Nomination

INNOVATION MENTORS 20191. About MOE Innovation Programme (IvP)

2. IvP Learning Process

3. Role of Innovation Mentors

4. 2019 IvP Timeline

5. Examples of IvP Projects

6. Be an Innovation Mentor

1. ABOUT MOE IvP

(Above) Members of the IvP Steering Committee, MOE

Management, Innovation Mentors, partners and IvP Officers at

the Young Innovators’ Fair 2018

come up with innovative ideas or products;

develop problem-solving and inventive skills;

engage in productive problem-solving

scenarios; and

be exposed to knowledge and experiences

beyond the classroom through interaction

with innovation mentors from the following

tertiary institutions and other organisations:

For 26 years, the Innovation Programme (IvP) has

provided the unique opportunity for P5 and S2/S3

students to:

Nanyang Technological University, National University

of Singapore, Singapore University of Technology and

Design, Nanyang Polytechnic, Ngee Ann Polytechnic,

Republic Polytechnic, Singapore Polytechnic, Temasek

Polytechnic, Innovators and Entrepreneurs Association

(IdEA), SG Enable and 3M Singapore

1. ABOUT MOE IvP

In the IvP, we introduce the concept of Mindshifts

to focus on the process of learning to innovate.

The term mindshifts represents the active shifts that IvP

participants go through as they make changes to their

perceptions and views of the way things are done.

Mindshifts encourages them to challenge current

processes while integrating old and new ways of

thinking and doing things. The 3 mindshifts are:

Understanding the

ChallengeGenerating

Ideas

Developing

Solutions

Exploring

Data

Framing

Problems

Brainstorming

Possibilities

Evaluating

ideas

Prototyping

& Testing

Refining &

Redefining

The IvP adopts both the Creative Problem Solving and Design Thinking frameworks, which provide

useful scaffolds for young innovators as they seek creative solutions to real-life problems.

2. IvP LEARNING PROCESS

The Innovation Mentor plays an important role in inspiring and helping our young minds throughout their innovation journey.

School-based draft sessions provide invaluable face-to-face opportunities for mentors to:

guide pupils in problem-finding and generation of ideas

provide advice on feasibility of ideas and development of user-centred solutions

Work with teacher mentors to evaluate and grade the students’ projects

(Above) Zimo and Advay from the 2017 IvP cohort

with their Innovation Mentor, Dr W.A.M. Alwis (now

retired), Principal Lecturer, Republic Polytechnic

3. ROLE OF INNOVATION MENTORS

This year, more than 690 students have benefitted from the generous sharing of

time, knowledge and expertise by our Innovation Mentors.

“He told us that the solution always comes later, the problem is what you have to

make sure is clearly defined. We cannot simply be coming up with problem statements

from what we see around us. Go out, ask, interview the target users about their

problems. Only then would we be able to understand the problem, identify the needs of

the target user accurately, upon which we can come up with an appropriate solution.

We can’t just be solving a problem that doesn’t really exist.”

Advay Pakhale and Chen Zimo, Raffles Institution

Mr Larry Seow (above) taking a

picture (right) with Ms Hamidah

and students from Yusof Ishak

Secondary School at IvP Project

Judging 2018

3. ROLE OF INNOVATION MENTORS

“We witnessed the students from Spoon-Feet growing self-confidence

as they progressed through the design thinking process, finally

presenting the team’s project with conviction to visitors at the fair.

Thank you very much for the opportunity to share and grow with

Ms Hamidah and her students at Yusof Ishak Secondary School.”

4. 2019 TIMELINE Innovation Mentors will attend 3 draft sessions and 1 evaluation session at their assigned school.

They also have the opportunity to serve as judges at the IvP Project Judging sessions and attend IvP’s

culminating event, Young Innovators’ Fair.

IvP School-based

Launch

21-25 Jan 19During 1st IvP Lesson

Draft Sessions with

Innovation Mentors

Session 1: Week of 11 Mar

Session 2: Week of 22 Apr

Session 3: Week of 1 Jul

Evaluation

Session with

Innovation and

Teacher Mentors

Week of 22 Jul

IvP Project

Judging (by experts

from tertiary

institutions and

industry partners)

Sec: 2 Aug (p.m.)

Pri: 7 Aug (p.m.)

Young

Innovators’ Fair

4 Sep 2019

5a. PRI SCHOOL PROJECTS

CAPTAIN GREEN!How might we improve the functionality of

our school’s vertical garden?

• Participants: Heng Qi Yang, Nehemiah Yeo & Jayden Toh (Punggol Primary School)

• Teacher Mentors: Mrs Tan Ai Kiam & Mrs Joanna Chong

• Innovation Mentors: Ms Cindy Chng and Mr Trevor De Silva (Temasek Polytechnic)

BUS ALARMHow might we enable people to sleep on the

bus but still wake up on time to alight at their

destination?

• Participants: Kelly Chiong, Yami shiraishi and

Zhu Yini (Ang Mo Kio Primary School)

• Teacher Mentors: Mrs Yau Siew Cheng & Mr

Mohamad Riaz Sulaimi

• Innovation Mentor: Mr Lim Chow Hui

(Republic Polytechnic)

5a. PRI SCHOOL PROJECTSTHE SENSIBLE TOILETHow might we help people to find empty toilet

cubicles during times of urgency?

• Participants: Shaun Sze Yu Heng & Wang

Guan Yu (Nanyang Primary School)

• Teacher Mentor: Mr Lin Lixun

• Innovation Mentors: Mr Roderick Chia (IdEA),

Dr Michael Tan (NIE), Mrs Lee-Tan Cheng Nee,

Mr Tan Jui Kuan & Mr Lim Beng Soon (Ngee

Ann Polytechnic)

FIRE’S OUT!How can we cut chillies and remove the seeds

without getting the burning sensation?

• Participants: Tan Myn Jae, Tang Chongkai &

Zhong Jinxuan (Tao Nan School)

• Teacher Mentors: Mr Lim Hon Shin Clifton &

Mr Wong Hong Aik Allan

• Innovation Mentors: Ms Tessa Goh, Mr Errik

Wong & Ms Shereen Pong (Temasek

Polytechnic)

iWALCILLUMINATED WALKER WITH ALERT FOR CAREGIVERS

5b. SEC SCHOOL PROJECTSInnovation Challenge 1: Towards an Inclusive City

Improve the lives of persons with disability and/or elderly and empower them to contribute to

the society and lead fuller and more fulfilling lives.

• Participants: Seth Ong, Ethan Wu, Jonathan Chang from

Raffles Institution

• Teacher Mentor: Mrs Ng Hoon Hoon

• Innovation Mentors: Dr Anariba Franklin Edwin, SUTD

How might we help the elderly to safely ambulate at night

even when their house is cluttered with items and furniture?

MODU-CARTHow might we enable the

disabled to shop conveniently

in their wheelchairs?

5b. SEC SCHOOL PROJECTS

• Participants: Lee Yi, Justin Tay and Chen Ian En from Hwa

Chong Institution

• Teacher Mentors: Mdm Tham Siang Wah and Mr Chia Kean

• Innovation Mentors: Assoc Prof Sridhar Idapalapati (NTU),

Prof Xu Shuyan (NTU) and Assoc Prof Jerald Yoo (NUS)

THE SAFE KNIFEHow might we design a knife

that is sharp, yet safe for

Cerebral Palsy patients?

• Participants: Alicia Tan Rui Min, Kang Kaiyu and Liu Yimei from Cedar

Girls’ Secondary School

• Teacher Mentors: Ms Shirleen Lee, Mr Wilfred Loh and Ms Faith He

• Innovation Mentors: Dr Wong Dongan and Dr Shao Xuguang (NTU)

5c. SEC SCHOOL PROJECTSInnovation Challenge 2: Towards a Sustainable and Liveable CityDesign a way to encourage and support individuals, households and/or communities to

improve our environment and build a sustainable and liveable city.

PORTABLE BICYCLE HELMET

• Participants: Michael Yeoh Seong Jui & Philip Tan Pei Feng

• Teacher mentors: Mdm Tham Siang Wah & Mr Chia Kean

• Innovation Mentors: Assoc Prof Sridhar Idapalapati (NTU),

Prof Xu Shuyan (NTU) & Assoc Prof Jerald Yoo (NUS)

How might we encourage urban cyclists to wear

bicycle helmets?

5c. SEC SCHOOL PROJECTS

PelTile WatchHow might we create a sustainable

source of electrical energy for

watches to reduce e-waste?

• Participants: Hong Wan Jing & Boo Xuan Pei Alyssa

(Raffles Girls’ School)

Teacher Mentor: Mrs Tan Yin Lai

• Innovation Mentor: Prof Tan Yap Peng (NTU)

Cocos nucifera Paper Food WrapHow might we reduce plastic

waste due to food packaging?

• Participants: Borabien Nicole, Yeo HuiYu and Hana Ng

(Edgefield Secondary School)

• Teacher Mentors: Ms Alicia Mak & Mdm Elsie Cheng

• Innovation Mentor: Mr Aldrin Narag (3M Singapore)

5d. PROJECT POSTERS

6. Be an Innovation Mentor!

Role and ResponsibilitiesInnovation mentors play the important role of

inspiring our young minds and facilitating their

learning in the following ways:

Guiding participants to develop a deeper

understanding of real-life problems and root causes

to be addressed

Sharing knowledge and expertise to stimulate

creative thinking, and acquainting them with current

developments and solutions that they can learn from

Providing advice and feedback on the feasibility of

ideas, and proposing changes and improvements

they can incorporate into successive prototypes

Working with teacher mentors to evaluate the

quality of their projects based on criteria developed

by the MOE IvP Committee

Draft SessionsThere will be 3 school-based draft sessions for innovation

mentors to provide direct guidance to their mentees. Every

innovation mentor will be assigned a school where he/she

will provide mentorship to at least 3 groups of IvP

participants.

Session Date Time

Draft Session 1 Week of 11 Mar

To be confirmed

by the teacher

coordinator

Draft Session 2 Week of 22 Apr

Draft Session 3 Week of 1 Jul

Evaluation

SessionWeek of 22 Jul

Note: Innovation mentors can explore alternative dates with the

teacher coordinators.

For more information, please contact:

David Kwek

Senior Specialist, Gifted Education

Gifted Education Branch,

Curriculum Planning & Development Division, MOE

David_KWEK@moe.gov.sg

67713005