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Then, the Chiang Khong Wittyakhom students presented their media projects. They named their group ‘The Fire Eyed Tigers’  (Suea Ta Fye), after a local way of calling a person who’s job it is to look out at the river from the trees on the riverbank in order to watch for Mekong giant catfish  (Pla Buek) swimming up the river. Therefore, they said that they would like their group to see and know the causes of issues that are arising with changes in the Mekong River. 

They created three shorter clips, including an introduction video, a video concerned with plastics and people’s recreational uses of the river, and the final video was a social-science styled documentary on the ways that local people’s livelihoods are changing as a result of the changing situation in the Mekong River. The focus of the project generally was on the ways in which local people’s lives are affected by the changes in the river’s ecosystem. They also tested the water in the Mekong River using the basic panel of tests at the Baan Don Maha Wan Chiang Khong city nine times over the course of four months and presented their findings accordingly.

After their presentation, their teachers who are consultants on the Mekong Youth Program gave some brief words, stating that they were grateful that the project has provided students the opportunity to do activities, because this kind of learning is really meaningful, and it is learning that can be applied in real life.

The Huay Luek Students presented last. Their project was named ‘Matchawaree Pan Fye’ or “Fire-Breathing Mermaids”. Matchawaree is the name of a mermaid in Northern Thai and Lao legends that represents the free-flowing nature of the river, and the fire-breathing part comes from the launching of fire boats and fireworks, which is a Lao tradition that their village celebrates every year in October. 

Previously, their village was home to a large fleet of fishermen but since the construction of dams in the upper Mekong and especially in the last three or four years, the fish populations have been dropping and the fishermen have largely taken up other occupations. 

Therefore, they decided to focus their project on the types of fish that the remaining fishermen are still able to catch, and they created a hologram media presentation as well as a documentary-style media project out of the photos they collected. They also tested the water quality on the basic panel 16 times on a weekly basis over the course of the four-month-long project period. 

After the presentations were finished, ​​Dr. Pensri (Elle) Kyes, Research Scientist with the Center for Global Field Study, from the University of Washington who had watched the student’s presentations online offered a few words of advice to the students and congratulated them on a job well done. Ms. Kanchalee (Kelly) Jitjang, Senior Cultural Specialist from the Media and Culture section of the US Embassy also spoke on the successes of the students and the bright prospects she sees for the future of the Mekong Youth Program. 

After lunch, the students had a brief check-in games and dancing activity led by the Baan Saeo students. Then, in a ceremony led by Miss. Malee Prattanaprasitporn, they received awards from Khru Tee and Mrs. Lydia Barrazza, the Assistant Secretary of the Cultural Attaché from the US Embassy to recognize the students’ achievements and completion of the first year of the Mekong Youth Program. Mrs. Barrazza closed the day with some words of congratulations, encouragement, and appreciation of the student’s hard work.