Activities - NIST INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL in Bangkok, Thailand

Young baseball players leap with joy and excitement, Diverse activities foster growth, community, and resilience in students

True learning and growth requires challenging yourself and stretching your boundaries.

Whether they are joining an unfamiliar activity, playing an instrument for the first time or trying out for a sports team, students benefit from exploring new interests.

To encourage all students to push beyond their limits, the NIST Activities Programme offers more than 300 activities throughout the year across eight areas: academics, creative arts, enrichment, music, performing arts, service, sports and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).

The diversity of activities encourages students to excel by challenging themselves, and growing both as individuals and as a part of a community. Equally important, experiencing these new challenges empowers them to develop a growth mindset, view failure as an important part of learning and become more resilient.

Through activities, students learn that success in life is not measured only by awards or trophies, but also through our own growth and the positive impact we have on others.

NIST Learning Programme Swirl-Activities

NIST Music Academy

The NIST Music Academy is home to professional musicians and music teachers, dedicated to providing quality, progressive and fun music lessons to students from Early Years 2 to Year 13. A wide variety of musical instruments are available, including:

Piano
Brass - Trumpet, Trombone
Woodwind - Flute, Oboe, Saxophone, Clarinet
Strings - Violin, Viola, Cello
Percussion - Drums
Electric Guitar and Bass
Acoustic Guitar
Vocals
Music Theory.

The music programme has been developed to welcome students from beginner to advanced, and instruction is based on A Common Approach, a recognised curriculum for music tuition. Following this curriculum ensures students develop consistently over time, and enables us to offer two internationally recognised exam syllabi, the ABRSM and Trinity Rock & Pop.

ABRSM and Trinity Pop & Rock Exams - NIST Music Academy

The ABRSM is the exam board of the Royal Schools of Music and represents a rich musical history that stretches back over 150 years. It offers graded instrumental and singing exams for over 35 subjects, focused on classical music. The Trinity Pop & Rock exams focus on more contemporary music, making them appealing to many young musicians.

All students who enroll in the NIST Music Academy have regular opportunities to perform, either informally to peers or at our annual music recitals where students can show off their talents to teachers, family members and friends.

NIST Falcons Sports

Aspiring athletes can take part in competitive sports as members of the NIST Falcons teams. From basketball, gymnastics and tennis to rugby, fencing and much more, the range of sports offers the opportunity to compete with rivals not only in Bangkok, but also regionally. As a founding member of the South East Asia Student Activities Conference (SEASAC) and the Bangkok Metropolitan Athletic Conference (BMAC), NIST engages in tournaments and events with other top schools in Thailand, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore and Vietnam.

The Falcons Sports Philosophy

The fastest animals in the world, falcons are known not only for their speed and strength, but also their extraordinary intelligence and ability to learn. Our Falcons athletes strive to embody those same traits, cultivating resilience and continually growing through both victories and defeats. By empowering every student to develop as an individual and as a part of a team, we aspire to provide an outstanding education-based athletic programme that builds leadership, encourages collaboration and nurtures wellbeing. This holistic approach fosters an appreciation for sports, and promotes respect for both teammates and opponents.

Theatre

Through our IB MYP and DP Theatre courses, students engage with theatre's rich history, learn essential performance techniques and explore its profound cultural impact. Students study a variety of world theatre traditions, practically explore different theatre theories, as well as play the role of the creator, director, designer and performer. Students delve into the depths of storytelling and stage craft and ultimately gain an appreciation for the performing arts. Theatre in its nature is a collaborative art form and we foster an environment where students learn the invaluable life skills of collaboration, communication and creativity. These courses empower students to become confident and well-rounded individuals who can articulate their artistic visions.

Beyond the classroom, our commitment to fostering a holistic theatrical experience is evident through our vibrant after-school productions. These extra-curricular showcases not only provide an opportunity for students to shine on stage, but also to explore the intricacies of backstage roles, honing skills in lighting, set design, costume creation and more.

NIST’s Black Box Theatre seats an audience of 350 providing an enriching and rewarding theatre experience for our young actors. Backstage students are able to operate lighting and sound equipment using a state-of-the-art wire tension grid extending wall to wall, allowing entire theatre classes to safely learn about the production and backstage aspects, an integral part of the growing theatre curriculum at NIST.

Visual Art

Visual expression is a natural and therapeutic act that has been proven to enhance the wellbeing of every individual. It allows us to express our thoughts, ideas and opinions, to celebrate our individuality and originality. Artistic pursuits allow us to develop a wide range of skills that benefit us in so many aspects of our lives.

Throughout their creative journey our students are encouraged and supported in developing analytical skills in problem-solving and divergent thinking. They will explore a wide range of approaches and materials to allow them to acquire the technical proficiency to become confident young artists. Students will also investigate and compare visual arts from different perspectives as well as a variety of historical and cultural contexts. In all of our Visual Art courses, students will take time to reflect on their artistic development, while appraising their own work and that of others.

Every child is an artist. The problem is staying an artist when you grow up.

- Pablo Picasso

NIST Music Academy

For students who want more music in their lives, the Activities programme and our NIST Music Academy offer fun and engaging sessions in a range of genres and instruments, including traditional Thai instruments, choir, music theory and vocals coaching.

Sports & Recreation

Rock climbing, Gaelic Football, tennis, gymnastics, Muay Thai boxing, table tennis, dodgeball, badminton, football, basketball, golf, fencing, fitness and more … the list of sports and recreational activities offered as part of our Activities programme is long!

Theatre

Budding theatre managers, directors and sound technicians work alongside our talented student actors and perform to packed audiences in our NIST theatres. Our Activities programme and our drama curriculum offer students the chance to perform on stage, or backstage using the latest lighting, sound and stage rigging equipment.

Visual Art

Young artists and creators can enjoy a range of activities from painting, drawing and clay work, to collage, illustration and more. Our older students regularly enjoy graphic design, photography, coding, 3-D printing or creative writing sessions.

Cooking Club

In the NIST kitchen, our Cooking Club students learn to cook and create simple dishes they can then take home to share with their family and friends. The Activities programme also has clubs and groups for gardening, reading, science exploration, maths, recycling, language or psychology, and we even have groups for Lego builders and young magicians!

Cover Dance

NIST has a number of dance rehearsal and theatre rooms for our students to learn music, movement and expression, with our Activities programme filling the rooms with regular classes in hip hop, classical and jazz ballet. Self defence, wellbeing, mindfulness and other movement and fitness classes are also regularly available.

Makerspace

Younger students love our Makerspace areas, where they can build, stick, glue, bend and even break the many recycled products we collect from our community. Designs come to life and wonderful innovative and fun creations are made as part of our Makerspace Activities programme.

Robotics

Secondary students interested in learning about, building and programming robots are encouraged to join our Robotics Team. Working together, the robotics enthusiasts collaborate regularly to design and build robots that then perform in competition matches and skirmishes.

Card Games

Card games, board games, chess, science fun, chemistry, maths club, story time, public speaking, scrabble … if you have an interest in it, there’s a good chance the NIST Activities programme has a session!

Back to Learning Programme

Academics

Over the past three decades, NIST has cultivated a reputation for academic excellence.

Expeditions

Expeditions at NIST empower students to realise they are more than they think.

Service

Service to the community is an important lesson for all future global citizens.

Wellbeing

Wellbeing is when people flourish and find meaning through connections to a caring community where they feel safe, secure and supported.