Khon Kaen, Thailand – On September 25, 2025, the Kindergarten Division of Khon Kaen University Demonstration School launched its annual ‘Innovator Market’ for Academic Year 2025. The opening ceremony was presided over by Assistant Professor Dr. Sarawut Jakpeng, Director of the Kindergarten Division, and Associate Professor Dr. Issara Kanjug, Dean of the Faculty of Education at Khon Kaen University. The event saw a large turnout of faculty members, parents, and students.

The Innovator Market project is designed to give students hands-on experience in understanding currency and money management through buying and selling goods. It also serves as a platform for teachers to exchange knowledge on teaching methodologies, showcased through student learning exhibitions and 15 student-run market stalls. The initiative aims to cultivate young innovators, promote creativity over purely academic approaches, and foster future entrepreneurial skills.

Associate Professor Dr. Issara Kanjug, Dean of the Faculty of Education, emphasized that the Innovator Market provides students with a platform to showcase their ideas and creativity. She highlighted educational research indicating that prioritizing creativity leads to better development than a purely academic-driven approach. The focus is on encouraging forward-thinking, as children with imagination will actively seek learning methods to support their creative ideas, much like the projects presented at the market.

Dr. Issara further explained that in today’s competitive world, which differs from traditional economic systems, everything is being reinvented. This necessitates a learning approach that emphasizes critical thinking and nurtures creativity before integrating academic knowledge. She illustrated this by stating that children should first be encouraged to imagine both possible and impossible scenarios, then use academic knowledge to determine feasibility. For instance, instead of being limited to lamps and candles when thinking about light, imagination can lead to the invention of light bulbs. Thus, academic progress stems from creativity and an endless continuum of knowledge, supported by teachers with a “Growth Mindset” and a passion for student development.

Ms. Supranee Oonjantee, a teacher from Kindergarten Class 2/3, shared insights into the event’s genesis. She explained that the Innovator Market activities began with children observing everyday surroundings, focusing on fruits.Teachers then guided them to appreciate healthy fruits and understand the wonders of plant growth. Subsequently, students brainstormed ideas for innovations and products derived from fruits, creating various activity bases through interconnected and creative thinking. Examples included fruit bingsu sales, fruit-themed ball games, fruit masks, fruit magnifiers, and “Music Chack” instruments made from fruits. Each activity aimed to stimulate creativity and imagination, addressing the concept of innovation through diverse outputs. This process nurtures young innovators and instills future entrepreneurial spirit.

The Innovator Market is a two-day event, running from September 25-26, 2025. It features a variety of student-run stalls, such as “Fun Force,” “Wonderful Sound,” “Yummy Fresh Milk,” “Trees Help the World,” “Fruity Land,” “Amazing Toys,” “Inter Som Tum,” “The Corn Journey,” “Rice for Food and Art,” and “Tasty Sushi,” alongside a “Bookworm” stall from the garden library. The project trains students in entrepreneurship, product creation, pricing, investment, and profit management. Teachers guide them in producing goods for sale and managing income and expenses, then assign roles, ensuring students understand the entire process. This fosters teamwork, responsibility, project-based learning, and clear division of duties. The initiative stimulates learning from everyday observations, integrating creativity with academic knowledge to encourage innovative, integrated learning that generates new ideas, expands knowledge, and supports students in becoming 21st-century innovators.