In keeping with globalization and continuous collaborative linkages with international universities, thirty (30) students from Isabela State University (ISU) campuses joined the twelve-day Learning Express (LeX) Program, in collaboration with Singapore Polytechnic (SP), held last April 1-12, 2024 at the Research Development, Training, and Services Building at ISU Cabagan.

The said program instilled participating students with a design thinking approach within the context of social innovation. The participants were immersed in experiential learning, including language acquisition and community homestays, providing opportunities to engage with and befriend youths from Asia while deepening their comprehension of challenges encountered by overseas communities.

Through the program, students were expected to co-create purposeful, sustainable, and innovative prototype solutions to real-life issues. They were aimed to apply their teamwork and communication skills, develop a better understanding of themselves, empathy for the community, realize the positive impact they can make in the lives of a community in need, and attain higher resilience in life.

After the orientation last March 22, 2024 spearheaded by Dr. Ambrose Hans Aggabao, participating ISU students were grouped into three (3) for corn snacks, pottery, and pork sausage, and were assigned to different communities in Sta. Maria and Cabagan. Along with students from SP, they identified problems faced by their assigned communities to formulate solutions, analyzed based on multiple perspectives.

During the LeX Program, participants developed prototypes as solutions after brainstorming ideas to address community challenges. Faculty members from ISU Cabagan, along with the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Cabagan, workers, residents, and students, attended the Gallery Walk showcasing these prototypes.