As part of its International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme (IBCP), Prem Tinsulanonda International School partners with SUMAS for Career-related Studies® Business & Sustainability. We spoke with their IBCP Coordinator, Lisa McSweeney, about Prem’s experience of SUMAS CrS® since starting with us in 2018.
Lisa McSweeney | IBCP Coordinator, Prem Tinsulanonda International School
SUMAS: As a business teacher, what have you found particularly innovative about the SUMAS CrS® Business & Sustainability?
Lisa: I like the relevant and forward-thinking angle that the SUMAS Career-related Studies® takes in terms of helping students know how to lead for change. As an IB school our students are well versed in sustainable thinking and therefore it is great to have an academic course and qualification on offer for students that want to pursue an interest in this area.
SUMAS: Has any of the program’s content influenced the way you teach other year groups or topics?
Lisa: I really try to focus much more on the process of skill development and get outside the classroom as much as possible. My SUMAS students grew in confidence through their exposure to business professionals and had a great understanding of themselves and their skill set.
SUMAS: You are partnered with SCAD and SUMAS. Why these two specifically?
Lisa: Both CrS® providers best suit our student body at Prem. Our students tend to be highly creative and entrepreneurial. Sustainability is at the heart of Prem’s Vision. In addition both providers are universities so students taking the IBCP with SUMAS or SCAD already have a foot in the door at these institutions and many do go onto study there at undergraduate level.
SUMAS: At Prem, you have chosen to focus on Hospitality within the SUMAS CrS®? What appealed to you most about the way SUMAS approaches this topic?
Lisa: In normal times Thailand is a major hub for tourism and Chiang Mai has many wonderful hotels. Many of our students intend to pursue a career in this field. Although, students are not limited to hospitality when they study this SUMAS pathway. The program opens doors for any business field and we have had students go onto universities around the world studying business courses such as International Management and Luxury Brand Management.
SUMAS: One of your highlights has been students’ practical experience with a 5-star hotel in Chang Mai. Can you give an example of the type of work the students carried out during this project?
Lisa: This project took place over a 7-week period. For the first 5 weeks the students would visit the hotel once per week. They would meet a specific Senior Manager responsible for a division of the hotel. Then they spent a full week working in the hotel, shadowing a variety of staff members and getting a really unique insight behind the scenes. They wore the staff uniform, cleaned the rooms, prepped food, took part in fire drills and much more! During their final week they produced a detailed report and presentation assessing the hotel’s sustainable practices of the hotel and presented it to over 20 managers in the boardroom of the hotel.
To learn more about the SUMAS CrS® Business & Sustainability, download the brochure or contact us directly at crs@sumas.ch.
Prem Tinsulanonda International School is a leading co-educational day and boarding school in Chiang Mai, Thailand. It is the only school in Thailand offering the four programs of the International Baccalaureate: the Primary Years Programme (IBPYP), the Middle Years Programme (IBMYP), the Diploma Programme (IBDP) and the Career-related Programme (IBCP).
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