On 30 November 2024, Shell NXplorers Kazakhstan hosted the ‘NXplorers Around the World’ festival, marking the end of the National Environmental Project Competition. Across the Republic, 122 schools submitted their projects to the competition and 20 finalists were selected to present their work at the festival.
The event aimed to introduce as many students and teachers as possible to the Shell NXplorers methodology whilst inspiring the younger generation to address ecological challenges. The design of ‘a journey across the world’ was inspired by the 18 Shell NXplorers countries, highlighting the scale of the programme. The space was transformed into a model of the world, with each location and interactive station representing one or more of the countries where the Shell NXplorers programme currently exists.
The ’NXplorers Around the World’ festival from above
The festival was opened on the mainstage by official representatives from Shell Kazakhstan, the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the British Ambassador to Kazakhstan. Then, expert talks took place throughout the day. The speeches covered topics including global space issues, environmental problems in Central Asia and Kazakhstan’s environmental challenges. There was also a song created especially for the festival—the NXplorers Ecologists’ Anthem!
The organisers brought the rest of the event to life as an airport. Visitors were greeted by hosts at a check-in desk, provided with international ‘passports’ and could plan their visits using the creative departure board that displayed each location. When visiting each country, participants received a sticker ‘visa’ once completing tasks, and those who collected 10 or more visas could participate in a prize draw at the end of the festival.
Some of the most exciting destinations visitors could visit included:
A special highlight of the festival was a fun, interactive area where the visitors could learn about Shell NXplorers tools, how they work, and put them to use. This event was led by the National Environmental Project Competition finalists who practiced their public speaking skills by providing instructions on how to use the Shell NXplorers tools. This allowed participants to understand and use the tools while the finalists deepened their understanding of the methodology.
The festival concluded with the awards ceremony, featuring the prize draw and the announcement of the Environmental Project Competition winners. The event visitors played a key role in selecting the winners, with over 90% participating in the voting process. Each winning team received a grant to bring their innovative ideas to life.
The winning teams and projects included:
Shell NXplorers teams Green City, Eco Dream and EcoTolqyn showcasing their projects.
Throughout the event, over 2,000 individuals ’traveled around the world’ to visit a dozen countries that run the Shell NXplorers programme in just one day. 71% of the festival participants were students, with the rest made up of teachers and parents.
The ’NXplorers Around the World’ festival embodied the creative thinking that the NXplorers programme champions, bringing together young minds to innovate and address global ecological challenges. The Kazakhstan team looks forward to more events like this, continuing to inspire and empower the next generation of problem solvers.
