Innovation at UWCSEA

UWCSEA STORIES

Innovation at UWCSEA

a builder’s paradise and dreamer’s playground

IDEAS HUB

Opened in August 2016 and funded through gifts to the College, the IDEAS Hub on Dover is a vibrant space with areas for collaboration, prototyping and fabricating, coding and robotics, as well as two media studios. The IDEAS Hub is one of the College’s flagship teaching and learning initiatives. It is a community space that aims to inspire and support creators of all ages to explore, innovate, collaborate and create sustainable solutions to shape a better world. It also extends the impact of our holistic, values-based curriculum by providing opportunities for community members to deepen their knowledge and passions outside of the learning programme. Looking ahead: The IDEAS Hub is a tremendous testament to community generosity and the exciting next phase is underway. There are many exciting plans for the next five years, including exploring new opportunities for partnerships and expanding the range of equipment and resources available, allowing us to continue to provide opportunities for creativity and innovation that our future leaders need to create a more sustainable, prosperous and compassionate tomorrow.

“Our young students may not become famous for their first project and it may not be the next thing they create or the next ... But the key for us as a school is to create the environment where they can try and fail, and try again ... and so help them develop the underlying attitudes that will eventually enable them to be successful.”

BEN MORGAN, Founding Director IDEAS Hub

COLLABORATIVE CODING SUCCESS

Early in 2019/2020, Middle School students from East and Dover participated in the One World Robotics Competition: Navigating Smart Cities. Over a series of weeks, the students came together at the IDEAS Hub and formed Team Nova to compete in the Future Skills category. Working together, students coded an autonomous Flip 3 robot to recognise signs, learn from the environment, navigate and complete a challenging task racecourse. Held at the IDEAS Hub, the competition saw Team Nova win second place overall and first place in the Future Skills category. Once Singapore’s circuit breaker started, students continued to work online in order to prepare for the World Championships, which were to be held in Sydney in 2020, but unfortunately did not take place. Well done students!

IDEAS Hub Highlights 2019/2020 • Welcomed Singaporean teachers from the Ministry of Education’s EdTech Maker programme for a collaborative robot building session. • i-Time student-led project sessions attended by more than 420 students per month in Grades 3–7. • More than 70 students participated in the Activities Programme each month, including popular options such as

Junior School Robotics and Coding and Making. • Student teams from UWCSEA placed first and second in the Future Skills Technical Challenge at the OneWorld

Robotics Competition in November 2019. • Second annual SHEHACKS conference on 2–3 May, 2020, an all-female hackathon where inspiring mentors taught participants new technical skills to develop projects.

EXTENDING INNOVATION AT EAST

Following the IDEAS Hub’s success, in 2019/2020 a community member came forward with a generous donation to establish the East Innovation Lab. This gift will help to build on innovation activities across both campuses and help to further develop students’ creative and entrepreneurial thinking.

Inspired? Visit the IDEAS Hub website

“Thanks to the support of a generous community member, plans are in place to establish the East Innovation Lab. As the Head of Innovation, the learning opportunities we will provide are transformational; 21st-century skills combined with the power of the UWC mission, developing students’ passions and skills to take action for a better world.”

JOHN ZOBRIST, Head of Innovation, East