Kuen Cheng High School students hone soft skills and teamwork through engaging STEM workshops

In response to the Kuen Cheng High School’s interest in enhancing their students’ soft skills, UTAR STEM Outreach organised two STEM workshops on 10 August 2024. These workshops were conducted in collaboration with the Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science (LKC FES) and the Division of Programme Promotion (DPP) for 360 students at Kuen Cheng High School.

Dr Yeo Heng Giap Ivan (in black) with the students

The day commenced with a workshop titled “Build and Present a Straw High-Rise Building,” led by LKC FES academics Ir Ts Dr Yip Chun Chieh and Dr Woon Kai Siong. Students were divided into groups encouraged to unleash their creativity by designing and constructing towers using straws. Emphasis was placed not only on height but also on stability, as the towers needed to be both tall and structurally sound. Under the guidance of Dr Yip and Dr Woon, the students were able to construct sturdy towers that stood tall and steady.

Dr Woon guiding a group of students

A group of students presenting their completed tower

Dr Yip examining the steadiness of the tower

Following this, the second workshop, “Mathematics Maze: Escape Room Challenge for Problem-Solving Wizards”, was facilitated by LKC FES academics, Assoc Prof Dr Goh Yong Kheng and Dr Yeo Heng Giap Ivan. The workshop challenged students to collaboratively solve mathematical problems under time constraints, testing their problem-solving abilities and teamwork skills.

Students working hard to solve the mathematical problemso:p>

The day concluded with the students gaining valuable insights. Through the group-based activities, the STEM workshops effectively fostered the development of soft skills and teamwork among the participants. Additionally, the workshops aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), namely Quality Education (SDG4), Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure (SDG9), Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG11), and Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG12).

UTAR team with Kuen Cheng High School students after the first workshop