through this activity, our students are active global citizens. Moreover, we were fortunate to have five high school students and a Concordia parent assisting with the event.

“It was challenging because we had to make sure everything was perfect and find the exact timing. We were very energetic and engaged the whole time, making the teamwork enjoyable. Prior to this experience, I had never coded before.” - Charlotte (G3)

“It was great seeing how excited and motivated the students were to work together on a project to help make the world a better place using coding.” - Mr. Jonathan Caldwell

“My favorite part about the codeathon was that we all got to code together. Sometimes, we would make mistakes, which allowed us to correct the problem, which ultimately contributed to our problem-solving skills.” - James (G5)

“My favorite part of the codeathon was challenging my brain. I had lots of fun creating games and making some friends in high school, who helped us during the event.” - Jeongwoo (G4)

“It was fun coding with my friends and being able to help them when they needed it. I enjoyed helping others.” - Aaron (G3)

“Codeathon was a great opportunity to see students using 21st century skills in a creative and collaborative way. This event allowed them to use their technology skills to think outside the box.” - Ms. Kathy Falkner

“My favorite part of the codeathon was being with my friends and coding.” - Jack (G5)

“It was great to observe the interaction between high school and elementary school students. Witnessing the younger students gaining a fresh perspective while the older ones established connections was truly rewarding. The elementary students thoroughly enjoyed having the high schoolers around, and it was undoubtedly beneficial for Mr. Caldwell to receive extra support in managing 34 kids. I found it particularly gratifying to witness such positive interaction.” - Mrs. Kelsey Caldwell

Learn more about the United Nations 17 sustainable development goals.

Learn more about Concordia’s Elementary School program.