Seoul, South Korea – Korea Youth Summit (KYS) 2026 was held from September 6–10, 2026, in Seoul, South Korea. Under the theme “Empowering Youth to Preserve Culture and Driving Sustainable Innovation” and the tagline “Living Culture, Lasting Legacy,” KYS 2026 brought young people together to explore culture and innovation through global collaboration.
One of the projects that received recognition was FocusBloom by students from Thursina International Islamic Boarding School (IIBS) Malang. The project, titled A Self-Regulated Learning Kit to Improve Focus and Manage Distractions in Middle Schoolers, won 1st Place Winner Project in the High School Category at KYS 2026.
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Members of the Team
FocusBloom was developed by five female students from Thursina IIBS Malang:
- Syira Rafilah Putri Suratman
- Azalea Raihanah Adiva
- Qotrunnada Nafiza Husna
- Gelsy Zhynee Rayfani
- Andi Raudatul Jannah Salsabila
The team developed FocusBloom as a solution to help middle school students recognize and manage distractions while studying.
Background of FocusBloom
Difficulty staying focused while studying is not always caused by smartphone use. Students can also be distracted by conversations with friends, boredom, fatigue, overthinking, uncomfortable study environments, and difficult assignments.
Based on these challenges, the FocusBloom team identified self-regulation as an important part of building better study habits.
FocusBloom was then designed as a learning kit that helps students identify their sources of distraction and develop strategies to manage them. The kit is also designed to be easy to use and suitable for long-term application.
How FocusBloom Works
FocusBloom uses a seven-day study challenge. Students record their study goals, distractions, focus sessions, and the strategies they use.
The kit includes Study Planner, Focus Detective Cards, Know Your Distractions, Focus Tracker, Focus Buddy, Reflection Journal, Pre-Test, and Post-Test.
The project was tested with 38 middle school students at Thursina IIBS Malang over seven consecutive days. The results showed an increase in the average focus session from 54.6 on Day 1 to 65.8 on Day 7. This represents a 20.5 percent increase.
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What Makes FocusBloom Interesting?
FocusBloom does more than help students identify distractions. It also encourages them to find strategies that suit their needs. The most frequently used strategy was taking short breaks at 24.9 percent. This was followed by positive self-talk at 18.2 percent and studying in a clean and quiet place at 16.7 percent.
The post-test results showed that 97.4 percent of students felt the challenge helped them improve their focus to some extent. Meanwhile, 60.5 percent said they wanted to continue the habits they had developed.
FocusBloom also stands out for its simple approach. The kit is low-cost, printable, scalable, and adaptable. This allows it to be used in different learning contexts. The project also supports SDG 4 on Quality Education.
Conclusion
Through FocusBloom, the five students showed that challenges with focus can be addressed through a simple solution that encourages better study habits. The project highlights the importance of helping students recognize their distractions and manage their responses to them.
Winning 1st Place Winner Project in the High School Category at Korea Youth Summit 2026 marks an achievement for the team. It also shows how an idea based on everyday challenges can be developed into a practical solution for students.
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