January 2026
INSIDE THE
UWCSEA FILM
PROGRAMME
page 19
WEAVING
PEACE INTO
OUR LESSONS
page 28
IMAGINING
OUR FUTURE
IN TENGAH
page 4
Peacebuilding in our world, never exists in isolation; it is
underpinned by intercultural understanding, and therefore
both are central to our curriculum.”
Erin Withhoft, Head of Curriculum Development
And Research, East and Dover campuses
Read the article From Mission to Action in the Classroom and Beyond on page 28.
02
A JOURNEY, NOT
A FINISH LINE
What sustainability
looks like at UWCSEA
04
IMAGINING
THE FUTURE
IN TENGAH
How our community
is shaping our
new campus
07
CREATIVE
EXPRESSION IN
THE PRIMARY
SCHOOL
Grade 5 Arts Festival
08
UN NIGHT AND
CULTURAMA
A kaleidoscope of
cultures, stories,
and connections
10
RED TO READY
Kindergarten students
learn to notice, name
and navigate emotions
12
CURIOSITY IN
MOTION
Students transform
big questions into
hands-on innovations
14
HIGH-TECH,
LOW-IMPACT
Tackling water
pollution through
sustainability and
innovation
16
SOWING IDEAS,
GROWING
CHANGEMAKERS
Middle School SEED
Programme
18
GIVING VOICE
TO CHANGE
Sia lends her voice to a
global audiobook series
19
HOW STORIES
WORK ON
SCREEN
Inside UWCSEA East’s
Film Programme
20
INNOVATIVE
SPACE
East Campus Film
studio unfolded
22
WELCOMING
NEW FAMILIES
Parents’ Associations’
efforts to build
community
24
BUILDING
BALANCE
Elite athletes pursue
their ambitions
26
THE GENTLE
GUIDE
Student experience
with the Riders
with Disabilities
Association
28
FROM MISSION
TO ACTION
Our concept-based
curriculum mobilises
learning for peace
30
WHY AM I
LEARNING THIS?
Immersive
experiences provide
the answer
32
TURNING PIVOTS
INTO PROGRESS
Students take
on global issues
in IB Systems
Transformation:
Leadership for Change
34
UWC DAY
Boarders celebrate
with dance and song
36
MAKING
FUTURES
POSSIBLE
Celebrating five years
of Giving Day
38
PEACE IN
PRACTICE
IfP student-led
conferences in
Timor-Leste
39
DISCOVERY GOES
BOTH WAYS
Students explore
potential careers with
summer internships
COVER IMAGES
Front: East Campus
Primary School library
Back: Dover Campus’
Girls Volleyball Team
January 2026
Dunia is published two times a year by UWC South East Asia. Reproduction in any manner in
English or any other language is prohibited without written consent. Please send feedback to
dunia@uwcsea.edu.sg.
Editors: Sarah Begum, Sinéad Collins, Sean Gerard, Hazel Ong, Lucie Snape and Ashima Thomas
Photography: Elena Bell, Joseph Tan, Jules Wainwright and members of the UWCSEA community
Design: Ashley Chew and Nandita Gupta
UWCSEA Dover is registered by the Private Education Institution (PEI), part of
SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) PEI Registration No. 197000825H | PEI Registration
Period 18 July 2023–17 July 2027 | Charity Registration No. 00142
UWCSEA East is registered by the Private Education Institution (PEI), part of
SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) PEI Registration No. 200801795N | PEI Registration
Period 10 March 2023–9 March 2027 | Charity Registration No. 002104
Printed on 100% recycled paper with environmentally friendly inks | MDDI (P)
033/03/2025 | MKT-2526
When I looked at my new Dover Campus uniform, it was all
wrapped up in shiny plastic—the kind that catches the light
and your attention—and for a moment I wondered how this
fit with the sustainability I see everywhere at UWCSEA: in our
lessons, in the UN Sustainable Development Goals, in Service,
even in the way teachers talk about decision-making.
Just buying a new uniform got me thinking more carefully
about how a large school like ours balances sustainability with
practical needs. I realised I had assumed sustainability meant
never encountering plastic on campus. But the more I thought
about it, the more I realised that sustainability is so much
bigger than just the everyday objects, but a journey we need to
embark on together as a community.
I believe we should protect our planet and give back to it in
whatever ways we can. I still argue with my mum about fast
fashion, and I’m the kind of annoying person who calls out
anyone who litters.
So seeing so much plastic made me pause: if I really care this
much, how does a school so committed to sustainability
make these decisions while keeping all its stakeholders in
mind? After all, UWCSEA is known for its unique and holistic
approach to learning. What does sustainability look like when
it gets complicated or difficult to apply?
With that curiosity in mind, I decided to bring these
questions, to someone who helps shape the direction of our
school. As Head of College, Mr Nick Alchin has spent many
years thinking about how our values come to life in practice. I
wondered how his perspective on sustainability has changed
over time, and whether my questions were new or ones he
had heard before.
I began our conversation with what felt like the most obvious,
yet somehow one of the hardest questions: What does
sustainability mean to you, Mr Alchin?
His definition went hand in hand with our UWC Mission, to
use education as a force to unite people, nations, and cultures
for peace and a sustainable future. To Mr Alchin, sustainability
is about allowing things to flourish and grow in a way that
A Journey,
Not a Finish Line
What sustainability looks like at
UWCSEA—and what I learned from my
conversation with Mr Nick Alchin
We are taking the highest level of sustainability,
setting it as a benchmark and going beyond that.”
Nick Alchin, Head of College
By Dia, Grade 7, Dover Campus
2 | Dunia January 2026
respects planetary boundaries, as unlimited growth is
impossible in the long-term.
Kurt Hahn founded the first UWC 63 years ago in Wales,
with this mission in mind, and I wondered how it has evolved
over time.
Mr Alchin expanded on that very thought of mine by sharing
that, “When Kurt Hahn founded UWC, the world (in his view)
was politically bipolar and as difficult as that was, there was a
certain clarity about things. Today, the mission is in a different
context, with systems far more complicated than in 1962.
Although the basic mission and values are the same, other
aspects have changed. Billions have been lifted out of poverty,
human rights have advanced significantly, child mortality
has fallen dramatically yet at the same time, many other
issues have emerged. To make matters worse, sometimes it’s
the improvements that have led to these other issues.” This
resonated with me—the meaning of the mission is still the
same, but it is set in a different world with new challenges,
from climate change to civil unrest to the speed of global
pandemics. (Covid–19… yikes, that was rough.)
When asked about how UWCSEA brings its mission and
sustainability values into day-to-day decisions, Mr Alchin
said, “The mission genuinely informs day-to-day activities. We
see our mission not just in our aspirations but also in running
the school buildings, reducing our energy use, our food
considerations, and even engaging with external authorities!
The new campus in Tengah has sustainability at its heart and
to give just one tiny example from hundreds, we are planning
on cladding around the new campus to keep away the heat of
the sun, reducing the need for air conditioning. Although we
are a long way from perfect, we try to incorporate our values
as much as possible.”
Hearing this made me think about our commitment to service
at UWCSEA. As a proud member of the Middle School Global
Concerns Executive committee, my experiences in Service
have helped me see how the school’s values translate into
real impact beyond our campus. What begins as something
small—like buying a cupcake at a bake sale—can become
part of a collective effort to fund a child’s education for an
entire year.
This connects closely to two of the United Nations’
Sustainable Development Goals: Zero Poverty and Quality
Education. Yet, despite their importance, only 18% of all the
SDGs are currently on track to be achieved by 2030. Around
the world, governments are deprioritising sustainability. I’ve
grown quite attached to these goals, almost as attached as
they are to our classroom walls, which made me wonder
how UWCSEA ensures we don’t fall behind when so much
of the world seems to be doing so. With that in mind,
I asked Mr Alchin how our school continues to prioritise
sustainability in this global context.
His response was that sustainability isn’t only about the
things we can see, like packaging or energy use, but also about
the systems and choices that happen behind the scenes. We
learn so much about sustainability in our curriculum, and his
explanation about how the school approaches sustainability
in practice made me wonder about how that translates into
the choices our school makes behind the scenes.
For my final, and perhaps most important, question, I asked
Mr Alchin whether he believes sustainability is essential
to creating a better world, especially for a community
like UWCSEA.
“Yes, it is key,” he said. “Because we will be sustainable one
way or the other. It will either be a series of disasters that
painfully force us into sustainability, or we find ways to do
sustainability well. Avoiding those disasters is not easy, but if
we work together, we can limit our resources before they are
limited for us.”
He went on to say that the fact we are even having these
conversations gives him hope. When he was growing up,
sustainability simply meant not leaving rubbish around. He
never imagined it would become such a global issue. While
progress is difficult and many people still do not care, he
believes that, as part of UWCSEA, we
belong to a global movement
working towards a better
future for our children.
“We must be determined to
take that movement even
further,” he said, “and bring it
to others.”
INTERVIEW
Imagining
UWCSEA’s
Future in
Tengah
How collaboration,
sustainability, and
community are shaping
our new campus
UWCSEA Dover’s planned move to
Tengah in central Singapore, presents
not only a challenge but a once-in-a-
generation opportunity to reimagine
what a UWCSEA future could be. The
Project, as it’s known internally, is
more than a construction project; it’s
a growing reflection and expression
of our UWC Mission and the people
who bring it to life.
We spoke to Aman Singh Chauhan,
Director of Campus Development, to
understand the thinking behind the
design and the role our community
played in shaping it.
“We didn’t want to just deliver a
school—we wanted to deliver the future
UWCSEA,” says Aman. “Every decision
we’ve made has been about how to
be sustainable, how to remain true
to our five elements [of the Learning
Programme], and how to build a strong,
connected community.”
While there is a bittersweet
feeling in leaving our much-
loved campus on Dover Road,
there is also a genuine curiosity
and interest. The design team is
helping us to carefully reimagine
our campus anchored in
our school mission, heritage
and values.”
Andrew McCarthy, High School
Vice Principal and Campus Design
Lab Leader, Dover Campus
Designing for the UWCSEA
experience
From the outset, the team knew that
creating the new campus wasn’t just
a matter of fitting a curriculum into a
building—it was about designing a space
that reflects the uniqueness of the
UWCSEA experience. “There is a written
curriculum, a taught curriculum, and an
experienced curriculum. That’s where
the ‘secret sauce’ lies,” Aman explains.
“Every school delivers a programme,
but what sets us apart is the breadth of
our programme, and who our students
become in the process. It doesn’t come
only in the form of grades.”
That approach shapes every
design decision. The five elements
of our programme aren’t just
theoretical; they’re lived daily in the
spaces students move through and
the environments they learn in.
“The feeling of the campus—the sense
of space, the flow, the connection
between people and environment, is
deeply linked to how our [learning]
programme works,” Aman says. “It’s
an unspoken part of the curriculum.
To deliver it as effectively as we do
today, we need the right kind of space
and environment.”
4 | Dunia January 2026
To bring that vision into focus, the
Campus Development team created a
design brief grounded in community
voices from across the College: a
300+ page document shaped through
21 Design Labs with educators,
operational leaders, and other
specialists. “Normally, design briefs are
quite philosophical—just a few pages
describing a vision … We wanted to give
structure without limiting creativity.
So we created 30 contemplations for
designers to show their artistry, but
within a framework that ensures it’s
buildable, meaningful, and aligned with
who we are.”
Those labs turned into a collective as
Aman shares, “These are large teams
consisting of 80 to 120 people working
on each scheme. In the last six months,
over 500 people have been involved.
for a secondary forest, so we set very
specific sustainability expectations,
written by environmental experts, and
evaluated every design against them.
Each team showed us exactly how they
would integrate those features from
the concept stage. That’s what makes it
meaningful development.”
Even the campus’s location was chosen
with sustainability and service in mind.
The team considered not only access to
public transport and natural integration,
but also learning opportunities within
the neighbourhood. “We looked at
who our neighbours would be—like
the Tengah General and Community
Hospital—and how they could
contribute to students’ learning
objectives. Those relationships became
enablers for our programme.”
We knew we needed to find a way to articulate what it means to offer a UWCSEA education. We know we have a
very special programme, and that our students have a very special experience when they’re with us, but we needed
a way to communicate that to people whose work focuses on designing buildings and school structures. We wanted
to identify some key principles that captured the spirit, ethos and flavour of education at UWCSEA… It was a place
where we thought, ‘We want to work there, we want to teach there.”
Ellie Alchin, Director of Teaching and Learning, Dover Campus, and member of the Campus Design Lab Steering Group
We didn’t leave them alone after one
meeting. We had checkpoints every
week, every month, to test ideas and
refine thinking. Designers appreciated
that level of engagement—it led
to better outcomes and a sense of
shared purpose.”
In shaping the new Dover Campus,
sustainability became a natural
starting point. “We want to always be
sustainable,” Aman describes it simply.
“Sustainability sits at the centre of a big
web, with every other design principle
connected to it.”
The team’s approach has been
comprehensive, from environmental
impact assessments and collaboration
with nature groups to embedding clear,
measurable expectations into the
design brief. “We can’t compensate
FEATURE
January 2026 Dunia | 5
Building a community that
learns together
The Project, for everyone involved, is
already so much more than a block
of buildings. “It’s not a construction
project. It’s not just an educational
project. It’s a community-building
project,” Aman says. “We’re building a
community that cares, that flourishes,
that nurtures.”
This philosophy has extended beyond
UWCSEA. The collaborative model has
brought together authorities such as
the Building Construction Authority,
the Urban Redevelopment Authority,
and other partners across Singapore.
“It requires a truly synergistic, collective
approach,” as Aman puts it. “And in
doing so, the project is becoming an
educator for the industry, for our staff,
and for our students.” The College has
Along with NParks, the Ministry of Health and our potential neighbour, the hospital, and representatives from the
Urban Redevelopment Authority, the Housing Development Board and the Public Utilities Board, we have a shared
hope and vision for the space and the wider community. The common purpose of education and healthcare was very
evident, as was the role of green spaces and sustainability practices in a flourishing community. As we spend time
on planning, it is wonderful to stop and think about what it will mean for all of us to be in a new space, designed with
sustainability and community at its heart.”
Nick Alchin, Head of College
been recognised for the quality of the
design competition process, with all
four finalists and UWCSEA presenting
to the authorities on how such
competitions can be run.
From students to alumni to designers,
everyone is shaping a shared vision of
what UWCSEA can become. Student
members of UWCSEA’s Architecture
Society have been involved in the
process, learning directly from
professionals and seeing how vision
becomes space. All students have had
the opportunity to give feedback on the
design competition, with the exhibition
of proposed designs regularly full of
students reviewing the models and
assessing them through sustainability
and design lenses. The designers are
offering internships to students and
young alumni, and will be present at the
PA Careers Fair in January this year.
It’s a wonderful example of how
our partners become part of our
community, coming to understand
us not just through the design brief
and building work, but from ongoing
interactions with our students, staff
and parents.
As plans continue to unfold, the campus
will represent more than a new home
for UWCSEA Dover; it will tell the story
of our journey, showing not just where
we learn, but how we learn, what we
value, and how our community brings
our mission to life.
Artists impression of Dover Campus in Tengah courtesy of RSP, BVN and AHMM.
6 | Dunia January 2026
Creative
Expression
in the
Primary
School
As part of their Unit of Study, Grade
5 students explore performance
through singing, dance, and movement,
learning how music and rhythm can
tell a story. Working across classes and
supported by a student orchestra, they
develop their skills through rehearsal,
collaboration, and ensemble work.
These weeks of learning came together
at this year’s Herd Mentality Arts
Festival on Dover Campus, where
students shared a performance built
around animal role-play and collective
storytelling. The production explored
themes of teamwork and friendship,
and was shared with parents.
COMMUNITY NEWS
January 2026 Dunia | 7
Across UWCSEA, two community events—UN
Night at Dover Campus and CultuRama at East
Campus—brought students, families and staff
together to celebrate stories, food and cultures,
while also supporting our Service programme
UN NIGHT
COMMUNITY NEWS
8 | Dunia January 2026
CULTURAMA
and Global Concerns student groups. These
gatherings connect our community through
our differences, nurture our curiosity to learn
from one another, and strengthen the sense of
belonging that makes UWCSEA so special.
January 2026 Dunia | 9
RED to READY
Alison Camire, Head of Grade in Primary School, East Campus
A Kindergarten 2 (K2) student walks into class and pauses.
Their shoulders are tight, their thoughts feel fast. A teacher
kneels beside them and gently asks, “Where are you today?”
The child looks at the Zones of Regulation chart and points to
red—overwhelmed, not quite ready. Together, they choose to
go to the Sensory Room in their grade pod.
Inside, the world softens. A quiet corner invites stillness,
textured panels offer something to touch and explore, and
soft cushions provide a place to settle. Here, the child learns
to notice how their body feels, name the emotion, and choose
what they need to move towards calm, all part of what we
call emotional regulation.
Learning to feel our feelings is as essential as learning to read
or count. Through our Personal and Social Education (PSE)
curriculum, emotional regulation is intentionally introduced
from the earliest years. By helping our youngest learners
recognise their emotions and explore strategies that support
them, we are nurturing belonging, self-awareness and the
foundations for lifelong wellbeing.
What inspired the idea of creating a Sensory
Room?
Two years ago, we noticed that there wasn’t a shared physical
space in our environment that offered children an opportunity
to reset and calm down when they needed it. While each
classroom has calm corners, class libraries, or other spaces for
students to relax, there wasn’t a space to step away from the
group, and change the sensory experiences of being in a busy
kindergarten environment. Our K2 Sensory Room is actually
a former store room, and it’s been such a transformation. We
worked as a team and started from scratch.
Walk us through the space
Our K2 Sensory Room has soft furniture, egg chairs, a light
table, sensory materials, liquid tiles, a sound machine, and
a light projector. Children enter the room freely during their
playtimes, but they are encouraged to keep the space as a
‘Whisper Zone’ and with five children only (as indicated by the
signs at the door). The adults also guide children to use the
space during their learning day if they need an opportunity
to calm down and reset. At the start of the school year, we
RESEARCH
10 | Dunia January 2026
Kindergarten students learn to
notice, name and navigate emotions
INTERVIEW
noticed this was a perfect space for children who were having
difficulty transferring from home to school. It became a sort of
‘soft arrival’ for those who needed a gentler entry to the group,
with only one or two other friends and adults joining them.
How does this connect to the PSE curriculum in
supporting children with emotional regulation or
engaging with their senses?
Emotional regulation is intentionally woven into our PSE
curriculum from the very first days of Infant School. In K1 and
K2, children begin by learning to identify emotions—naming
feelings and recognising facial expressions, first in others and
then in themselves. As their understanding grows, we build on
this by guiding them to notice the physical sensations in their
bodies that signal what they are feeling, and to understand
that people express emotions in different ways. While the
curriculum does not expect children to independently apply
self-regulation strategies until Grade 2, the journey toward
becoming ‘self-managers’ begins much earlier.
Daily routines help children practise these skills: Morning
Meetings, read-alouds, responsive PSE lessons and check-
ins using the Zones of Regulation, encourage children to
recognise their emotional state and consider what might
support them. In some classrooms, this means placing their
name in the zone that reflects how they feel when they arrive
at school. When a child identifies that they are in the Red
Zone—angry, overwhelmed, or out of control—the Sensory
Room becomes one of the strategies they may choose to help
return to a place of calm and readiness.
The Sensory Room supports this learning by offering both
calming and activating sensory input. Soft lighting, soothing
sounds and gentle textures help children decompress, reduce
worry and feel safe. At the same time, elements such as the
light projector’s visual effects, the rainbow banner’s colours,
and the movement of pushing and pressing the liquid floor
tiles can help “wake up” their senses so they feel more
grounded. In this way, the room doesn’t remove children
from the learning process—it supports them in emotionally
regulating so they can re-engage with confidence.
CURIOSITY IN MOTION
Technology that can restore
independence
It started with a visit to SG Enable, Singapore’s
agency supporting people with disabilities, where
Aarav met individuals with paralysis and saw first-
hand how something as simple as moving an arm
could be a daily struggle.
“I knew I wanted to create a solution,” he
recalls. That spark led him to Brain-Computer
Interfaces (BCIs)—technology that lets the
brain communicate directly with devices—and
ultimately to the goal of controlling an exoskeleton
arm through thought.
With the support of UWCSEA East Innovation
Lab, Aarav built his first working prototype.
Using Electroencephalography (EEG) sensors and
supervised machine learning, the arm can move in
five directions and execute fine finger movements,
“like your brain texting the arm directly,” he says.
Beyond the technology, Aarav emphasises that his
work is driven by a desire to improve lives: “Even
a small improvement in independence can open
possibilities that were once impossible.”
Aarav’s work earned him a place in a highly selective
innovation programme in Tokyo, Japan, run by a
private equity investment firm. There, he expanded
his understanding of global tech solutions, from
solar-powered mini-planes to projects connecting
communities through technology. Recently, Aarav
was invited to speak at Web Summit, one of the
largest technology conferences in the world in
Lisbon, Portugal, where he shared ideas with
the CEOs of Red Bull Racing, Lovable, and Lyft.
Reflecting on his journey, Aarav credits UWCSEA’s
environment for nurturing his ideas. “The Design
Technology facilities and Innovation Lab allowed me
to experiment and transform abstract ideas into real
solutions,” he says. “They gave me the confidence
to take on ambitious projects and think beyond
the classroom.”
What happens when ideas are allowed to move and grow, quite literally? For Grade 10 student, Aarav and Grade 11
student, Anaaya, it’s two very different, but equally ambitious projects: one lets a robotic arm respond to thoughts,
the other lets a greenhouse bloom in the city. Both began with a simple question—What if?—that ultimately led to
something surprisingly tangible.
12 | Dunia January 2026
How two students are transforming big questions into hands-on innovations
that impact lives and communities
Designing a greenhouse that moves
with nature
Anaaya approached innovation from a different angle:
urban sustainability. She designed a Temporary Urban
Farming Greenhouse Infrastructure, a pyramid-shaped
greenhouse that opens and closes like a blooming
flower. The structure can be taken apart, uses recycled
materials, and brings the benefits of urban farming to
different spaces.
Her design is inspired by biomimicry and pyramid
geometry. She studied how flowers open and close,
applying this concept to the greenhouse walls so the
structure interacts naturally with sunlight and airflow.
The pyramid shape isn’t just aesthetic—its geometry
supports solar orientation and thermal regulation,
helping maintain ideal conditions for plants.
Turning her ideas into a working prototype involved
both digital and physical modelling. Anaaya used
Fusion 360 for Computer-Aided Design (CAD)
modelling, combined with 3D printing and laser
cutting, to test the intricate rope system that allows
the panels to open and close smoothly. “My favourite
part was seeing the design come alive,” she says.
“The ideation process isn’t linear—testing, refining,
and learning from mistakes is how ideas evolve into
solutions that really work.”
Reflecting on what helped bring her ideas to life,
Anaaya shared that, “UWCSEA’s Design Technology
programme taught me essential skills—from CAD
to 3D printing and laser cutting—which I applied
throughout my iterative design process. My teacher’s
guidance was invaluable in refining the rope
mechanism, and having access to these tools made it
possible to create a functional prototype.”
Anaaya’s project also recently earned the Judges
Prize in the “Make it Temporary” architecture
challenge for its strong design and clear
interdisciplinary thinking. She has since published her
project on Instructables—an established open-source
platform for makers—making her work an accessible
resource to a global community of innovators.
From thought-controlled technology to interdisciplinary urban design, Aarav and Anaaya offer two very different
routes into the same territory: using creativity to make life a little better for someone else–a reminder that some of
the most thoughtful breakthroughs start with a simple question and agency to follow it.
COMMUNITY NEWS
January 2026 Dunia | 13
Ever wondered what it would take to protect our waterways
from pollution? At Dover Campus, four Grade 12 students—
Jacob, Belle, Vikram, and Alex—have combined their ideas,
energy, and determination to create Dronaqua, a student-led
project using small, solar-powered drones to monitor and
clean Singapore’s waterways.
Working alongside the National Water Agency, the team
set out to develop an affordable solution for detecting and
reducing pollution. The setup might sound like a high-tech
mouthful—sensors, carbon filters, solar-powered drones,
GPS tracking, dashboards—but in short, it’s a fleet of tiny
robots that float on water, spot pollution, clean it up, and
map exactly where it was. Dronaqua turn a complicated
problem into a clever, practical solution that’s as smart as it
is sustainable.
The technology is only half the story—it’s the team that makes
it all click. Jacob has always been passionate about sustainability,
a drive shaped through years of participating in Global Concerns
and Service projects with Rainforest restoration and urban
rooftop gardening at UWCSEA. His growing focus on water
High-Tech, Low-Impact
Combining sustainability, innovation, and hands-on problem-solving,
students are tackling pollution in Singapore’s urban waterways
issues eventually led him to take the first step toward real-world
change with the founding of Dronaqua—a project he describes
as a daily reminder “that we can accomplish something that
hasn’t been done before at any age.”
Belle’s journey ran alongside his. After interning at NUS labs
and Singapore’s Public Utilities Board (PUB), she felt compelled
to move beyond research and into action, a shift that inspired
her to co-found Dronaqua and lead PFAS Research & Outreach
focusing on persistent chemical pollutants that contaminate
water. She later reflected on “the power of community,”
especially during the United Water Conference, where
students, alumni, and mentors came together to confront
shared challenges in water security.
Together, Jacob and Belle recruited Vikram and Alex, a
multidisciplinary pair whose strengths in software, simulation,
communications systems, and mechanical design helped
transform an early idea into a working, field-ready solution.
COMMUNITY NEWS
14 | Dunia January 2026
As Alex puts it, challenges are simply “opportunities waiting
to be uncovered”—a mindset that continues to fuel the
team’s collaborative, impact-driven work.
Even with their drones in action, the team stays mindful of
their environmental footprint. They use biochar, a charcoal-
like carbon material to treat pollutants, harness solar power,
and design their drones to minimise impact, proving that
innovation and sustainability can go hand in hand. Since its
founding, Dronaqua has accomplished a great deal. They
have been named Conrad Challenge finalists for their PFAS
remediation concept, secured youth innovation grants,
including GoMakeADifference with UWCSEA faculty support,
and co-hosted the United Water Conference to inspire
students in water security. They’ve also collaborated with
PUB, National University of Singapore, and industry partners
to combine lab, simulation, CAD, and field expertise—shaping
their ideas into real-world solutions.
We have always been told as UWCSEA students
that even the smallest differences matter, and
this project showed us how a student team can
address global issues. Our experience has taught
us that when people from different backgrounds
work together, they can take on challenges much
bigger than themselves. For us, that challenge
is water sustainability. Even though we’re still
in school, we’ve built drones that can actually
make a difference in cleaning and protecting
our environment. It’s our way of living the UWC
Mission in a practical way and has taught us how
collaboration can have a huge impact.”
Dronaqua team
Grade 12 student Belle with National Water Agency’s former Deputy Chief
Executive, current Senior Consultant to Chief Executive (Right), Mr Harry Seah.
Design prototype
of Dronaqua drone
January 2026 Dunia | 15
Sowing Ideas,
Growing
Changemakers
Through the Middle School SEED programme,
students are learning to create real impact through
sustainability, service, and social enterprise
By Gloria So, Head of Middle School Service and Sustainable Development,
East Campus
In the Social and Environmental Entrepreneurship Development (SEED)
programme, curiosity is more than welcome—it’s the starting point. Our
Middle School course at East Campus takes big ideas like sustainability,
systems thinking, and social entrepreneurship and turns them into
something students can actually do. Inspired by the principles of Service
learning, which encourage applying knowledge to meet real community
needs in collaborative, reciprocal ways, SEED gives students the tools to
take meaningful action. Along the way, they compost food waste, design
community projects, meet real-world changemakers, and discover just how
much impact a well-placed question (or a cleverly designed social enterprise)
can have.
Our commitment to equity
and inclusion extends
beyond the curriculum.
It is reflected in the
partnerships that bridge
our classrooms with our
neighbourhoods.”
Gloria So
RESEARCH
16 | Dunia January 2026
What SEED looks like in practice
The SEED curriculum is designed to help students move from understanding
sustainability to actively shaping it. By building systems thinking skills and
applying the five stages of Service learning in real-life contexts, students learn
how meaningful change actually happens. Through case studies, real-world
examples, and hands-on projects, they research, design, implement, and
evaluate actions that have a genuine impact.
Each grade level deepens this journey in a different way:
• Grade 6 begins with environmental sustainability, exploring waste,
permaculture, and composting—and applying systems thinking to
understand food waste and e-waste on campus, in Singapore, and globally.
Students design their own individual changemaker actions and put their
learning into practice through collective composting with their mentor
classes, making sustainability visible and tangible in daily life.
• Grade 7 shifts the focus to social sustainability and community
building as students collaborate with local partners such as Lion
Befrienders, All Hands Together and Apex. Through these relationships,
they strengthen community connections, practise active listening, develop
empathy, and design activities that highlight inclusion and resilience.
• Grade 8 turns toward economic sustainability, introducing students
to circular and linear business models, the world of social enterprises, and
the innovators behind them. Students design their own social enterprise
concepts from packaging waste and meet changemakers such as Marie
from Wildness Organic Chocolate, learning how entrepreneurship can
create dignified opportunities for people with diverse needs—in partnership
with APSN Centre for Adults (CFA)—while producing sustainable, organic
products like chocolate.
Becoming changemakers
This steady progression mirrors the
students’ development: as their skills
grow, so does the complexity of the
challenges they take on. Sustainability,
community, and entrepreneurship
aren’t separate topics—they are ways
for students to understand the world
and their own potential. We really try to
guide our students to view sustainability
beyond just a project, but as a lens
through which they can see the world
as they grow and develop their own
interests and passions. Whether in
classrooms, on campus and/or the earth,
we want them to build long-lasting
relationships with our community
partners, see the impact of their efforts
and step forward and embrace their
role as changemakers, shaping a more
sustainable world in ways both big
and small.
Students from UWCSEA come to APSN CFA, to make
chocolates and biscuits with adults with special needs. It’s
a win-win situation where both sides get to learn how we
make it possible to integrate everyone in our community.
The students also get to learn about organic farming and
the importance of good practice to preserve the land.
They also learn about the Social enterprise business, how
it works.”
Marie Monmont, Wildness Organic Chocolate
January 2026 Dunia | 17
Grade 8
student from
East Campus,
Sia, lends her
voice to the
global COPE
audiobook
series
When Grade 8 student Sia first encountered the COPE Disaster Champions project back in Grade 5,
she never imagined it would one day lead her to become the voice of a character heard around the
world. It was her growing commitment to sustainability—nurtured through the Service Executive
committee with guidance from East Campus leaders Tom Rous, Head of Primary School Service and
Sustainable Development, and Primary School Principal Pauline Markey—that carried her the rest of
the way. Bake sales, marine-focused service, climate initiatives: all these small steps formed the path
that eventually led her to help bring the COPE books to life.
The COPE Disaster Champions books—created by Martha Keswick, illustrated by Mariko Jesse, and
edited by Dr Timothy Sim—are a series of engaging stories that help children understand natural
disasters and learn how to cope with them. Each book follows four young characters—Candy, Ollie,
Ping, and Eddy – the COPE Squad—as they travel to different countries, discover local cultures, and
support communities facing earthquakes, floods, typhoons, volcanic eruptions, and more.
Produced by a non-profit organisation, the books and accompanying audiobooks are shared freely
with schools and refugee centres around the world, offering messages of resilience, hope, and
practical guidance.
Sia was selected to voice Ping, the COPE Squad’s creative networker and spokesperson. “She
matched me as a person,” Sia explained. “They told us to choose a character we felt connected
to—culturally and personality-wise.” Although she felt nervous at first, recording all of her lines
in one session helped her grow into the character. “I had to improvise sometimes because I hadn’t
memorised everything, but I think I improved throughout the series.” The project also broadened her
understanding of natural disasters. “I didn’t realise how many types there were, or that countries like
New Zealand even experienced them.”
Sia’s favourite part was learning how each country greets visitors. “Ping usually introduces the place,
and I loved saying hello in different languages.” If Ping and the COPE Squad were to set off on another
adventure, Sia knows exactly where she’d want to go next: places impacted by conflict or crises, to
help children facing the world’s toughest challenges.
The impact of the project only became real when she realised how widely the
audiobooks would be shared. “I thought it was going to be something small or
regional,” she said, “Seeing the final set of books felt unbelievable.”
Recently, Sia was gifted a full set of COPE books by the creators and chose to
donate them to the Junior School library. “I could have kept them as a trophy,”
she said, “but they’re more useful when other students can read them.” Her
choice reminds us that impact comes in many forms—sometimes through
actions as simple as sharing a story.
Giving
Voice
to
Change
Listen to
the COPE
audiobooks here.
COMMUNITY NEWS
18 | Dunia January 2026