In partnership with Sea (Thailand), the operator of the Shopee online shopping platform, and a network of international schools, Equity Lab, under the Equitable Education Fund (EEF), hosted an awards ceremony and exhibition on October 1, 2025, showcasing the products of student networks taking part in the “Equity Partnership’s School Network Season 6” project. This incident reaffirmed the model’s effectiveness in reducing inequality through innovative teaching strategies. To enhance life skills, vocational skills, and 21st-century skills, the project increased cooperation between academic institutions, instructors, and Equitable Education Fund (EEF) opportunity schools, foreign schools, and universities. Through product development and sales on the Shopee platform, this program also offered practical experience and generated revenue for communities, schools, and students.
According to Dr. Kraiyos Patrawart, Managing Director of the EEF, the project is based on the goal of the Equitable Education Fund (EEF) and its educational partners to connect students from foreign schools and rural communities. The main objective is to give the younger generation the chance to learn and acquire skills necessary for the workplace by creating products based on local knowledge, combining important community resources and challenges, and training them to become new-generation entrepreneurs who can make money from product sales.
“The valuable experience is the key to working as a team for more than seven months. Our goal is to give children and young people with a wide range of potential the chance to learn, support one another, and develop critical 21st-century skills, such as literacy, creativity, digital skills, social and emotional skills, and the capacity to use local resources for value through product design, digital technology, and online marketing.”
Over 69 participating educational institutions from various parts of the country have produced over 3,900 community-based items during the project’s six-year run, with total sales reaching 1.9 million baht. All proceeds from the project will support the development of children and youth in schools in remote areas, with no deductions. This effort seeks to develop student potential and generate possibilities in order to facilitate the project’s expansion from schools to communities and promote sustainable strength.
As a representative of the Shopee platform, Ms. Phutthawan Suphatthanan, Director of Corporate Communications at SEA (Thailand), expressed her joy at being involved in the project for a number of years. She has demonstrated success in developing engaging goods and making actual sales, allowing students to gain practical experience while learning.
“Students can acquire three skills with this project: 1. Digital Skills that enable them to sell goods on the Shopee site, a source of revenue. 2. Entrepreneurial Skills, which allow them to make money and establish a job while they are in school. Through learning and doing, they have made numerous discoveries that they would not have made without practical experience. 3. Soft Skills that allow students to collaborate with others.”
Mr. Greg Threlfall of Rugby International School stated that the project has been running for six years and has helped develop various skills, including emotional skills and building relationships through collaborative work and activities. With products now offered for sale on the Shopee platform, he took delight in the project’s long-standing history. He believes that when additional schools join the initiative, the project will continue to expand and thrive every year.
Asst. Prof. Dr. Kanokwan Uthongsap from the College of Interdisciplinary Studies at Thammasat University’s Lampang Campus is another important network member involved in the project, which is in its first year. She commended the sixth-year School Network of the Equity Partnership. She said she was proud to be in charge of the Mae Kong Wittaya and Mae Moh Wittaya schools’ initiatives in Lampang Province and that she was delighted to see the results of both schools’ local knowledge and skills.
“We are grateful to the Equitable Education Fund (EEF) for providing Thammasat University’s Lampang Campus with the chance to become part of our network in fostering entrepreneurial seedlings. We’re all hoping that today’s efforts will help turn these tiny seedlings into magnificent ones down the road.”
This year, 10 schools and universities are participating in the project: Hongyok Bamrung School in Phuket Province; Ban Lo Han School in Phatthalung Province; Nong Bon Wittayakhom School in Trat Province; Khao Saming Wittayakhom School (“Jongjin Rujirawong Uppatham”) in Trat Province; Ban Khlong Khrok School in Chanthaburi Province; Ban Luang Wittaya School in Nakhon Pathom Province; Kaen Thong Uppatham School in Bangkok; Mae Kong Wittaya School in Lampang Province; Mae Mo Wittaya School in Lampang Province; and Thammasat University, Lampang Campus, partnering with five schools from the international school network: Rugby School Thailand, Satit Prasarnmit International Program, Denla British School, Ascot International School, and Shrewsbury International School.
Sales, cost-profit, product presentation, channels and methods of product presentation, teamwork, collaboration, and coordination, clear work procedures, acceptance of opinions and understanding of different cultures, and creativity, products, and packaging were all included in the marketing and selling judging criteria for the entire project. “BanloSPIP” from Prasarnmit Demonstration School and Ban Lo Han School in Phatthalung Province won. They created a purse made of braided wild pandan leaves under the name “Between Us & Tree.” The unique qualities of wild pandan leaves, which change color after drying and return to green when exposed to water, are used in this product, which draws on the traditional knowledge of the Manni people, an indigenous ethnic group in Phatthalung Province.
Team “DenSmingThara” from DBS International School and Khao Saming Wittayakhom School (Jongjin Rujirawong Uppatham) in Trat Province placed first runner-up. They worked together to create a plant container called “Saming Craft” that was fashioned from oyster shells. By adding heat-retaining qualities, the objective was to rejuvenate discarded shells and keep plants from wilting too soon. Team “DenbonCoffee” from DBS International School and Nong Bon Wittayakhom School in Trat Province took second place for creating a robusta drip coffee under the brand name “Bonnery.” The coffee beans, which are rich in minerals and have a distinct scent, were painstakingly chosen from ancient gem mines in Trat Province.
