IBChangemakers: ‘Innovation begins with empathy’

Personal Projects and e-Portfolios help students connect classroom learning with real-world issues. They encourage research, creativity, problem-solving, and reflection, while allowing students to explore their interests and develop meaningful, practical solutions. Meet Rivan Berlia, an MYP-5 student (now in DP-I) at Apeejay’s IB School, Apeejay School International, Panchsheel Park. In an interview, he shares his learning from both projects, among other things.

Tell us about your Personal Project?

It is called SAFEMED, which stands for Smart Aid Flagging Engine for Medical Evaluation and Diagnostics. It is an AI-based bot designed to provide clinical advice and what I call a pseudo-diagnosis. The idea is to help people get basic medical guidance, especially in places where doctors or hospitals may not be easily accessible.

What specific problem were you aiming to address?

I wanted to address the lack of timely medical support in many Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Healthcare has improved over the years, but not every place has access to the best medical facilities. In emergencies, even basic guidance can make a difference. That is what inspired me to create SAFEMED.

How does SAFEMED work?

It works through Telegram. A user can describe their symptoms or explain an injury, and the bot asks follow-up questions to understand the situation better. It uses structured clinical methods and is familiar with acronyms. For first-aid situations, a user can also send a photo of an injury. The bot analyses the information and provides feedback based on the situation.

What were the strengths and limitations of the project?

One strength of SAFEMED is accessibility. I tested it in low-internet areas, and it can work with a basic cellular signal. It also follows a structured process before giving guidance, rather than offering random advice. The main limitation is that it is still a prototype and works only on Telegram.

I faced challenges related to budget, coding, intellectual property, and medical liability. I had a small budget of around Rs 1,000, so I could not build a purely SMS-based or cloud-based solution. As a result, the bot currently runs locally. I also faced coding and prompting bugs, including an issue with image analysis, which I eventually fixed.

Tell us about your e-Portfolio project?

We were given the theme Lifting Others Empowers Individuals and Communities. Based on this theme, we had to identify a real-world problem and design a solution that could help improve the world around us. My project focused on adolescent peer relationships, especially among young people between the ages of 14 and 18. I explored how teenagers often struggle with communication, trust, and emotional expression because of peer pressure, fear of judgment, and the impact of digital technology.

What specific problem were you aiming to address?

The problem I identified was that many adolescents find it difficult to open up to their peers. They may want to share something personal, but the fear of being judged, laughed at, or misunderstood often stops them. This can affect friendships and emotional well-being. I wanted to create something that would help teenagers build empathy, improve communication, and understand each other better, safely and engagingly.

What solutions did you consider?

At first, I considered a few possible solutions, including an app, an online platform, and a board game. After evaluating these ideas, I chose to create a board game because it would encourage face-to-face interaction and active participation. I began by creating five design ideas on paper. I then discussed these ideas with my client and shortlisted three of them. Thereafter, I created CAD models for the selected ideas and finally chose the strongest design. The final product is a board game called PRISM PowerPlay.

How does the game work?

Each card is designed to target a specific communication skill. For example, a role-play card may present a situation such as, ‘Your friend feels you have been emotionally distant.’ Players then take on roles, act out the situation for about five minutes, and the other players judge the response.

Based on the performance, players can earn emotional bandwidth points and connection tokens. This encourages them to think about how they communicate, respond, and support others.

What did you learn from these projects?

From the PP, I learnt that building an AI tool for healthcare is not just about coding. It also involves responsibility, safety, cost, access, and legal awareness. The e-Portfolio project taught me that I can practise communication as a skill. I also learnt how design can be used to solve social and emotional problems creatively.