On 11 and 12 August 2018, the Taylor’s Lakeside Campus saw a mass of students and parents attend the Taylor’s Future Movement Open Day, one that was unlike any other. The 2-day event was packed with a variety of interactive activities aimed to inspire students to defy convention while building 21st century skills.

Its anchor activity, the Taylor’s Microhouse Challenge, saw close to 50 volunteers build a house of the future, where students learnt how to build the structure of a microhouse, solar panel systems, rainwater harvesting systems, Internet of Things (IoT) and an edible garden.

“As a nature enthusiast, I wanted to see how to harness the sun’s power, so I signed up for the solar panel workshop session. The workshop allowed me to enhance my wiring skills as well as learn more about solar panels as a whole,” said Vivian, a participant from Shah Alam.

The result is a double storey building that fits the space of 2 parking lots, fully equipped with sustainable and futuristic elements, such as filtered rainwater that’s clean enough to drink and motion sensors that automatically turn lights on.

Not only that, attendees had the opportunity to be inspired by the experiences of successful leaders such as YB Fahmi Fadzil, Lembah Pantai MP, Ignatius Ong, CEO of Firefly Airlines and Arthur Loh, co-founder of Pestle & Mortar. They imparted precious knowledge in the hopes of inspiring students to be ambitious and follow their dreams — who says Malaysians can’t make their mark on this world?

Lastly, visitors were also treated to unplugged concerts in the evening, allowing them to unwind and sing along to tunes by Malaysia’s very own Talitha Tan, Kyoto Protocol, Insomniacks and Sid Murshid.

Overall, the Taylor’s Future Movement successfully provided a platform for students to explore their passions, strengthen their capabilities and look beyond traditional career paths.