Launch of STEAMunity - Speech by SUTD President, Professor Phoon Kok Kwang
Good morning
Mr Heng Swee Keat, Deputy Prime Minster, Chairman of National Research Foundation and Deputy Chairman of Research Innovation and Enterprise Council;
Associate Professor Lim Tit Meng, Chief Executive of Science Centre Board;
Educators, Students, and Industry Partners;
Ladies and Gentlemen;
Thank you for joining us here today for the launch of what is one of the most meaningful programmes I’ve ever had the pleasure of being involved in.
The STEAMunity programme, which stands for “STEAM community” is not just another exercise aimed at encouraging our youth to pick up STEAM or Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics, it is much more meaningful.
By working closely on actual problem statements provided by the community, be it reducing the environmental impact and safety risks associated with burning offerings for the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, or finding a more sustainable alternative to plastic bags for volunteer organisation Hao Ren Hao Shi, our participants have been able to experience for themselves real issues faced by people around them. They have been able to engage in close conversations with the 80-year-old grandma in her three-room flat as they think of a way to enhance air quality in her apartment, or the 14-year-old visually impaired boy who needs help crossing busy roads. They have put their minds together to not only solve real life issues, but to solve them with their hearts and broaden their social network – over and above their immediate circle of schoolmates, friends and family. May I take this opportunity to thank DPM for seeding this important idea in our minds at the planning stage – he called these “problems worth solving”.
This ultimately promotes inclusivity and social cohesion and broadens the horizons of our young – beyond the virtual world which they are very focused on. STEAMunity practises the spirit of Chapter 8 of Forward SG: “The collective strength of our society depends on how well we care for each other, and how united we are as one people. Every one of us should know and feel that we have a stake in our society.”
More than just a learning opportunity, STEAMunity is also a mentoring platform. A total of 54 students from SUTD and Temasek Polytechnic have stepped up to become mentors to the teams. I am very encouraged by their spirit of volunteerism.
One of our SUTD mentors, a Term 3 student looking to do Computer Science and Design, Ms Arishya Jindal, realised how crucial good mentorship is in any learning journey. That was why she volunteered to be a mentor to guide her team of students navigate through STEAMunity based on her own experiences and skills. Through this programme, the 19-year-old shared that she has found mentoring to be a rewarding and insightful experience for her. Not only has it taught her the importance of patience and communication, but it has also exposed her to the perspectives and skills of her younger peers.
Another mentor, 20-year-old Mr Andy Pandion, who is studying Aerospace Engineering at TP, began his mentoring journey earlier this year when he attended SUTD’s Blaze Your Own Trail programme. He enjoyed it so much that he agreed to mentor again for STEAMunity when TP asked, saying it has given him the opportunity to use what he has learnt by helping his younger peers.
Such selflessness and collaboration are what STEAMunity is all about.
If you look around you, you will notice five community solutions that have been put on display here in our library. Many of these are still at prototyping stage but it is clear a lot of effort has already gone into them, and we can expect some really exciting, translatable solution in the weeks and months to come.
I would like to highlight one of these amazing projects to you.
Bike-sharing users tend to park their bicycles illegally or haphazardly, which obstructs accessibility and poses a safety risk to pedestrians and wheelchair users. A team of seven students – four from Ngee Ann Polytechnic, two from TP, and one from Nan Chiau High – has proposed an innovative solution – an app that combines AI and gamification. This app aims to encourage users to park bicycles correctly while educating them on proper techniques. The team’s industry partner, Anywheel, is enthusiastic about their proposal, especially the user education component which is tailored to Gen Z, and the AI-based bike parking recognition system. This AI feature, already successful in European e-scooter programmes, has the potential to enhance public perception of bike-sharing services if implemented effectively.
If you ask me, that’s really impressive work for just 10 weeks of ideating and testing. I am excited to see what the students come up with in the next stage of the programme.
On this note, let me extend my deepest appreciation to DPM Heng for taking time off his incredibly busy schedule to see the amazing work that our students have done thus far. I would also like to thank the Ministry of Education, the National Research Foundation, Science Centre as well as Temasek Polytechnic for their strong support in making the first run of the STEAMunity programme a reality. Some new partners including SGInnovate and Amazon are also here today. I look forward to your support for the next phase as the students work towards implementable solutions, as well as the many more STEAMunity runs that we will organise together.
Most important of all, I would like to thank the 200-odd students from the 17 schools who have participated in this first run of the STEAMunity programme. Without you, this programme would not have been possible. STEAMunity was created with you in mind because YOU, are our future. I hope the Design, AI and Tech skills that you have picked up thus far will serve as a strong foundation in your continued growth as innovator leaders and you will bring your design superpowers to make Singapore a better place for everyone.
Thank you and well done!