Applied Learning Programme

Discover how CHIJ OLQP's Applied Learning Programme equips students with hands-on STEM skills through sustainability projects and creative maker activities.

Last updated on 21 May 2026

Applied Learning Programme

Applied Learning Programme (ALP) at CHIJ Our Lady Queen of Peace

The Applied Learning Programme (ALP) at CHIJ OLQP offers students authentic and hands-on learning experiences that integrate interdisciplinary knowledge and develop critical metacognitive skills. Through initiatives like the STEM in Sustainability programme and Makerspace, students build essential competencies in computational, inventive, and critical thinking.

STEM in Sustainability

Aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Singapore’s Green Plan, STEM in Sustainability engages Primary 3, 4 and 6 students in solving real-world challenges. By applying programming concepts through tools like Micro:bit, students explore innovative solutions while gaining practical skills.

Programme Highlights:

Primary 3: STEM in Food Sustainability
Primary 3 students explore food sustainability through hands-on STEM learning experiences. They design and build a humidity sensor and a self-watering planter to optimise plant growth, developing creative problem-solving and design-thinking skills.

Aligned with the Science topic Life Cycle of Plants, students participate in the Young Farmers’ Programme, where they grow vegetables in the school’s garden plots. Through planting and harvesting kangkong, they gain first-hand experience in sustainable food production and deepen their understanding of Singapore’s 30 by 30 food resilience plan.

To further extend their learning on sustainability, students also explore ways to reduce food waste by creating their own citrus enzyme cleaners using orange peels, reinforcing the importance of resourcefulness and environmental responsibility.

A large group of young schoolgirls in navy uniforms posing outdoors near a garden bed on a school campus.

Growing Kang Kong

Four girls in blue school uniforms hold bottles of colored liquid in front of a whiteboard with water and sugar notes.

Students holding the citrus enzyme cleaners they made

Primary 4 STEM Programme: Energy Sustainability

The Primary 4 STEM Programme focuses on developing students’ understanding of energy sustainability, with an emphasis on Singapore’s energy challenges and the need for responsible energy use. Students apply their knowledge of energy concepts to identify and address real-world energy sustainability issues within the school context.

Using the Design Thinking framework and basic coding skills, students collaborate to design and create interactive digital games that promote energy-saving behaviours. Through this process, students develop critical, adaptive, and inventive thinking skills, strengthen their digital literacy, and learn to communicate their ideas confidently by sharing and showcasing their creations with peers.

Primary 6 STEM Programme: Tackling Climate Change

The Primary 6 STEM Programme focuses on climate action, aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 13 (Climate Action). Students deepen their understanding of pressing climate issues such as rising global temperatures, extreme weather events, and biodiversity loss, examined from both Singapore and global perspectives.

Through the Design Thinking framework, students conceptualise and develop innovative physical and/or digital prototypes that propose practical and impactful solutions to mitigate climate challenges. The programme emphasises critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative problem-solving, empowering students to apply STEM knowledge.

Three schoolgirls in blue uniforms stand beside a handmade model of Singapore landmarks in a classroom.

Makerspace@OLQP

Maker Education at CHIJ OLQP provides students with opportunities to collaborate and solve problems through hands-on exploration and free play. Makerspace@OLQP offers a dedicated learning space where students can engage in the design thinking process, brainstorming ideas, creating prototypes, and testing their solutions during recess. These exciting activities spark the joy of learning and inspire students to think critically and creatively to solve problems in innovative ways.

A colorful handmade desk organizer with bead letters and flower stickers sits on a Primary 3 Makerspace Challenge worksheet.

A young girl with glasses decorates a small red cookie with white icing using a piping tool.

Primary 3 and Primary 6 students explored the exciting world of 3D pen design, applying their newly acquired skills to create a variety of three-dimensional forms. Primary 3 students designed and crafted shapes to decorate table organisers made from recycled materials, integrating creativity with sustainability. In celebration of National Day, Primary 6 students used 3D pens to create uniquely Singaporean icons, expressing national identity through hands-on digital making and design.

Two schoolgirls in blue uniforms hold a decorated cardboard boomerang with drawings and text on it.

Three schoolgirls in uniforms build a colorful straw structure at a table in a bright classroom.

Primary 4 and Primary 5 students engaged in hands-on making activities using Strawbees. Primary 4 students designed and constructed a shoemerang using cardboard and Strawbees, applying their understanding of forces and motion. Primary 5 students worked in teams to design and build a thrilling roller coaster, exploring structure, stability, and energy transfer. Through these collaborative challenges, students developed creativity, critical thinking, and teamwork skills.