Driving STEM Education among Students in Singapore

This inaugural programme saw students attending a one-day camp which included learning journeys and hands-on activities to engage them through practical activities and bridge textbook classroom knowledge with real-world application. Three hundred and twenty lower secondary school students from 13 secondary schools in the Central Singapore District participated in the first run of the camp, held from 22 to 25 June 2015.

Over the last four days, students embarked on a learning journey to Universal Studios Singapore (USS), where they were introduced to the mechanics and physics behind the construction of a theme park ride. Through guided tours and briefings conducted by trained facilitators at USS, the students gained an understanding of STEM principles – from the forces of flight and Newton’s Laws, to technological design and symmetry. They also learned about problem- solving, modelling, and measurement tools throughout the course of the workshops.

Under the mentorship of teacher volunteers from the Raffles Girls’ School’s Science and Mathematics Department and certified trainers from Duck Learning Company, the students were further divided into groups of five, and given the chance to design and build their own roller coaster using the Pitsco-exclusive Roller Coaster Track kit. The programme marked the first time that the kit has been used in an educational programme for youths.

A friendly social media competition will round-up their experience, where students will upload a video of their roller-coaster design online to showcase their learning to teachers, friends and family. From 29 June to 3 July 2015, members of the public may view the projects via the CDC’s YouTube channel, and vote for the ‘Most Impressive Roller Coaster’ projects. Winners will stand to win $3,000, $2,000 and $1,000 for the first, second and third prizes respectively. In addition, photos of the projects will also be posted on Facebook for the public to vote. The top 10 ‘Most Popular Roller Coaster’ projects will also win $500 each. All winnings will go towards the Mathematics and Science Departments of the respective schools, to continue supporting the development of STEM programmes for its students.

“Fuel Your School” is a global Chevron community initiative, and we are very excited to partner with Central Singapore CDC to bring this programme to Singapore for the first time this year”, says John Sam, Marketing Support Manager, Chevron Singapore Pte Ltd. “Fuel Your School – STEM @ Central Singapore allows us to reach out to students in Singapore by introducing them to STEM-related modules. We hope to spur the students’ interest and help them excel in these critical subjects. This programme will also allow them to pick up new applicable skills, and express themselves in their own uniquely creative manner. This is our way of supporting Singapore’s education and giving back to the community and our youth.”

Ms Denise Phua, Mayor of Central Singapore District shares: “Central Singapore CDC appreciates the importance of equipping our future generations with core skillsets from a young age and providing them with equal opportunities to succeed. With STEM skills crucial to the future of Singapore, Central Singapore CDC developed and organized this programme to interest our youths in STEM-related fields of study. With 40 secondary schools in the Central Singapore District, we wish to encourage the learning of STEM through an interactive and hands-on learning approach; helping youths identify areas of STEM in everyday life and encouraging them to continue in their pursuit of the subject.”

Both Central Singapore CDC and Caltex hope to establish a springboard for the Fuel Your School – STEM @ Central Singapore programme to be organised annually, and continue to support Singapore’s focus on education as the key to social mobility. To support this, STEM educational kits and toys will be available for purchase at all Caltex StarMarts island wide, till 31 July 2015, to continue raising awareness on STEM-related topics throughout Singapore. Caltex customers can pick up these learning tools for their children and use their Thanks! points to offset $1 with every 40 Thanks! points during purchase.

Caltex Singapore is also reaching out to the community and the public to garner support for its Fuel Your School programmes. From 22 June to 5 July 2015, for every fuel purchase made with the Caltex Thanks! Card at Caltex stations in Singapore, Caltex will donate $1 to fund and run the 2015 Fuel Your School programmes, up to a maximum of S$100,000 for this year’s programme.

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