New Curiosity Credits could help self-help groups offer more enrichment programmes for niche interests

Singapore's self-help groups (SHGs) anticipate that the new "Curiosity Credits" scheme will unlock a broader range of enrichment programs, particularly for niche youth interests. Organizations believe the initiative can expose more young people to activities they might not otherwise have access to, such as culinary arts, speech and drama, robotics, and sailing.

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The credits could expose more youths to activities they might not otherwise have the opportunity to try.

The scheme aims to encourage youths aged 13 to 17 to explore non-academic interests, develop new hobbies, and build social connections outside of school. Initially, the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth will collaborate with four major ethnic-based SHGs, the Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC), Mendaki, the Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA), and the Eurasian Association, to provide S$500 (US$380) in credits to eligible youths they support.

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What we really want to do is to make sure we trigger their interest.

Enrichment providers are enthusiastic about the potential of Curiosity Credits. Adelene Fong, co-founder of coding school The Lab, hopes to offer classes under the initiative. She views the credits as a means to ignite curiosity and foster independent learning, noting that many coding platforms are open-source and accessible for continued practice after classes. Fong also highlighted that life skills like logical thinking are best developed through hands-on experiences rather than traditional classroom settings.

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They were very fascinated about what robotics is capable of.

The School of Robotics is also eager to join the program. Its CEO, Stephen Zhuo, shared positive outcomes from past collaborations with SINDA, where students initially showing little interest in coding later developed a passion for robotics. He emphasized the fascination students experience when bringing their imaginative projects to life. Beyond technology, the credits are expected to reduce barriers to participating in costly activities like sailing, with the Singapore Sailing Federation reporting significant interest in its introductory courses.

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So especially when they build a project through their imagination and make it alive, (that) would actually interest them.