Applied Learning Programme (ALP) DREAM @ YTPS

Applied Learning Programme - DREAM@YTPS

Overview of Applied Learning Programme (ALP) – DREAM@YTPS

Aligned to our school vision of ‘Reflective Learners, Gracious Citizens’, DREAM@YTPS seeks to Develop Reflective learners, Empower creAtive Minds through student agency and empowerment.
The ALP programme is designed to facilitate students working in teams, whilst activating their problem-solving skills, and creative and critical thinking to come up with plausible solutions to problems, from an empathetic lens. This is achieved through the Design thinking process and Tools. These engineered experiences enhance students’ social-emotional learning, develop 21st century competencies, and help them see the relevance and inter-connectedness of what they learn as students apply them in real-life situations.

Key Programmes

DREAM@YTPS through Design Thinking

DREAM@YTPS adopts the Design Thinking process to nurture confident and self-directed learners. Students develop 21st century competencies progressively from Primary 1 to 6 through an interdisciplinary thematic approach and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) learning experience. Students share their ideas and work together on authentic problems to come up with their own innovative and practical solutions to meet the needs identified, share what they think and work through the process, together as team, to decide on the solution that would best address the problem.


The themes are encapsulated using the school value of CARE as an acronym – Caring for The Aged & Respecting the Environment, to address the future challenges of aging population and sustainable development. Students develop a greater awareness of the needs of the different stakeholders in the school and community, with DREAM@YTPS serving as a platform for the development and demonstration of values. In this way, this programme will nurture them to become active contributors and concerned citizens in the future.
	Through Design Thinking, students ask questions and conduct their research for the various themes such as “Caring for Pets, Upcycling, Waste Management, Elderly Care and Sustainable Living”. In defining the problem, students will develop a greater awareness and ownership of challenges in society that they can help to solve. They make links across different areas of knowledge by generating, developing, and evaluating ideas and information for application to a real-world project task. During the process, students collaborate in a team and communicate their ideas in both written and oral forms in front of an audience. This project helps them learn independently, reflect on their learning and find creative solutions for problems they see around them.

The themes are encapsulated using the school value of CARE as an acronym – Caring for The Aged & Respecting the Environment, to address the future challenges of aging population and sustainable development. Students develop a greater awareness of the needs of the different stakeholders in the school and community, with DREAM@YTPS serving as a platform for the development and demonstration of values. In this way, this programme will nurture them to become active contributors and concerned citizens in the future.

Through Design Thinking, students ask questions and conduct their research for the various themes such as “Caring for Pets, Upcycling, Waste Management, Elderly Care and Sustainable Living”. In defining the problem, students will develop a greater awareness and ownership of challenges in society that they can help to solve. They make links across different areas of knowledge by generating, developing, and evaluating ideas and information for application to a real-world project task. During the process, students collaborate in a team and communicate their ideas in both written and oral forms in front of an audience. This project helps them learn independently, reflect on their learning and find creative solutions for problems they see around them.

To extend and deepen students’ learning, students are provided with opportunities to challenge themselves in the application of the Design Thinking or STEAM approaches in new and different scenarios through external competitions and workshops. Some examples are STEM Playground Challenge organized by Science Centre, 3D Design and Printing workshop @ School of Science and Technology (SST), National Thinkers Challenge and Sony Creative Science Award @ Science Centre.

STEM Playground Challenge @ Science Centre

Students were excited to participate in the Science Centre STEM Playground challenge 2023 with two challenges - Bridge making and Boat making challenges. For STEM Playground Challenge #1 (Bridge making challenge), YTPS is awarded for one of the top 5 schools with the highest participation rate! We are waiting for the release of results for STEM Playground Challenge #2 (Boat making challenge). Let’s hope for the best!

STEM Playground @ Science Centre Challenge #1: Bridge Making

STEM Playground @ Science Centre Challenge #2: Boat Making

National Thinkers Challenge

At the 2023 National Thinkers Challenge, our Primary 4 students proposed the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to promote healthy living in Singapore. Their proposal included the use of AI to track daily calorie intake and generate suggestions on healthy meal choices. It will also demonstrate how to cook nutritious meals and use geolocation to recommend nearby food stalls with healthier food choices.

3D Design and Printing Workshop@SST

Our Primary 5 Sparkle and Art Club students were ably guided by Year 4 students from the School of Science and Technology (SST) to create models with Autodesk Tinkercad, bringing their designs to life! Our designs ranged from coasters to pencil holders and even our YTPS school building!

Sony Creative Science Award

The Sony Creative Science Award (SCSA) is Singapore’s largest toy-making competition for primary school students, jointly organised by Science Centre Singapore and Sony Group of Companies in Singapore. Students create their own toys and explain the scientific principles behind them, putting into practice what they have learnt through a series of workshops conducted by our teachers. During the workshop, our students learn more about design thinking and prototyping. This competition promotes creativity in students and provides opportunity for them to bring their amazing ideas to life.