Untangling connections with SIFE Club's The Yarn Project

The Yarn Project, launched by the SIFE Club, was a community-building initiative that aimed to foster genuine human connections in a digital age through interactive activities and daily reflective questions.

A generation y(e)arning for connections

In a world where business is often mistaken for growth, and where connections are increasingly built through endless digital spaces, we’re slowly forgetting the value of real, face-to-face interactions, even if they come in the form of small, simple conversations.

Just like human relationships, a ball of yarn is warm, soft, and full of colours. But at times, it becomes tangled with unexpected knots. A yarn ball can’t untangle itself, it needs the patient and careful hands of human to gently loosen each knot, one by one, so it can return to its harmless, original form.

With that purpose, the members at SIFE brought The Yarn Project to their dear RMIT Vietnam community as a shared space for genuine connection, where other students are invited to put down their phones and their daily rush, to focus instead on discovering the person in front of them and rediscovering themselves.

Overcoming the long-standing challenges

The SIFE Club already started planning for The Yarn Project way from the beginning of Semester 1 – 2025, with a clear vision to foster genuine connections. As a connection-focused initiative, SIFE at first was aiming to collaborate with as many clubs and societies as possible, making the event diverse and inclusive.

However, as the first potential partner – whose values and structure heavily influenced the event’s original design – did not respond, the club then faced a major shift in the event’s direction. Consequently, instead of staying stuck in planning mode, SIFE chose to actively explore – joining various student and community-led activities at RMIT and observing how people interacted in real settings.

Through this process, SIFE discovered that the RMIT Vietnam community members actually loved connecting with one another. People connected naturally through simple conversations, and especially shared experiences, interests, as well as collaborative activities. With the result, The Yarn Project was taken to a completely different and fresh approach.

The first look at The Yarn Project

With the nature of The Yarn Project rooted in fostering genuine and comfortable connections within the RMIT Hanoi community, SIFE designed The Yarn Daily Booth to be quiet, self-guided, and welcoming. Each day, a new question was posed—no staff, no pressure. Passersby were invited to freely leave honest reflections, knowing no one was watching or judging.

What followed were small, organic conversations sparked by ink on paper—participants responded not only to the prompt, but also to each other’s notes, with words of agreement, encouragement, and even new questions.

The big moments

Day 1: SIFE Interactive stations

The event features ten interactive game booths that guide participants through a journey of engagement, starting with lighthearted interactions and gradually progressing toward deeper connections. Each session lasts between 45 and 60 minutes, allowing visitors to explore all the booths at a comfortable pace. This playful and welcoming environment encourages participants to connect, collaborate, and share memorable moments, fostering a stronger sense of community within RMIT through fun and interactive activities.

Day 2: A Day in the “Yarn" neighborhood

Set in the context of a typical day in a Vietnamese neighborhood, the experience begins with the familiar sound of the morning loudspeaker announcements (“loa phường chào buổi sáng”). It includes shared community activities (“sinh hoạt chung”), casual street tea and gossip sessions (“trà đá chém gió”), health exercises (“tập thể dục dưỡng sinh”), and concludes with the evening neighborhood meeting (“họp tổ dân phố”), where residents come together to discuss community matters.

Proud achievements from “Yarn”

After the event, SIFE discovered something valuable about the importance of careful observation when it comes to understanding their audience. They found that paying attention to how participants communicate, what gets them excited, and which values or experiences resonate with them was key to crafting activities that felt genuine and fun.

The members also learned that being adaptable, communicating clearly, and putting the participants first are all essential for making an event relevant and impactful. These insights will be a fantastic foundation for future community-building efforts, showing just how thoughtful planning and being responsive can create meaningful connections in various settings.

RMIT Vietnam empowers students to make a real, lasting impact while helping them develop essential skills in leadership, teamwork, problem-solving, and event management. Through hands-on experiences, students become part of something greater, contributing to a more inclusive, compassionate society.

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Story: This article is written by Nguyen Minh Chau, a Professional Communication student at RMIT Vietnam, with input from SIFE RMIT Vietnam – Hanoi campus club. This article does not reflect the views of RMIT Vietnam.

22 May 2025

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