When back-to-school ceremony becomes a space for experiential learning

From historical reenactments and STEM and STEAM activity corners to robot and water-rocket demonstrations, many schools across Dong Nai City have created experiential learning spaces for students right at their 2026-2027 back-to-school ceremonies.

These activities give students opportunities to explore, practice and create, while fostering greater enthusiasm as they welcome the new academic year. The program also gives concrete expression to the spirit of Resolution No. 71-NQ/TW, dated August 22, 2025, issued by the Politburo on breakthroughs in the development of education and training.

Welcoming the new academic year through history and creativity

Following a mass performance and the nationwide back-to-school ceremony, the atmosphere at Phan Chu Trinh Primary School in Tan Trieu Ward, Dong Nai City, remained lively with a play recreating the early history of General Nguyen Huu Canh. Based on an epic narrative, the school adapted the story into a stage performance featuring its students.

Students of Phan Chu Trinh Primary School reenact history through a play about General Nguyen Huu Canh. Photo: Bich Nhan

According to school Principal Pham Thi Ha, by directly taking on the roles, students do more than simply hear about and watch history; they immerse themselves in it and experience it firsthand, thereby gaining a deeper understanding of Dong Nai's origins and formation. “This makes the back-to-school ceremony more approachable and engaging, while also fostering students’ pride in their hometown, initiative and confidence when participating in group activities,” Ha emphasized.

Continuing the spirit of innovation at the 2026-2027 back-to-school ceremony, Hoa Binh Kindergarten in Tran Bien Ward, Dong Nai City, created a welcoming, experiential educational environment for children on the first day of the new academic year. Principal Nguyen Thi Duy Linh said that following the merger, the school now has three campuses located relatively close to one another, ensuring that parents’ childcare arrangements are not disrupted. Although there was little time to prepare for the ceremony, the school agreed on a coordinated approach that covered everything from facilities and classroom decorations to play areas. A highlight was the STEM and STEAM experience corners, featuring toys created jointly by teachers and children.

Students at Hoa Binh Kindergarten experience assembling STEM toy models prepared by teachers and children for the new school year’s back-to-school ceremony. Photo: Bich Nhan

“The teachers spent a great deal of time cutting and shaping each component of the products before guiding the children in assembling them. To make the models move and light up, the teachers added switches, electronic components and motors. This makes the children more interested in playing while stimulating their curiosity and desire to explore,” Linh said.

On September 5, students nationwide simultaneously welcomed the new academic year. In Dong Nai, more than 1 million pupils, students and learners began the new school year with the spirit of “Innovating Mindsets – Driving Strong Transitions – Delivering Substantive Results.” To put this spirit into practice, many schools organized practical activities such as historical reenactments, STEM and STEAM experiences, robot demonstrations and water-rocket launches, bringing the back-to-school ceremony closer to students and opening the academic year with a focus on initiative, creativity and learning through practice.

In the new academic year, Hoa Binh Kindergarten plans to strengthen digital transformation and organize age-appropriate STEM and STEAM educational activities to create a fresh environment that encourages children to explore and develop comprehensively. Linh said integrating STEM and STEAM into preschool education allows children to explore and express their ideas while developing creative thinking. At this age, children may not yet be able to create complete products on their own, but what matters is that they participate in the process. This helps foster their imagination and encourages them to explore and discover more actively.

Opening the door to the new academic year with an innovative spirit

Using familiar materials such as plastic bottles, plastic bags, cardboard and water pipes, students in Class 12C1 of Thong Nhat A High School in Trang Bom Ward, Dong Nai City, created water-rocket models capable of taking off using compressed air. The models were among approximately 40 creative products displayed at the school’s 2026-2027 back-to-school ceremony.

Tran Thai Thien, a Class 12C1 student at Thong Nhat A High School, said that his interest in products related to space and the universe inspired him and his classmates to make use of readily available materials to create the rocket model. To make the rocket fly, they had to apply their knowledge of physics to calculate air pressure, the amount of water, the weight and the wind force.

Tran Thai Thien and a classmate test a water rocket for a demonstration at the 2026-2027 back-to-school ceremony.

“Besides applying physics knowledge, during extracurricular sessions of the school’s STEM club, my friends and I also used AI tools to research suitable water-to-air ratios, helping us test and adjust the product. Although it took only two to three days to complete, the process required coordination among many members and problem-solving skills. “Nearly a week before the back-to-school ceremony, I was at school almost continuously with my classmates to prepare for the event. This is the most special back-to-school ceremony I have experienced during my 12 years of general education,” Thien said.

Principal Bach Thanh Lua of Thong Nhat A High School said that instead of attending the back-to-school ceremony and immediately starting regular lessons as in previous years, students from all three grades this year were able to participate in experiential and creative activities such as water-rocket competitions and robot demonstrations. Students in Grades 11 and 12 would also guide Grade 10 students in getting acquainted with and joining school clubs, including sports, STEAM and English clubs. Each club had its own booth to introduce its activities and attract new students. The activities gave students opportunities to share experiences, develop communication skills, strengthen their sense of responsibility and build stronger bonds within the school community.

Students enthusiastically explore creative models and products displayed as part of the 2026-2027 back-to-school ceremony. Photo: Bich Nhan

Lua said these activities give students more space for experiential learning, create a lively atmosphere and, more importantly, encourage them to turn what they have learned into concrete and practical products. “As a result, the back-to-school ceremony becomes more approachable, engaging and better suited to students. They do not simply listen to welcoming remarks for the new academic year; they also participate directly, create and gain hands-on experience,” Lua said.

As the new academic year begins, school management boards across Dong Nai City have identified innovation in educational programs and the development of modern learning environments as key priorities, in line with the implementation of Resolution No. 71-NQ/TW on breakthroughs in education and training development. Accordingly, schools will focus on developing digitally transformed schools and “happy schools,” with the goal of creating favorable learning environments where students feel happy and take greater initiative in going to school, while also giving parents greater peace of mind. Incorporating creative activities into the back-to-school ceremony is a practical way to build an open, student-centered learning environment.

By Bich Nhan – Translated by Mai Nga, Minho