STUDENT STORIES 2022 - 2023

Robotics has taught me how to build machines doing intelligent stuff. Artificial intelligence is the future of the world and there couldn’t have been a better place for me to learn the steps towards it. The Innovation@EAST programme has been super helpful, as this was my first time ever coding and building complicated machines/robots. I have enjoyed every bit of it. I also took part in the Robotics competition and was such a big learning for me to see how different children have solved the same problem in multiple ways. I never thought I would love and enjoy Robotics, but here I am having a fun ride with it!

Anvi Grade 2

Innovation@East helped ensure I gain a lot of exposure, and the room to try ideas and learn from my mistakes. Innovation@East introduced me to collaborative and competitive events, I faced large audiences and judges and earned certificates and recognition from NUS.

I can only imagine what impact Innovation@East can bring to many other students who may have similar passions and interests; What confidence and new skills the lab can promote and how many more ideas can be developed from scratch. With our ideas, imagine what meaningful changes we can bring to our society, or to our world. Our world is becoming very autonomous. Robotics and AI is the future. And it is our time to develop in this journey.

Azaan Grade 5

The FIRST Lego League is a fairly new activity started in our school. I was lucky as I got to compete in the global competition and found it to be a great experience. I got to know everybody in my team very well and I created friendships I wouldn’t trade for the world. The experience also showed me the rest of what the Innovation@EAST programme as to offer. There is something for everyone with everything from hackathons to services as well! Lego robotics really embraces the Mission's values, it teaches everyone who joins; commitment, inclusion, responsibility and more.

Sid Grade 7

The Google Sponsored Lego Robotics programme for local childcare centers has had a significant and positive impact on me, my community, and the children involved. Personally, it provided me with a valuable opportunity to practice leadership roles and utilize my robotics knowledge for the benefit of my community and the children. The knowledge and skills I gained have contributed to my personal development and prepared me for future success in a rapidly advancing job landscape that values communication and leadership. Additionally, the programme plays a vital role in empowering our community by nurturing young minds and fostering an interest in robotics. 

Paul Grade 8

I feel like personally, I discovered a lot about myself as well as enjoyed teaching younger kids. It was really happy to see kids smile at the end and this joy is something that I can never get from elsewhere. They like the Lego Robotics Programme a lot and are pretty fascinated with the moving parts. I learned to be nice and to take care of kids as well as to be patient when someone seems to not understand. The kids had fun and enjoyed playing. They were able to build cool things and see some cool lego at work.

Stella Grade 8

As the Founding Student Leader of the LEGO Outreach Programme at UWCSEA East, I am honoured to have contributed to the delivery of engaging and cutting-edge learning opportunities to young children in the local community. My role with LEGO Outreach was closely aligned with the UWC mission of empowering students to make a positive impact on the world, and I was committed to fostering creativity, design thinking, and digital literacy among the students we served.

I worked diligently to build a team of motivated middle schoolers who could provide LEGO programs for young children in the local community. This included creating a customised project-based curriculum and leading multiple training sessions and play-through activities to enhance the experience for our partners. Throughout the process, we updated our learning objectives and lessons to support individual partners and maximise learning.

It was a fulfilling experience to witness their growth and success in their roles, and I am grateful for the chance to have had a positive impact on the local community through my work with LEGO Outreach at UWCSEA East through the Innovation@EAST programme.

Tanay Grade 9

I am the founder and the current chair of the Metaverse Club. I started this club this year along with my partner Vivaan Jain ( grade 10). We initially found out about the Metaverse in early 2021 as headlines were being made about how digital art was selling for millions of dollars and how famous celebrities were purchasing land online. This piqued our interest and we delved deeper into this relatively unknown world. Through the Innovation@EAST programme, support from the library and our extensive research we acquired a good understanding about how this world functions, and what one must do to interact with it. The club takes time to explore the different components of the Metaverse such as fintech, augmented and virtual realities, digital art, we have also used VR headsets to descend into the Metaverse to experience it in real life. 

Mairav Grade 10

Engaging directly with numerous new concepts and technologies has been a source of enjoyment for me. This hands-on involvement has provided a practical application for my theoretical knowledge. Beyond the thrill of the competition, what truly motivates our team is the potential positive impact our ROV can have on the marine life in Singapore. We aspire to contribute to their well-being by developing a stable and efficient ROV equipped with gripping capabilities. Having the opportunity to test our creation in the ocean would be a moment of pure joy and satisfaction.

Sarthak Grade 11

Throughout the process of building the robot, our group encountered numerous struggles and difficulties. Despite the challenges, we are humbled by the successes we have achieved in constructing the robot. It required a significant amount of problem-solving skills and determination to overcome the obstacles that arose. The precision and patience needed to meticulously place each bolt in its correct position were particularly challenging, and it tested our attention to detail. However, these experiences have taught us the importance of perseverance and concentration when working on complex projects like building a robot.

Luke and Henry Grade 11

I became a part of the Innoavtion@EAST Robotics Monday initiative as I really enjoyed building things and tinkering around. I think that following a set of instructions or rules to come up with a solution is extremely satisfying and I look at robotics as a way to alleviate stress and harness my creative energy. Initially, I was quite unsure of my role as a leader, however, as we progressed, I slowly worked on my confidence and leadership abilities in order to guide my team. Personally, I have never been much of a speaker, however, being a part of this club has helped me voice my opinions and share my ideas. Robotics has also vastly improved my problem-solving skills and has helped me think out of the box in order to come up with solutions to problems on the spot. I think that this is an amazing opportunity for everyone interested in fields of STEM to come together and collaborate on projects and build something great. 

Shourya Grade 11

In 2021 I was highly inspired and motivated by the success of the First robotics team where I led the programming wing. As part of the newly formed innovation club, I initiated a project to create a multi-medium traversing robot which could be deployed to transport essential resources and deliver aid in the aftermath of natural disasters. After much brainstorming and ideation, we refined the idea and decided to focus on the underwater element of the robot first, as it was the one that struck us as the most underdeveloped field of robotics. Recalling the 2018 Thailand crisis, wherein a junior football team were left stranded in an underwater cavern following a huge flooding, made our resolve even stronger to find a viable solution. We were fascinated by the idea and couldn’t wait to get started. The robot would be able to autonomously map and navigate and deliver emergency relief or perform research where it would be otherwise dangerous for divers to continue. This led us to participate in the annual Singapore Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Challenge (SAUVC). Undertaking the competition gave us more precise deadlines and constraints to work on and build the robot where we gained knowledge and vital experience in terms of designing the frame to be neutrally buoyant, waterproofing the robot, and the autonomous subroutines required to localise and control the robot. I believe that whenever you want to do something new and path-breaking, it requires self-belief, perseverance, discipline and hardwork. This project has given me the opportunity to grow and improve leadership skills. I am more confident in my ability to lead, inspire and build. Backed by our previous experience, with a new SAUVC this year we are ready to take on the challenge, hopeful of a successful debut. I am encouraged and supported by my mentors through the Innoavtion@EAST program and energized to work alongside my team. To see the project develop and bear fruit has brought me joy and satisfaction.

My favourite part of participating in innovation-based activities is the freedom of expression to think, design and create something novel to solve the problems facing local, national and global communities. Given a set of constraints, working towards a common goal is a very therapeutic and rewarding experience to me. The difficult obstacles presented by working on an underwater vehicle is something that engaged and allowed me to expand my thinking. My interest grew more profound and passionate with each experience that I acquired by developing the robot. I gained the ability to lead with integrity, inclusivity, and vision. I learned the valuable skills of not only setting but ensuring that deadlines are met, and fostering a collaborative environment where team members are encouraged to share their ideas and bring new perspectives. On the way, there will be disappointments, failures, setbacks, time constraints to fulfill other obligations at school and home; but learning from the setbacks, taking small steps and carving our way through is always my motto.

I had a great time in the club where I felt like I was given a lot of responsibility and trust by my mentors in my ability to lead, collaborate and make a difference

As a leader of “Project0”, a student-led initiative empowering innovation, I bring experience and perspective to develop new ideas. Service, innovation and sustainability together can make a lasting impact in transforming the world.

Aditya Grade 11