Location: Mumbai, India | Term: Winter 2026

Navonmesa Module Driving Question

How might Mumbai’s community-driven systems inspire more sustainable urban living?

The Challenge

Mumbai’s congestion is more than a nuisance; it’s a crisis. Residents lose nearly half their personal time to traffic, and the resulting air pollution contributes to hundreds of deaths annually. With 19% of the population occupying 82% of the road space in private vehicles, the city’s productivity and safety are at a breaking point.

The Solution: Mumbai Move

Liam and Benjamin developed Mumbai Move, a service-exchange app designed to shift commuters from private cars to public transit.

• How it Works: The app tracks bus and train journeys via Google Maps integration.
• The Incentive: Users earn points based on mileage and time spent on public transport, redeemable for discounts at local businesses.
• Impact: By gamifying sustainable travel, the project aims to reduce four-wheeled vehicle traffic by 10% and provide real-time carbon emission tracking for every user.
  

Field Research & Inspiration

The project was fueled by immersive experiences across Mumbai:

• Dharavi: The team explored the “slum’s” $2 billion circular economy, learning how total resource efficiency and community interconnectedness can drive massive impact.
• Dabbawalas: Studying the legendary lunch-delivery system provided a masterclass in logistics, loyalty, and near-perfect operational efficiency.

Final Product: The ENpower Pitch

The term culminated in a professional startup pitch (Navonmesa) delivered to industry mentors.

• The Assessment: The duo presented a full business model, including a tiered subscription service (Standard and Pro+) and a B2B advertising strategy.
• Refinement: Based on expert feedback, the final iteration focused on a “powerful” user hook and a clear bridge between transit data and consumer rewards, ensuring the business was both socially responsible and financially viable.

The Driving Question

How can I design and create a mobile app for my NGO that allows us to educate people and easily engage followers and volunteers?

The Project: Connecting Communities Through Code

In response to his driving question, Sarfo developed a mobile application aimed at addressing digital isolation among youth in Ghana.

Despite widespread access to smartphones and technology, many young people lack access to relevant, accessible information about their communities, their country, and the wider world. Sarfo identified this gap not as a lack of tools, but as a lack of connection.

The Core Idea: His solution was to design an app that:

• Shares curated news and global trends in a simple format
• Promotes local and international events with accessible registration
• Creates a digital hub for community interaction and knowledge sharing
• Provides access to free learning resources and courses

By using tools already present in users’ daily lives, the project focused on accessibility rather than complexity.

Design, Development & Iteration

Sarfo’s process followed a structured cycle of learning, designing, building, and iterating.

Learning the System:
He began by identifying his target audience, youth aged roughly 16–24 in Ghana, and researching the devices they use. This led him to select technologies that would allow cross-platform development for both Android and iOS within a limited timeframe.

Designing for Impact:
Through multiple iterations, Sarfo refined his UI/UX approach, moving from text-heavy, unclear layouts to a more intuitive and visually engaging interface. His design principles focused on simplicity, consistency, clarity, and efficiency, ensuring the app would be easy to navigate and meaningful for users.

Building the App:
Using React Native, he developed the app from scratch, managing authentication systems, data storage, and version control.

Iterating Through Feedback:
Sarfo created a structured feedback system using shared documents where testers could report issues and suggest improvements. This allowed him to continuously refine the app, addressing bugs, improving usability, and adapting features based on real user experience.

Challenges & Breakthroughs

The development process presented both technical and creative challenges.

Technical Obstacles:
Debugging complex code and resolving “mysterious bugs”
Managing authentication systems
Maintaining code stability and accessibility across devices

Design Challenges:
Translating ideas into clear, user-friendly interfaces
Balancing functionality with simplicity
Through persistence and iteration, Sarfo moved from early prototypes to a fully functional application ready for user testing, marking a significant milestone in both technical skill and problem-solving ability.

Final Product: A Platform for Access

The final app serves as a centralized platform where users can access news, events, and educational resources while connecting with their community.

The Impact:

• Increased awareness of local and global issues among youth
• Strengthened community engagement through shared events and information
• Improved confidence and access to opportunities for young users

By transforming existing technology into a meaningful tool, the app begins to address the issue of digital isolation at its root.

The Summative Reflection

For Sarfo, this project extended beyond coding or technical development. It became a way to rethink access, equity, and the role of technology in everyday life.

What started as a passion for programming evolved into a solution with real-world impact. Through this process, he not only developed technical expertise, but also a deeper understanding of how technology can bring people together.

As he reflected, the goal was never just to build an app, but to ensure that young people are not left out simply because they lack access to information.

The Driving Question

How can I develop my understandings on the global coffee industry and its local variations through primary & secondary research?

The Project: Coffee as a Learning Journey

In response to his driving question, Halca developed a multi-year body of work using coffee as a framework to explore global systems, culture, and identity.

The Research Foundation: Beginning with a mastery project, Halca investigated five key areas: the history of coffee, production systems, seed-to-cup processes, producing countries, and the global coffee industry. Through over 20 secondary sources and primary café observations across multiple countries, he built a comprehensive understanding of coffee as both a cultural ritual and an economic force.

Systems & Equity: Expanding on this foundation, he conducted a comparative research study on coffee trade systems in Ethiopia. By analyzing traditional commodity markets alongside certifications like Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance, Halca evaluated their impact on smallholder farmers. His findings revealed that even systems designed to promote equity can carry bias, often highlighting success while overlooking limitations. This reflects core principles of industry analysis, where understanding both opportunities and constraints is essential.

Production & Sustainability: Shifting focus to Brazil, Halca explored sustainable farming practices such as agroforestry and examined how land ownership and environmental systems shape coffee production. This work emphasized that innovation in coffee begins at the level of farmers and ecosystems, not just in cafés.

Final Product: From Knowledge to Action

The culmination of Halca’s learning extended beyond research into community impact.

The Service Initiative: In Indonesia, he designed and led a coffee workshop for young adults from an orphanage, addressing gaps between education and employment. The workshop covered brewing techniques, flavor profiling, and coffee tasting, creating access to skills and new opportunities.

The Reflection: Through this experience, Halca recognized that knowledge gains value when it is shared. Coffee became not only a subject of study, but a tool for connection, access, and empowerment.

Driving Question:

How can we improve earthquakes preparedness in Vancouver through collaboration and innovation?

Module Summary:

The teacher-led module “Quake Quest” explores the science, history, and societal impact of earthquakes in Vancouver and the surrounding region. Guided by the driving question, how can we improve earthquake preparedness in Vancouver through collaboration and innovation, students investigate the risks associated with seismic activity and the strategies communities use to prepare for and respond to natural disasters. The module emphasizes interdisciplinary learning, combining science, mathematics, history, and technology to better understand earthquake preparedness.

Throughout the module, students learn from guest speakers, field experiences, and hands-on investigations that deepen their understanding of earthquakes and disaster response. Students explore Indigenous knowledge through stories such as the Thunderbird and Whale, which help explain natural phenomena and preserve historical records of seismic events. They also receive training in emergency preparedness from Christine Bodnarchuk of the BC Earthquake Alliance, learning essential safety practices such as “Drop, Cover, and Hold On.” Additional speakers introduce topics including search-and-rescue operations with trained dogs, artificial intelligence in disaster response, and the role of satellite data in detecting ground movement after earthquakes.

Students also participate in experiential learning opportunities, including visits to local geological landmarks along the Sea-to-Sky corridor and the Museum of Anthropology, where they explore both the geological causes of earthquakes and their cultural and historical impacts. In their final assessments, students apply their learning by creating tabletop games that incorporate earthquake science and probability concepts, as well as developing AI-based proposals aimed at improving earthquake preparedness, response, and recovery. Through these projects, students demonstrate how collaboration, technology, and education can help communities better prepare for future seismic events.

Driving Question:

How can we understand the impact of equity and Canadian policies on the unhoused populations of Vancouver to propose new policies?

Module Summary:

The teacher-led module “Roof Rights” explores the challenges of housing affordability and homelessness in Vancouver. Guided by the driving question, how can we understand the impact of equity and Canadian policies on Vancouver’s homeless population in order to propose new policies, students investigate the social, economic, and political factors that shape housing access in the city. The module encourages learners to analyze real-world systems and develop policy-based solutions to address the housing and homelessness crisis.

Throughout the module, students conduct independent research, field visits, and discussions with experts to better understand the issue. Learners visit sites such as the Chinatown Foundation and East Hastings, where they observe initiatives focused on supporting unhoused individuals and revitalizing communities. They also explore other areas of Vancouver, including Deep Cove, to examine the contrast between neighborhoods with high livability and those facing significant housing challenges. These experiences help students understand how access to services, resources, and inclusive infrastructure shapes quality of life in urban environments.

Students also learn from guest speakers and researchers who share insights into homelessness, drug policy, and social support systems in Vancouver. Speakers include filmmaker Dominic Streeter, author Travis Lupick, and researcher Jing Xue, who discuss topics such as substance use, safe injection sites, and experimental housing initiatives. The module culminates with students developing policy proposals aimed at improving support systems for unhoused populations, addressing areas such as community centers, rehabilitation programs, mental health resources, and housing assistance.

Driving Question:

How can we apply our learning of indigenous environmental advocacy in Canada to create a sustainable NGO in our home country?

Module Summary:

The teacher-led module “Beyond Existing” explores the intersection of Indigenous environmental advocacy and NGO development in Canada. During the module, students examine how Indigenous perspectives, histories, and cultural traditions shape approaches to environmental stewardship and community advocacy. The module challenges students to consider how these lessons can be applied globally by asking the driving question: how can students use their learning about Indigenous environmental advocacy in Canada to create a sustainable NGO in their home countries?

Throughout the module, students engage in an immersive learning experience that combines research, workshops, guest speakers, and field experiences. Learners begin by building foundational knowledge about Indigenous history, culture, and social narratives in Canada before exploring real-world examples of advocacy and nonprofit work. Students also travel to Bowen Island, where they meet Indigenous artist and storyteller Simon James and learn about cultural practices such as totem pole carving, as well as visit the Chinatown Storytelling Centre to explore the relationship between governments and NGOs.

In the later stages of the module, students participate in workshops focused on NGO development and social entrepreneurship, learning how to craft mission statements, develop a theory of change, and frame social issues effectively. Students also meet leaders such as Chloë Fraser, an environmental advocate and TGS alumna, and community figures including Karlen Thomas and Manvi Bhalla, who share their experiences in advocacy and nonprofit leadership. The module culminates in a charity ball event, where students pitch their NGO ideas to a panel of guests in order to secure support for their initiatives and demonstrate how they can apply their learning to create meaningful change.

One of my favorite sessions was right after our wexplore, visiting Tierra del Sol. It was unbelievable. The place was fantastic and so heart-warming. Everything was so thought out and showed an impressively accurate representation of what a community space should look like. I spent such a great time there and hope to go again. I learned more than I could’ve imagined.

-Class of 2023 Student Mila F.

Driving Question: How might we use our understanding of architecture through time to design a context-informed structure?

Our group designed what we believe is a modern take on a traditional Oaxacan house and gastronomical hub which showcases the Oaxaca’s rich food and drink diversity.

What new things did you learn about yourself?

We learned about the impact of colonialism on Mexican architecture through our experience through seeing the use of traditional European elements that incorporate Mexican structures.

What are your big takeaway lessons from this project?

Our biggest takeaway was the process of the environmental impact analysis as I feel like the process of environmental impact analysis will be very important in any project I want to do that involves construction thinking about input and output I am putting in the environment.

This module was one of my favourites, as I learned more about the ins and outs of sustainable buildings in the state of Oaxaca and a little bit of architecture. Ever since TGS introduced the core value of Pixki, I have become more aware of the environment and the impact humans have had and will continue to have on the world around us. Every small project like this makes me think more and become conscious of my actions.

-Class of 2022 Student Viktoria L.

Driving Question: How might we use our understanding of architecture through time to design a context-informed structure?

What were your goals for this module? How did you achieve them?

Our goal this term was to create a sustainable settlement that involved the development of a community garden, greenhouse, and administrative building to encourage ethnobotanical practices in the city of Oaxaca. We achieved this by creating an environmental impact statement, presenting it to a panel of Oaxacan architects, and applying the feedback we received from them to build a miniature settlement in real life.

We acquired the knowledge to do so from our weXplore, where we first practiced building models and creating environmental impact assessments. Tierra De Sol also factored in, as it’s where we learned more about sustainable practices. Oaxacan architects also played a large part, as they answered our questions even after the panel.

What new things did you learn about yourself?

We learned that we are very good at building expandable walls as a team. At Tierra De Sol, we were given the chance to do so, and we were the fastest, most efficient group of all. We sawed and drilled twice as many sticks as everyone else. Our secret was that everyone had a role in the activity, and we worked the best we could.

Driving Question: How can I address some of the present threats to global health while promoting human rights and social progress?

Project Overview: In this module, students were introduced to the foundations of global health. They learned about basic concepts, measurements, and determinants of health, and a number of key perspectives for considering global health issues.

For her project, Estelle explored water scarcity in Honduras, which leads to a lack of basic sanitation and clean water for up to 1.8 million people. Non-communicable diseases in Honduras attributed to water cause a DALY rate of 4,540 per 100,000 people. Disease spreads through contaminated food and water tanks, and poor management, climate change, and political unrest worsen the issue.

Project Reflection: “Exploring the niche of environmental global health opened my mind to so many new areas of interest in this field.  I thoroughly enjoyed this module and felt like the skills will be very applicable to other modules.”

Driving Question: How can we convey the complexities of ethnic and religious reconciliation through our experience of Bosnia and Herzegovina?

For her summative assessment, Class of 2021 student Malak B. went an artful route by working on a series of pictures of Bosnian strangers. Each held up a flower representing a value that they believe leads to reconciliation, along with a description of why they hold that belief.

The end project demonstrated how different people in Bosnia and Herzegovina hold different views on reaching reconciliation. In the end, it turns out, no matter their ethnicity, everyone strives towards the same goal.