KHON KAEN – The Faculty of Education at Khon Kaen University organized a two-day “Young Social Innovator” workshop on October 4–5, 2025, to foster social innovation skills among high school students from Thailand’s northeastern region, aligning their projects with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The “Young Social Innovator” training camp is part of a broader research project aimed at developing mechanisms for driving social innovation toward sustainability in local schools. The initiative, funded by the Science, Research and Innovation Promotion Fund for the 2028 fiscal year, brought together 96 high school students, 31 supervising teachers, and 10 expert mentors.
The workshop aimed to equip students with the skills to create social innovations that address real-world community challenges. Associate Professor Dr. Pornsawan Wongtatham, Associate Dean for Research and Innovation at the Faculty of Education, emphasized the crucial role of youth in shaping a better society. “Youth are key figures in designing and creating innovations that contribute to the development of communities, society, the nation, and a rapidly changing world,” she stated during the opening ceremony.
Associate Professor Dr. Jatupoom Khetchaturat, the project leader, explained that social innovation serves as a vital tool for solving local issues with the SDGs as a guiding framework. “The project’s participants worked together to identify problems, gain a deep understanding of their causes and effects, and brainstorm to develop prototypes that genuinely meet needs and create positive social value,” he said.
The event featured in-depth training sessions led by Associate Professor Dr. Suteera Prasertsan of the “Poh Phan Panya Academy.” Key topics included cause-and-effect principles, rational problem-solving, community economics, and applying STEM knowledge to develop innovations aligned with the Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) Economy and the SDGs.
Inspiration was a key component of the workshop. Chaiyadet Kaewsanga from Khon Kaen University Demonstration School presented an exhibition of agricultural inventions. Khunakorn Tangtrakul, an engineering student specializing in automation and robotics, shared his experiences developing award-winning innovations. Additionally, Charoen Rakhakaew, a school director from Chaiyaphum province, spoke on youth leadership.
During a “Gallery Walk” session, students presented a diverse range of social innovation concepts. Ideas included transforming a village into a school, creating value from waste, producing fish-based nutritional powder, a road safety awareness project, developing bioplastics from sugarcane leaves, and designing an air-purifying “electric leaf” to capture PM2.5 dust. Students received feedback from experts to help refine their projects for future development.
This collaborative project involves researchers and educators from Khon Kaen University, Ubon Ratchathani University, Burapha University, and regional education offices in Khon Kaen and Chaiyaphum. The network aims to build a sustainable mechanism for social innovation, empowering the next generation to become a driving force for positive and lasting change in society.
