On May 15, Pan American - The International School of Porto Alegre hosted the Primary Years Programme (PYP) Exhibition, the culminating experience for Grade 5 students in the IB Primary Years Programme. With 50 students presenting their individual research projects, this year's event was one of the largest in school history.

The PYP Exhibition marks the transition from Primary to Middle School and represents the synthesis of everything students have learned throughout their years in the programme. It is an opportunity for students to demonstrate the skills, knowledge, and attitudes developed through the PYP: inquiry, research, critical thinking, communication, and self-management.

Through the exhibition, students engage with real-world issues, take responsibility for their own learning, and share their findings with an authentic audience. The experience prepares them for the next phase of their educational journey in the Middle Years Programme (MYP), where student agency, independent thinking, and interdisciplinary connections become even more central.

Held at the Gym on Obino Campus, the exhibition invited students to share the results of in-depth inquiries into issues they care about.  Students explored social issues and environmental concerns, including food insecurity, homelessness, and refugee issues. Health and well-being emerged in projects, while others looked toward the future, investigating artificial intelligence and education opportunities in developing regions.

The size of this year's exhibition reflects the school community's growth. With 50 students, the Class of 2033 is one of the largest G5 cohorts Pan American has had, a milestone that mirrors the school's record enrollment this year.

"What distinguishes the PYP Exhibition from other culminating experiences is that it places the student at the center of the learning process in a way that is both rigorous and deeply personal. Students must identify a real-world issue, conduct sustained inquiry, make connections across disciplines and to the UN Sustainable Development Goals,  plan an action, and take responsibility for communicating their findings. Looking at this year's topics, it is clear that our students are not only developing as inquirers but also as young people who seek to understand others' experiences. That capacity to learn through empathy is what prepares them for the MYP and for the responsibilities of global citizenship,"  shares the P3-G12 Principal, Dr. Renee Bowling.