Our Journey
OUR JOURNEY
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In 2022, Cedar celebrated 10 years of Social Innovation and produced an e-book detailing our growth from our nascent beginnings to establishing ourselves as a Center for Social Innovation. The commemorative book also highlights some of the school’s achievements in social innovation over the years. [Link for book](https://heyzine.com/flip-book/efb6d99a0b.html#page/1)
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Cedar Social Innovation (CSI) Day
Held once every four years, Cedar Social Innovation 2020 (CSI 2020) is a special event where our girls stayed on top of their game by designing socially innovative solutions in collaboration with their various partner organisations while gamely adapting to the ever-evolving Covid-19 situation.
The morning of CSI 2020 started off with a live show hosted by deejays Archie and Will (Mr Akmal and Mr Wilfred Low). They entertained the school throughout the day while students also received feedback from their organisations and voted for the best social innovation project of each level for the year. The day ended with the Youth Day celebrations to mark the success of CSI 2020 and celebrate the positive role youths play in our community.
Enhancing Society’s Capacity To Act
Learn. Collaborate. Advocate
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• This year marked the establishment of the school’s Social Innovation Talent Development Programme. Selected students represented Cedar to achieve accolades at national competitions such as Shell NXplorers, the MOE Gifted Education Branch Innovation Programme and Prudential Young Trailblazers 2019. We are also proud to announce that Kok Kit Yan Chavelle (4I) and Thantry Neha Biju (4P) have won the Merit prize for the Tan Kah Kee Young Inventors Award 2019, for their project ‘The Spillcatcher’, a cup designed for individuals with uncontrollable tremors. The mindset and dispositions of a social innovator continue to flourish in each Cedarian through our core programmes, Integrated Project Work, Values-In-Action Projects and the Imagineering Programme.
Social Innovation Learning Space
With the help of our SI students in the planning process, our school’s social innovation learning space had a fresh new look.
Shell NXplorers Innovation and Cultural Trip to Busan and Seoul
The Shell NXplorers Innovation and Cultural Trip to Busan and Seoul took place from 22 November to 1 December 2019. It was an all-expenses-paid study trip for a group of three students from Talent Development - Social Innovation who emerged first runner-up in the Shell NXplorers competition 2019. In this trip,the students learnt about the various kinds of innovation ranging from something as small(yet equally ingenious) as an improved spray bottle,to something as large as an entire industrial system to improve the recycling process.They also learnt about how innovation took place in the past,and how it will likely take place in the future.
Portable Basketball in a Box (IPW)
• The physically-disabled elderly residents of Lee Ah Mooi Old Age Home needed a way to exercise indoors. This group of students devised a portable basketball hoop set which impressed the organisation so much that they requested for the latest version of the prototype to be used in their physiotherapy room. The students also presented their ideas to educators across Singapore in 2018.
Under the Sea Translation Project (IPW)
• In how many languages can you express your love for the enrivonment? Students collaborated with NEA and LKY Fund for Bilingualism to translate the book ‘Under the Sea’ into Mother Tongue Languages (Mandarin, Malay, and Tamil). They also worked together to create teaching resources that accompanied the book, suitable for pre-school and kindergarten students. The books have been shared at the NEA Clean & Green Carnival.
The SAFE KNIFE (Y3 GEB IVP)
• Cerebral palsy patients often have difficulty handling kitchen knives. This group of students created an acrylic covered knife held together by magnets, which reduces the likelihood of injury. Their solution was well received by the Cerebral Palsy Alliance of Singapore, and subsequently showcased at the MOE Gifted Education Branch Young Innovator’s Fair and at the SUTD’s Maker’s Faire.
All-in-one box-of-fun (VIA)
• Dyspraxic children have difficulty with body coordination and movement. These students created 5 games that targeted specific psychomotor skills that dyspraxic children have difficulty with. The set of games went through multiple rounds of iteration with occupational therapists from Therapy Alliance, and are currently being adopted by the organisation as learning aids for dysphraxic children.
PROJECT FORTIS (Citi-YMCA Youth For Causes)
• This group of Cedarians from IP4 raised awareness about the importance of inclusivity in society by a fund-raising concert for the Disabled People’s Association. Through the support of the Citi-YMCA Youth for Causes Programme, they galvanised the support from 50 volunteers both from and outside of Cedar and raised $5,600 from the concert. -
Be that___,Stop the discrimination (IP3 GEB IVP)
• Students were inspired by volunteering at Singapore Cancer Foundation to come up with a storybook and accompanying doll with removable hair to educate students to be more sensitive to those who are different from them (e.g.: youth who have cancer). They presented their ideas at the MOE Gifted Education Branch Young Innovator’s Fair.
Exercise Cube (Y3 Imagineering)
• Students collaborated with Henderson Senior Activity Centre to design a mobile exercise cube which could allow elderly with weak knees exercise with basic hand movements, so that they could maintain an active lifestyle. They presented their ideas to IP3 students in Cedar and VS at SUTD.
U-Walker (Y3 Imagineering)
• Students collaborated with SilverACE Senior Activity Centre to design a device which could be added to the base of an umbrella which could provide elderly better stability during wet weather without the social stigma of using a walking stick. They presented their ideas to IP3 students in Cedar and VS at SUTD.
The Bystander Effect (IPW)
• A group of school Cyberwellness Ambassadors created a set of lesson plans and resources to educate students on the importance of taking a stand towards cyber-bullying. The lesson package was implemented by the students during Level 1 and 2 CCE lessons, and presented at the East Zone Cyberwellness Conference 2017.
Under the Sea (VIA)
• A group of Cedarians created a storybook in Sec 2 to raise awareness amongst pre-school students to keep beaches clean. The book was then professionally developed with the assistance of NEA, and distributed to pre-schools under the South-East Community Development Council. The students carried out further outreach to kindergartens using the storybook in Sec 4 for their VIA project. -
Launch of Cedar as a Centre for Social Innovation.
Student participating in the GEB Innovation Programme.
• Cedar participated in the Gifted Education Branch Innovation Programme.
Launch of Social Innovation Journal.
• Launch of the Social Innovation Journal as a handbook and reflection log for students during their 4 years in Cedar.
• Launch of the Social Innovation Award. • Launch of Cedar as a Centre for Social Innovation. -
A panoramic view of the Cedar
Social Innovation Learning Space.
• Social Innovation Learning Space (SILS) was launched during Speech Day, for students to collaborate and learn about social innovation in different subject disciplines.
Cedarians collaborate with a Chinese Opera Troupe for Cedar Social Innovation Day 2016.
• Inaugural Cedar Social Innovation Day with the theme of Connecting Communities was launched on 25 May. All students participated in class-level social innovation projects to impact the community.
Cedarians interact with the elderly as part of Cedar Social Innovation Day 2016.
Cedarians promote environmental cleanliness at hawker centres as part of Cedar Social Innovation Day 2016.
• Teachers went on a study trip to Denmark and Sweden to glean possibilities on how to further improve our Social Innovation Programme and move towards becoming a Centre for Social Innovation. -
IP3 students and staff from Cedar and VS together with the faculty from SUTD.
• Partnership with Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities, SUTD for IP3 Imagineering Programme.
• Three teams of Cedarians were selected to compete in Destination Imagination Singapore in the Social Innovation category. One team emerged as champions in the category, and advanced to the Destination Imagination Global finals at the University of Tennessee, USA.
• Student leadership boards and co-curricular activities used Design Thinking to solve issues in school.
• VCA Design Thinking Academy (DTA) conducted Design Thinking workshops for Singapore teachers under the auspices of Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Singapore (ASCD Singapore). -
IP4 students present their social innovation project to a representative from Changi Simei Constituency Office.
• Social Innovation Fair was launched for existing partners in collaboration with Victoria School.
Students create prototypes of their project solutions using skills learned in SUTD.
• Partnership with SUTD, Land Transport Authority (LTA) and National Library Board (NLB) for the IP3 Imagineering Programme. -
Students sharing solutions brought about by Design Thinking in Integrated Project Work.
• Imagineering Programme was offered to IP2 and IP3 students.
• Design Thinking was introduced to Integrated Project Work for Sec 1 and 2 students.
• Collaboration with SUTD partnering four Voluntary Welfare Organisations (Tung Ling Elder Care, St Hildas Elder Care, Brahm Centre and Changi Simei Constituency). -
• Teachers attended workshops at Stanford d.school and Henry Ford Learning Institute on Design Thinking.
• All staff in Cedar Girls’ Secondary School were trained in Design Thinking.
IP1 students in actions.
• Imagineering Programme was launched for the first batch of IP1 students.
•Pilot collaboration with Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) with VCA schools on Design Thinking projects. -
VCA Design Thinking Committee bonding over coffee.
• Victoria Cedar Alliance (VCA) Design Thinking Committee was set up.