Examples of how Singapore students are being empowered to improve sustainability in school.
Young people around the world will be impacted by climate change in many ways. They may feel overwhelmed and like there isn’t anything they can contribute, but there are so many ways that they can be empowered to support school sustainability and positive climate impact.
In Singapore, there are some great examples of students are doing just that.
“A small difference is still a difference”
Ignatius Tang from St Andrew’s Secondary School was involved in sustainability efforts in school. Firstly, collecting discarded packets after Chinese New Year and Hari Raya Puasa for recycling, with double the number of these being collected and recycled thanks to these efforts. Developing a passion for the cause, he then launched his own campaigns to save electricity and improve classroom cleanliness with his friends. They named the project SEAL (Save Energy, Anti-litter). As part of this campaign, he surveyed the cleaners in schools where they shared that mess left behind by students made cleaning the rooms more difficult for them. So, with his friends, he created posters for every classroom to remind students to neatly arrange the furniture and switch off lights at fans at the end of the day – as well as making regular announcements in assemblies to remind students. He has seen these actions now become habit for students, helping to save on electricity and reduce the workload of cleaning staff.
Initially, Ignatius joined his school’s sustainability group to spend time with his friends but, over time, became more invested and is proud of the efforts of the group and the impact they have had. He believes that it’s important to try to make a difference, explaining:
“Not many people are interested in sustainability. Sometimes, people make negative comments. For example, if an area is going to be deforested, they say it’s inevitable, so why try to save it? But I think it’s important to have a little bit of hope to make a difference. A small difference is still a difference.”
Yuring Secondary School teaches about sustainability cross-curricular in subjects including nutrition and good science, languages and geography. They also have third, fourth and fifth year students deliver eco-workshops for their peers during Earth Week. For example, one project saw students designing a game as part of a national youth design challenge to educate the public about Singapore’s songbirds. In the game, players learn fun facts about birds and match them to their ‘chirp’.
Green fingered projects
At Yuying Secondary School, all first year (Secondary 1) students take part in a sustainability programme. As part of their focus on food sustainability, they have their own rice plot, vertical farm (crops grown in stacked layers) and hydroponics systems (growing plants without soil by feeing them mineral nutrient salts dissolved in water) where students take care of plants and observe their growth.
Myat Thu shared how she was involved in a five and a half month process of rice growing – including preparing the soil, planting rice seedlings, monitoring growth, tackling pests such and ensuring the crop had sufficient water and sunlight until the rice was ready to be harvested.
Reflecting on the experience, she explained:
“It made me realise how much effort and resources go into producing a staple food that many of us take for granted…taking responsibility for plants taught me perseverance and accountability.”
She was inspired to chair the ‘Eco-Eagles’ within her school’s sustainability education programme, helping to lead on other sustainability initiatives at Yuying Secondary School.
Greendale Secondary School also has students actively involved in good sustainability where students plant a range of herbs and vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, basil and pandan. Additionally, a group of students known as the ‘Green Envoys’ manage the aquaponic area. Here, there is a fish pond and ‘the waste from the fish provides organic waste for the plants, which in turn purify the water.’
Beyond the school gates
Students at Greendale Secondary school are raising awareness of sustainability on social media, researching different trends and issues. On this initiative, Abby Goh, Head of Geography and Sustainability explained that:
“This helps them analyse real-world solutions and develop their own informed perspectives rather than simply accepting what they are told… When environmental action becomes trendy rather than preachy, students naturally gravitate towards it.”
Students are also sustainability advocates in their community of Punggol where they showcase their sustainability projects and speak with residents about how they can support the environment. For example one student, Aanya Agarwal encouraged the community to recycle and upcycle:
“It wasn’t just about completing a task for school. It actually helped people in our community think differently about their actions. Seeing others become more environmentally aware made the effort feel meaningful.”
The schools also say that parental involvement is important and suggest they can support environmental aims by doing things in the home – not over-ordering food, conserving electricity, buying local. The schools also suggest considering involving teenagers in decisions that affect the environment, such as choosing an energy provider, making household purchases or planning a holiday.
They highlight that this gives teenagers a safe pace for dialogue about the environmental issues they see on social media and talk about in school and that it will give them more accountability and ownership. Chong Jack Sheng, Principal of Yuying Secondary School adds, “When sustainability becomes a shared project rather than an individual effort, it fosters collaboration and strengthens family bonds.”
Learn more from Asia News Network
Reference
- Ng, J. (2026) ‘Singapore teens plant rice, do outreach efforts: How teens are going green at school’. Available at: https://asianews.network/singapore-teens-plant-rice-do-outreach-efforts-how-teens-are-going-green-at-school/ (Accessed: 24 March 2026)
