Children are the 'best educators': How the Young Scientist Badge can teach sustainability to adults

SINGAPORE: It started when Mr Edmond Looi received a flyer three years ago about an initiative that he was surprised to learn still existed. 

After all, he was in Primary 5 when he last participated in the Young Scientist Badge scheme – a flagship programme under the Science Centre Singapore that aims to cultivate an interest in science among primary school students.

Students accomplish a list of tasks to obtain badges representing various science disciplines, from mathematics to meteorology.

Mr Looi, now 49, recalled the flyer promoting a badge that wasn’t around during his time: The Young Sustainability Champion badge. 

As he was working in a sustainability-related role at the time, he thought that signing up his daughter, Shavonne, who was then eight, to obtain the badge would be a “good way” to introduce her to sustainability. 

It did more than that. It unlocked Shavonne's interest in science, leading her to collect 14 more badges. One was the Young Energy Saver badge.

“One of the tasks (under that badge) was to find the electrical appliances that pick up the most electricity. She didn't care (about energy consumption) as a kid, and our place is quite old, we don’t have the energy labels. But because of the task, I brought her out to Best Denki,” said Mr Looi. 

“I think one of the tasks was to learn to read the energy labels as well … so she went to look at all the different appliances with the energy label. Then she realised: ‘Oh, okay, air-con (consumes) quite a lot (of energy).’ It started to give (her) a lot of awareness.”

USING KIDS TO INFLUENCE ADULTS  

More than 1 million badges have been awarded since the Young Scientist Badge scheme began 41 years ago. But as the field of science evolved, so did the scheme. 

For instance, the Young Sustainability Champion badge was introduced in 2020, and became the first badge to allow secondary school students to sign up under a “senior” category. 

In 2022, two badges – the Marie Curie and the Margaret Fountaine badges – were launched under a new category called the multidisciplinary badges. This year, the Young Digital Fabricator badge was added.

Some tasks for other badges have also been updated, such as no longer requiring the child to visit the now-demolished National Library building at Stamford Road. 

But the essence of the Young Scientist Badge scheme still stands. It illustrates the “power of going through a child”, said Science Centre's chief executive Lim Tit Meng. 

This can be particularly helpful in the area of sustainability, noted Associate Professor Lim, highlighting a documentary he watched in which a grandmother expressed frustration at having to reduce waste. Her granddaughter then reminded her that her inaction would affect the younger generation's future. 

“Sometimes, children are the best educators to transform parents. Sometimes, young kids will just blatantly say ‘Eh, daddy, mummy, why are you so wasteful? You're not green,’” he explained.

“I think parents will listen to them more, especially when a child says, ‘It’s my future.’”

Assoc Prof Lim added that the Young Sustainability Champion badge, in empowering the young, also encourages them to “own their situations”. 

“Because they're young, they have to get their parents involved. And indirectly and directly, they get their parents to think about what can we do, what can we learn about sustainability, what (role) can we play as an individual or as a family?” he said.

This was what happened in Zoe Tan’s family when the 12-year-old embarked on her Young Sustainability Champion journey two years ago. 

Her team created a prototype to address food sustainability by using composting worms to turn food waste into worm tea, which is then pumped to eco-wall plants to fertilise them.

After hearing about what she was learning, her family thought about what they could do to reduce food waste and started several practices that have carried on to date.

“We will only buy things that are needed. When we go to the supermarket, we will write this list and we can only buy things from the list. You cannot get anything else; if not, it’s just excess food being wasted if no one eats it,” she told CNA.  

“And once in a while, my family will organise the fridge. They’ll put all the stuff that is going to expire soon in front so it doesn’t get wasted. Because if it’s just at the back of the fridge, no one’s going to notice it.” 

Zoe said her family also now buys “imperfect food”, such as bruised fruit.

“A lot of people underestimate the food. They think it's ugly, so you shouldn't buy it, but it's equally good inside,” she explained.

“Before this, I had no idea what sustainability was. But after I (took part in this), it really gave me this insight on how much food is being wasted every year and it's really mindblowing." 

LEARNING BEYOND THE BADGE

Likewise, Mr Looi found that the benefits of participating in the programme extended beyond obtaining the badge.  

Shortly after Shavonne signed up for the Young Sustainability Champion badge, the COVID-19 “circuit breaker” happened. Mr Looi had to teach her computer skills, such as how to use the mouse to highlight text, how to stay safe online and how to search the internet for information needed to fulfil the tasks. In turn, these skills later came in handy for the Young IT Whiz badge. 

He also had to remind Shavonne not to copy and paste information from the internet. 

“Initially I started working with her, but along the way I wanted to let go. I wanted her to do things on her own so that she can go and find answers. … (I told her) you need to write it in your own words; really understand it,” he said.  

“There were so many learning and teaching points beyond the badge. I was telling her, don’t look at (the minimum points needed). Whatever you want to do, just do. Don’t stop just because you want to get the badge.” 

Mr Looi also realised later on that the various tasks he attempted with his daughter, particularly under the Young Geospatial Scientist badge, proved handy in his business development role in cloud technology. 

“Believe it or not, I have no idea what a geospatial scientist was before the badge. … After doing that badge, I had to deal with geospatial aspects so much in my (current) job. But by then I knew what it was about," he said.

"In that sense, it can really help you in your job, or if you do not know whether you want to go into that area, it helps you see what those entail."

Adults without children can benefit too, as the Young Scientist Badge is also open to members of the public of all ages.

This change came about when the Science Centre had adults asking if they could still get the badges if they complete the activities. The organisation hence decided to recognise their “childlike curiosity and lifelong learning spirit”, said Assoc Prof Lim.

And this opportunity has led one adult in particular to make a New Year’s resolution to revisit the programme that shaped his career. 

Now 51, Professor Ng Huck Hui had a “very positive learning experience” from taking part in the Young Scientist Badge in primary school. His love for biology, first exposed to him through the tasks, carried on to secondary school and eventually his undergraduate days. 

“It’s about curiosity. The badges cover different topics. Would a lower primary school student today know about sustainability from classroom teaching? Would they know about longhorn beetles? But because of the initiative, it expands the learning horizon of a student,” said the assistant chief executive of A*STAR's biomedical research council.

“The most important factor is that it unleashes their creativity and curiosity. It is only when you’re curious that you will find the answer to solve problems. I think that is the crux of what we’re trying to achieve here.”   

With the Young Sustainability Champion badge, which Prof Ng plans to take on now, he sees its long-term effect as helping individuals “internalise the essence of sustainability”. 

“Basically, if we go about with our current way of living our life, we are going to create a non-sustainable future. So what do we need to do today? That (badge) will provide you with the basic thinking, and not only that, will show you the effect if you’re not going to correct this course,” he said.