Innovation in teaching and learning takes many forms at UWCSEA. We are pleased to share the following highlights from the 2024/2025 academic year–opportunities and experiences made possible with the support of our generous UWCSEA donor community. Thank you to everyone who contributed to helping our students develop the skills, qualities and agency to create a better world.
Launched in October 2024, the Socially Sustainable Enterprise Program (SSEP) offered 90+ UWCSEA students, from both East and Dover, a hands-on opportunity to design, pitch, and prepare to launch their own sustainable or socially impactful businesses. Rooted in the “3Ps” framework—People, Planet, and Profit—students were challenged to create ventures that addressed real-world issues while balancing environmental, social, and economic sustainability.
They formed teams, conducted market research, developed business proposals, and planned their business launches. Participants received guidance from mentors representing the UWCSEA parent and alumni community, as well as industry partners. Along their journey with the programme, students attended expert workshops on topics like finance, marketing, and business planning, and presented their progress to industry professionals during pitch night. This hands-on experience helped students apply theoretical knowledge to real-world situations and hone their entrepreneurial skills.
A collaboration between Innovation@EAST and the Dover IDEAS Hub, the initiative successfully blended entrepreneurship with values-driven education, empowering students to become change-makers through enterprise. The programme culminated in a high-energy pitch night in February 2025.
Luke Milburn, Head of Innovation on Dover Campus, introduced the pitch evening and shared that the presenting student groups would be judged on criteria including connection to the theme of Wellness, demonstration of a viable market need, and positive impact on society and the environment.
Yixuan ‘26, Grade 11 student from UWCSEA Dover was part of the team that won first prize. She reflects on her experience:
At first we all had our own ideas that were very different from each other. Through the guidance of our mentor, we learnt to work together and I am so proud that we made the product decisions ourselves. The process of decision making with a team is the most valuable for me. I was also given the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and speak out in public.”
We are excited for even more teams and mentors to join this initiative next year, and we are confident the programme will continue to ignite students’ passion for creating and launching enterprises. Extending an enormous thank you to our parents and alumni who mentored our students, sharing their time and expertise to make the programme work. And to the generous UWCSEA families whose donations and dedication made it all possible, we are so grateful for your support!
Supported by the Google Data Center grants programme, Innovation@EAST delivered a year-long wearable technology outreach programme for seniors aged 65+ from Lion Befrienders care centres. Lion Befrienders is a long-time UWCSEA service partner that focuses on multi-generational care and engagement with Singapore’s aging population.
Taking place twice a week on the UWCSEA East Campus, the initiative brought adult learners into the Design and Technology labs, where they worked alongside high school students and facilitators to co-create personalised “Self Expression Cushions.” These soft textile pieces combined colour, embroidery, and sewn-in electronics using the LilyPad system, allowing seniors to incorporate lights and personalised messages. Students applied user-centred design thinking to adapt the existing Design Textiles curriculum into a meaningful, accessible experience for adult learners from diverse cultural backgrounds.
The programme supported the development of fine motor skills, digital literacy, and emotional expression through handson STEM learning. Seniors learned to use Bernina embroidery machines and soft circuits, while students gained real-world experience in teaching, design thinking, and intergenerational collaboration. With sustainability in mind, the team is developing an “In-the-Box” version of the programme to allow care centres to continue independently, with UWCSEA students providing future mentorship. This initiative exemplifies how innovation, service, and technology can come together to create inclusive and lasting community impact.
UWCSEA is on the map again for innovation, this time as one of only four schools in the world invited to pilot the new International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma course, Systems Transformation.
IB Systems Transformation: Leadership for Change is a 300-hour project-based course co-developed by the IB and UWCSEA. It seeks to equip students with the skills and mindsets needed to take initiative, build community and lead change. Launched in August 2024 at UWCSEA, 50 students joined this innovative course which replaces two Standard Level IB subjects with an extended, concept-based curriculum focusing on systems thinking, changemaker mindsets, design thinking, leadership, and change management.
On 17 March 2025, the Director General of the IB, Olli-Pekka Heinonen, and the IBO Executive team visited East Campus.
UWCSEA course designers and IBDP Coordinators shared the vision and learning approach underpinning our pilot course. During round-table sessions, students shared their experiences and how they are learning to champion change.
Hearing these stories—and witnessing the commitment and drive behind them—was truly inspiring. This is the kind of education we need—one that doesn’t just teach students about the world but equips them to transform it.” – Mr Heinonen
Community funds supported professional learning for staff involved in the course pilot, including project-based learning training with The Buck Institute. Learn more about how the course is redefining learning here
Our Primary School students at UWCSEA East explored the power of inclusivity through the Arts and Dance, immersing themselves in workshops that brought the passions of Epic Arts to life. Epic Arts is a longstanding UWCSEA service partner, with a mission to “transform the lives of people with disabilities (PwD) so they can thrive.”
Our students had a fantastic time participating in dance workshops and collaborating on creative art activities, from designing T-shirts to crafting cards, all while learning about Khmer culture as well as a bit of sign language. They practised and performed the choreography they learnt from Epic Arts during a special performance for their families, followed by an interactive workshop that got everyone involved!
This visit truly was something special, highlighting our commitment to unity, diversity, and cultural understanding. We’re thrilled about the unforgettable experience Epic Arts brought to our community, and we look forward to continuing to engage our students in this meaningful partnership for years to come
Whether they’re building intricate LEGO structures, coding robotics, engineering go-karts, or using Internet of Things (IoT) technology to cultivate herbs in a robotic farm, this space is meant to inspire a culture of play and experimentation.” – Matthew Weaver, Head of Innovation, East Campus
Made possible by the generous support of individual East Campus family donors, the Parents’ Association East, and other partners, the Innovation@East Centre opened in August 2024 and has become a central hub for turning student-led ideas into a reality. Here students can step beyond the classroom to explore and nurture an innovator’s mindset, all while staying rooted in the UWC Mission. Equipped with the tools and confidence to create meaningful products, services and systems, students learn to tackle real world challenges, pursue their passions, and connect with industry leaders at the centre.
Similarly the Ideas Hub space on Dover campus continued to see much usage and success this year. Students continued to advance projects and ideas in the areas of robotics, engineering, textiles, entrepreneurship and other areas where they take ownership and agency in their innovation journeys. With support from philanthropic donations, we have recently purchased some new Vex Robotics hardware and new equipment to bring our MateROV underwater robotics programme to the next level. We also have acquired new sewing machines for student use and service activities, and we have refreshed our hand held power tools to support student learning and creativity as we head into the new school year ahead.
These are some of the many examples of Innovation in action at UWCSEA over the 2024/2025 school year. Thank you for your support, and we look forward to sharing what’s ahead as we continue to develop our students with the innovator mindsets the world needs.
For more information about UWCSEA’s Innovation in Teaching and Learning Programme, or to renew your support today, please contact: UWCSEA Foundation | +65 6419 9353 | foundation@uwcsea.edu.sg | www.uwcesa.edu.sg/supportus