On 25 October 2025, 228 students from less-privileged backgrounds across 17 North West schools marked a meaningful milestone as they graduated from the North West Student Wise Enrichment Programme (SWEP). It proved one thing: when given the opportunity, students can thrive and shine!
Besides financial literacy, social etiquette, public speaking and goal setting, the programme's new digital workshops, including AI art and Minecraft coding, helped them unlock fresh digital skills.
Digital Bootcamp for Families and Children on Graduation Day
On Graduation Day, families joined in to build virtual homes in a Digital Bootcamp. The students showed their parents how to design their ideal homes for the future using AI tools that they had learnt in the workshops.
Digital Literacy Takes Centre Stage
Exploring Creativity with AI
Wan Zafran Yafii'
Marsiling Primary School
Before the workshop, I'd only heard about AI in shows and games. Now, I've learnt more about how to use AI. It helps us to do things faster, like finding information or coming up with ideas.
I made posters for Teacher's Day and Children's Day using Canva AI. I added beautiful images, sparkles and nice text to make them look awesome. I can now put my AI art skills to good use to create presentations and posters.
I also enjoyed the Financial Literacy programme. I learnt to manage my money seriously. I even created a mini budget plan to track my spending at the school canteen.
From teachers' perspectives
Mr Cham Bao Rong and Mrs Lee Hui Feng from Qihua Primary School share what they noticed most about the students' growth and development.
Public speaking and communication skills
"The students learnt how to articulate their thoughts clearly and present their ideas with greater conviction. Those who were initially shy overcame their public speaking anxieties and began to take pride in communicating confidently as they stepped out of their comfort zones."
Digital literacy skills
"Instead of learning concepts from textbooks, the students were given opportunities to explore, experiment and see how technology could be used to solve real-life problems. This boosted their confidence in navigating the digital world. They witnessed the "magic" of AI, inspiring a sense of curiosity, imagination and excitement about the future."
Social etiquette
"Through guided lessons on dining etiquette, the students learnt practical skills such as how the tables are set, how to use cutlery confidently, and interact politely in formal settings. These skills help them feel more prepared and assured in different social situations."
Special thanks to UOB for making our digital bootcamp vision a reality!
SWEP was launched in 2014 to provide less-privileged students with equal opportunities to excel and develop their individual talents. They attend a series of workshops to develop skills in financial literacy, social etiquette, public speaking and digital literacy. Find out more here.
Our Team
Adviser: Mayor Alex Yam
Editorial Team: Garick Kea, Sim Chuan San, Steve Luo, Eric Liu, Charlene Koh, Gavin Chan
Please send feedback, suggestions and comments to northwest_cdc@pa.gov.sg
Some articles in Cohesion are contributed by volunteers and
are not necessarily opinions/comments by North West CDC.
Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without prior permission from North West CDC.