For many primary school children with working parents, student care centres offer important after-school care and are a pillar in the holistic support for the children. It is important that they provide a safe and conducive environment for the children not just to rest but to learn and grow. The Learning is Fun and Exciting (LIFE) programme, funded by Temasek Foundation Nurtures and in partnership with Big Heart and YMCA, was initiated with the aim to provide children enrolled in student care centres with additional opportunities to deepen their learning of values in a fun and exciting way.

Temasek Foundation Nurtures, with its partners have developed values-based curricula focused on Respect, Responsibility, Resilience, Integrity, Care and Harmony. Under the LIFE programme, the student care centres’ coaches are also trained so that they are well-equipped to deliver the curricula to their students.

Currently, there are two curricula delivered under the LIFE programme. One is the Julia Gabriel Education’s THRIVE curriculum, designed to develop thoughtful, happy, resilient and innovative children, by empowering them to better understand their strengths and appreciate positive, respectful relationships. The other is The Alpha Mind’s experiential-based curriculum, focused on the children’s behaviour and thought processes so that they will be able to better appreciate and adopt the values they have learnt. Both curricula incorporate fun activities including craftwork, interactive games, story-telling and role-playing.

Ten-year old Xiu Qian who attends YMCA Student Care Centre at Zhangde Primary School said, “I have learnt from the LIFE Programme that we should not give up even though we face challenges. That’s why I think encouraging my classmates is important because if we don’t encourage one another, we will feel like there is no support and won’t continue to work hard and persevere. I also like the games because we can play and learn at the same time, which makes it more fun.”

While the values-based curriculum is focused on developing the children’s character and emotional resilience, Eugene Tay, Founder of the The Alpha Mind said, “The most immediate outcome I hope students can take away from the LIFE programme is that they actually enjoyed the activities, they had fun. Because when they have fun and enjoy the class, the learning journey and values inculcated become very subtle.”


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About Temasek Foundation Nurtures

Temasek Foundation Nurtures is one of the six non-profit philanthropic organisations set up by Temasek and sponsored through Temasek Trust.

Temasek Foundation Nurtures funds and supports programmes that focus on education and professional development. It aims to develop talent and foster learning and growth, especially for youths to make the leap in areas such as music, arts, sports, math, science, engineering and technology.

Did you know?

About 13% of Singapore’s primary school pupils are enrolled in student care centres. There are school-based and community-based student care centres, of which the number of school-based student care centres has more than tripled in the last six years. All primary schools are expected to have student care centres by the end of 2020.