Earlier this year, DP1 students from IPEKA Integrated Christian School (IICS) took part in a three-day cultural immersion trip to Yogyakarta —designed to help them learn by living and doing. Each day offered meaningful, hands-on experiences rooted in tradition, creativity, and cultural connection.
On the first day, students explored Yogyakarta’s artistic heritage. Firstly, they crafted batik hand fans, painted wayang (traditional shadow puppets), and made wedang ronde, a warm ginger-based drink. These activities weren’t just fun— but they also offered a window into how art, food, and history are woven into daily life.
Day two emphasized creativity and sustainability. Firstly, the students decorated traditional umbrellas with hand-drawn designs and printed eco-friendly patterns on tote bags using natural dyes. They also practiced elements of a traditional performance together. For example, learning about the discipline and collaboration behind cultural storytelling. It was a day that blended artistic expression with environmental and social awareness.
By day three, the experience shifted to agriculture and performance. Students stepped into rice fields to learn firsthand how to cultivate rice—mud and all. Later, they watched a dramatic staging of The Burning of Hanuman, a local retelling of the Ramayana. The day offered a powerful connection to the land and the region’s rich narrative tradition.
Programs like the DP1 Live In help students grow in empathy, curiosity, and global understanding. Therefore, thay are ready to go beyond academics and cultivate real-world awareness and personal growth.
At IICS, experiences like these are part of a wider vision. In a Christian school setting, where learning is grounded in faith and character, these moments help shape thoughtful, purpose-driven individuals which are ready to impact the world and people around them.
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