Top Singapore international schools and preschools are increasingly incorporating STEAM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) or STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) into their curriculum. One school even offers a variety called STREAM education (Science, Technology, Reading and wRiting, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics). Each offering allows students to learn, explore and create with design and technology, in and out of the classroom. Here’s a look at what a handful of these schools get up to each day with their programmes.
Canadian International School Singapore – STEAM programme
STEAM education at the Canadian International School (CIS) emphasises attributes such as being inquirers, thinkers, communicators and reflective learners. Through inquiry-based learning experiences, students are encouraged to explore real-world problems, ask questions and seek solutions through experimentation and discovery. The school believes in creating a collaborative and inquiry-driven environment where students feel empowered to explore, experiment and innovate. The curriculum encourages them to work together, ask questions, test hypotheses and iterate their designs in a supportive setting that embraces the value of mistakes as essential learning opportunities.
In line with the IB Approaches to Learning framework, CIS’s STEAM programme focuses on developing a range of skills that are essential for lifelong learning. These include research, communication, social, self-management and thinking skills. Whether it’s designing a sustainable solution to a community problem, coding a new app or creating an artwork inspired by mathematical patterns, students are actively engaged in activities that promote interdisciplinary connections and foster a deep understanding of the interconnectedness of knowledge.
The school’s STEAM education fosters learning through hands-on, problem-based projects that engage students in applying the design cycle – find out, plan, make, test – to develop sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions. Through this experiential process, students gain a deep understanding of materials, their properties and how to manipulate them effectively. Moreover, they’re able to integrate design principles with technological innovations, enriching their learning experience by applying concepts to real-world scenarios.
A word from a student
“I enjoy STEAM because it’s fun to make everything. We can use different materials to build a lot of things. Now we’re building land and there’s going to be rain. We’re finding a way to get the rain to our reservoir without it splashing or flooding at the end.” – Ruchiksha B, Grade 4
7 Jurong West Street 41
6734 8088 | cis.edu.sg
Dulwich College (Singapore) – STEAM education
From age two to 18, the fundamentals of a STEAM education are integrated into the Dulwich curriculum. These are driven by Guiding Statements and student interests. Through an inquiry approach, knowledge and conceptual understanding are developed and applied to entrepreneurial, environmental and creative projects. Dulwich learners have access to state-of-the-art equipment and specialist teaching spaces for science, visual and performing arts, design and technology, and computer science. These inspire them to engineer and develop solutions to real-world problems.
Similarly, the partnerships that the school has established support this approach to STEAM education. In addition to regular artist-in-residence visits from Singapore and overseas, they also conduct workshops and programmes for students to enhance their knowledge and creative skills in a wide variety of genres. Across the Junior and Senior schools, young engineers have the opportunity to work with the James Dyson Foundation. In selecting these partners, the school says it is mindful of exposing learners to a diversity of careers and backgrounds. This allows learners to understand the great variety of opportunities and possibilities that the future holds for each of them, as they pursue their endeavours in industry. The ‘One Campus, Many Colleges’ network of EiM Schools enables students to make links internationally through collaborative opportunities and STEAM challenges.
A word from an educator
“STEAM opportunities provide students with a portfolio of transferable skills in preparation for further study or the fundamentals to ‘Live Worldwise’ as an independent artist, designer or engineer. We aim to provide world-class facilities, teaching and learning, and enrichment opportunities for students from Dulwich College Kindergarten School to IBDP.” – Kathryn Hall, Director of Visual Art and Design & Technology
71 Bukit Batok West Avenue 8
6890 1003 | singapore.dulwich.org
Kinderland Academy Preschool – STREAM projects
Kinderland incorporates reading and writing into its STREAM (Science, Technology, Reading and wRiting, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) programme. This comprehensive approach, it says, underscores the importance of language literacy in fostering a well-rounded education, seamlessly integrating diverse domains. Preschoolers are empowered to engage in inquiry-based project work and immersive hands-on learning experiences. These initiatives harness the imagination of students to spark a profound curiosity for learning.
An example of the approach is the 2023 STREAM project. Utilising literature as a catalyst, every K1 and K2 child was actively involved in each phase of crafting aesthetically captivating, storybook-inspired creations. From idea inception to the development of prototypes and the construction process, Kinderland children actively led and problem-solved along the way. They collaboratively designed their chosen structures, putting engineering and mathematical thoughts into materials use. All the children demonstrated a grasp of various factors influencing mechanisms, drawing on concepts like forces, shapes and simple machines. The result was structures with real-world applicability. They also honed their presentation skills for peer showcases.
By infusing fun elements into academic components, Kinderland says that children develop critical thinking and communication skills. At the same time, they’re also enhancing their social abilities, and build resilience and confidence. Besides imparting academic knowledge, the innovative STREAM education also fosters creativity, innovation and a lifelong passion for learning. The school’s efforts to nurture children through innovative practices gained recognition in 2022. That year, preschoolers from Kinderland Academy @ Yio Chu Kang won the Early Childhood Innovation Award (Commendation) for their Young Master Builder project. The project involved building a water sprinkler using recycled materials.
A word from the school
“Children grow creatively when they engage in hands-on scientific enquiry. Through the iterative STREAM process, they develop communicative and reasoning abilities via brainstorming and discussions, as well as resilience, a growth mindset and creativity. Their research, observations and interactions help in the creative process where they develop solutions to the problems they face when working on a project. For instance, when planning and drawing a new design that incorporates the best parts from shortlisted prototype designs, children learn to problem-solve and formulate the right proportion to include selected elements in their final project structure.
For their latest STREAM project, the children designed and constructed tower and ramp structures. These enabled them to solve the problems faced by the protagonists in the storybooks. They explored ideas where they can tap on the pulley system for transportation of items and cushioning materials on ramp to soften the blow of a falling object.”
– Dr Carol Loy, Director of Curriculum & Professional Development
15 locations islandwide
kinderland.com.sg
Want to know how STEM education is incorporated in Singapore international schools? Here’s a story about the benefits of digital learning as part a of STEM education. Also, this school uses solar energy to fuel STEM education. Read more in our Schools section or our Things to Do in Singapore pages!
