Every trip, every sketchbook page, and every photo marks a step forward, reflecting the school’s dedication to cultivating talent, fostering creativity, and enriching the spiritual life of ethnic minority students from remote areas.

Since its founding, the Photography and Fine Arts Club has grown into the school’s “artistic core”, a space where students fascinated by light, color, and texture freely experiment and discover their own abilities. The club has gradually become a deep aesthetic education environment aligned with the competency development spirit of the 2018 General Education Program. Recently, the school organized an artistic creative experience for 21 students out of the 80 club members under the theme “artistic creative experience.”

Vũ Trung Hoàn, Principal of the provincial Boarding High School for Ethnic Minorities, said: “This is the club’s second field trip since the start of the school year. The students get to observe and experience firsthand to inspire artistic creativity. This continues to affirm our comprehensive educational approach, emphasizing competency development, character building, and spiritual growth for students.”

In art, direct contact with nature, people, and life is the “raw material” that shapes emotion and creative thinking. Each field trip opens a new door for students to meet a broader world and absorb fresh energy for their work. This time, the chosen location was Nậm Khẩu Hú commune, Thanh Nưa. During the wild sunflower season, the area bursts into soft golden hues. The slowly dissipating mountain mist creates a gentle light like a thin curtain - a “classroom without walls” where 21 club members immersed themselves in nature to seek inspiration and create artworks.

The photography group practiced on a spacious hillside. The instructor guided them step-by-step in focusing, metering, steadying their hands, and composing shots. Cameras that once felt unfamiliar quickly became companions, helping students read the movement of light. Đinh Thế Nam, a proactive member from class 10A4, shared: “During the field trip, we used professional cameras and took photos ourselves, creating images beautiful in both content and form. I felt excited to create based on my own ideas and to share and learn from friends in the group.”

In the fine arts group, sketchbooks filled rapidly with bold, expressive strokes. Students sketched amid the wind’s sound, passing footsteps, and ever changing light. The scenery wasn’t “still like a textbook”, demanding focus and flexibility. Lầu Thị Mai Hoa from class 10A5 said: “Nậm Khẩu Hú in wild sunflower season looks like a perfect picture. Experiencing it firsthand and drawing what I see made me love painting more and motivated me to study fine arts harder.”

Art education at the school goes beyond producing beautiful works. Teachers noticed clear changes in students after each activity: they become bolder presenting ideas, more proactive in teamwork, and more respectful of diversity and differences in aesthetics.

Lò Thị Hiền, fine arts teacher and club supervisor, said: “As a boarding school, most students live, eat, and study within the campus, so they rarely have chances to engage with the outside environment. That’s why these field experiences are not just educational: they broaden understanding, nurture emotions, and enhance observation and artistic appreciation. These are crucial elements in shaping students’ character.”

Beyond trips, the Photography and Fine Arts Club stays active throughout the year. From welcoming new students, celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival, honoring Vietnam Teachers’ Day (November 20), to community events, every member helps capture important school moments. Carefully crafted photo albums become “visual diaries”, strengthening students’ bonds with their school.

For example, during the Gender Equality Action Month, members produced a photo series at the school’s media corner to spread messages of respect and safety for women and children. Youth creativity made social issues relatable and heartfelt. On another occasion, the club exchanged cultural activities with a Russian student delegation at Pá Khoang Lake. Against a misty blue water backdrop, international friends donned traditional Vietnamese costumes to join photoshoots, sketching, and cultural exchanges - a rare experience broadening students’ artistic and global perspectives.

Regular club meetings help members develop soft skills such as teamwork, communication, time management, problem-solving, and independence. They organize themselves into teams, assign roles, and support each other. Lò Đức Anh (class 12C7), team leader and fanpage admin, shared: “Managing photography, selecting images, writing articles, and running the page is a big workload. But thanks to that, I’ve honed my communication thinking and significantly improved my IT skills.”

In a special setting like a boarding school, organizing art activities requires both dedication and a long term vision. Therefore, the provincial Boarding High School for Ethnic Minorities is gradually building a culturally rich education model that preserves local heritage while opening doors to modern art. From this environment, art is sowing the seeds of appreciation, compassion, and a positive outlook on life. Today’s students may take their first photo or sketch their first lines, and one day, some may pursue careers in photography, design, fine arts, media, or art education. From this school, artistic talents are sprouting, growing vibrant green shoots, promising to bring fruitful harvests to life.