From May 14 to 15, the annual SHSID Middle and Primary School Creative Program Expo  was held in the LG2 lab area of the Hsi Building. Centered on STEAM, the event featured five themed zones: the Engineering Exploration Pavilion, Language & Society Station, Creative Arts Space, Life Discovery Zone, and the ECO-Future Hub & Crazy Math-Physics Zone. These zones covered various fields, including engineering, humanities, technological arts, life sciences, environmental protection, mathematics, and physics, fully reflecting our school's multi-dimensional, interdisciplinary curriculum and philosophy.

Additionally, this year’s Expo has been submitted to join the official Maker Faire program network in the United States, aiming to provide students with a richer platform for showcasing their work, expanding external links for STEAM education, and reflecting our school’s active response to the maker education concept.

The Expo also welcomed a diverse lineup of leading tech enterprises and research teams.

These companies design products such as exoskeleton equipment for "The Wandering Earth," dual-material 3D printing equipment manufacturers, and AR/VR glasses brands; furthermore, an educational technology company offering naked-eye 3D anatomy courses, and "Deep Blue Exploration," the largest private scientific research vessel company in China, also made appearances. Additionally, a "Dynamic Wooden Structure" was introduced by a technical support company for the WorldSkills Competition’s wood structure project. These external organizations brought cutting-edge technological equipment and rich interactive experiences to the Expo, helping students broaden their horizons and ignite their passion for science and future career exploration.

The two-day Expo welcomed approximately 3,000 students from SHSID Grades 1-8 at the Puxi Campus, Lin’gang Campus, Shanghui Experimental School (Grades 1-6) Campus, and Shanghai High School’s Local Division Campus, along with over 100 parent representatives. The exhibition booths showcased students’ innovative works in various fields, including engineering construction, drone flying, robotics programming, life science research, social issue analysis, creative writing, and music creation, fully reflecting their practical abilities, interdisciplinary literacy, and creative thinking.

The closing ceremony was a highlight of the event. It began with a video introducing the various innovation laboratories in the Hsi Building, providing the audience with a comprehensive understanding of the experimental teaching space in the Western District. The ceremony then reviewed the content of over 20 STEAM short-term club courses held this semester and summarized the five major school-wide science and technology competitions with extensive student participation. These included:

• The Engineering Masters Challenge, where students      showcased outstanding structural design skills and engineering innovation;

• The Environmental Solutions Challenge, focusing on      real-world ecological issues and proposing scientific solutions;

• The “Young Voice” Social Science Challenge, where      students used data and technology to address social issues;

• The Mushroom Cultivation Championship, where students      explored fungal ecology and cultivated "King of Fungi" specimens;

• The Science and Technology Photography Competition,      where students captured the beauty of technology around them through their      lenses.

During the closing ceremony, the “SHSID Car Team” presented their self-developed small electric vehicle from the Automobile Design and Structural Mechanics course, demonstrating their solid foundation in engineering design and mechanical control. Meanwhile, the “Dog-Walking Robotics Team” showcased their "Pet Robot Dog," which combined mechanical design and AI programming to interact with students by dancing, making heart-shaped gestures, and responding to commands, drawing laughter and applause.

Notably, two eighth-grade students representing the school’s science and technology program shared their journeys of innovation. They discussed how an idea can be transformed into a practical project and introduced the entire process of topic selection, research, experimentation, and optimization within the school's science and technology incubation system. They also shared their growth experiences and thoughts during scientific research, encouraging more students to be brave, persistent, and willing to challenge themselves.

Finally, Professor Qiu Xipeng from Fudan University/Shanghai College of Creative Intelligence delivered a wonderful lecture for teachers and students. Combining educational and technological future trends, Professor Qiu emphasized the importance of persistence in innovation, embracing the unknown, and enjoying the research process. He shared his research journey, encouraged students to explore the unknown, and enjoy the excitement of problem-solving, highlighting that curiosity, the desire for knowledge, and continuous learning are essential.

In his closing remarks, Mr. Liu Lian, Principal of SHSID Middle and Primary School, expressed gratitude to Professor Qiu for his encouragement and guidance. He affirmed the significance of this year’s Expo in enhancing students' scientific literacy and stimulating their creative potential. Principal Liu shared some interesting figures: There are 32 laboratories in the Hsi Building, as well as 48 course selection paths and over 100 innovative courses for students to choose from. He encouraged students to make full use of these resources, find their interests, and persist in honing their innovative abilities. While this year’s Creative Program Expo is coming to an end, he hopes students will maintain curiosity, explore bravely, and let their dreams take root and grow.

The successful conclusion of the 2025 Creative Program Expo at SHSID is not only a concentrated display of our school’s achievements in STEAM education but also a grand event that inspires future thinking and scientific dreams. We look forward to seeing more students grow through practice, shine through innovation, and meet their better selves through continuous exploration.

Written by Shenghua Yao, Xiaoqian Duan

Proofread by Chad Higgenbottom

Pictures and Videos by Siying Li, Minxuan Cao, Ruolin Yan, Jing Xu