IO – Indonesian intercultural school and Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (“STEAM”) pioneer Sampoerna Academy again confirms its commitment to provide the best education in Indonesia. Its mission is to help produce future generations, able to compete globally while remaining empathetic towards social and sustainability issues. In its “Healing the Earth through Arts” (HEARTs) program, which is part of its celebration of the United Nations Day in October, Sampoerna Academy collaborates with the STrEAM Play House community to organize a fun, interactive, educational activity wherein children are taught to recycle waste into art using a STEAM-based approach.
Maharsi Palupining Rini, S.S., National Principal of Sampoerna Academy Surabaya, stated that Sampoerna Academy’s mission is in line with one of Indonesia’s Sustainable Development Goals (“SDG”): ensuring that all Indonesian children get inclusive, fair, and quality education, and that all Indonesian citizens get the chance to enjoy lifelong learning. “As an educational institution, it is extremely important for us to continue the
work to achieve SDGs by helping to produce critical, competitive future
generations who dream of building a better world. This year, to refect
the current situation, we decided to make the UN Week program more than a celebration. We want to focus on the social awareness and empathy of our students and the younger generation in sustainability and climate change issues from an early age,” she said in an interview in Jakarta on Saturday (30/10/2021).
Yuni Widiastuti, Founder and Initiator of the STrEAM Mother and Play House Community, similarly stated that “Through this chance to play together, we become more aware and optimistic that parents and the community are still very much contributing to the generation of 21st century-skills needed by children. Right now we are in a moment filled with disruptions – including in the form of climate and environmental changes. Will there still be a second Earth for us in the future? This is a question that only our children can answer when they have grown up.”
Therefore, STrEAM Play House and Sampoerna Academy invited parents and the local community to actively participate in their children’s STEAM-based education using its waste reclamation play/ experiment activity. “By providing 15-30 minutes a day for children to play meaningfully from an early age, we hope to see that the Earth will still be fne, as these children
have been educated early on in the understanding that the Earth is to be protected, not just used,” Yuni said.
As the pioneer for STEAMbased education in Indonesia, Sampoerna Academy hopes to use STEAM to develop 5C competences (Critical Thinking, Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, and Character) and to instill the IGNITE values (Integrity, Growth Mindset, Nobility, Innovation, Teamwork, and Excellence) in Indonesian children. The Academy consistently instils these values among its students, as it is extremely important in developing a high level of social empathy among future Indonesian generations. “The Academy hopes that the program will serve as a meaningful milestone in Indonesian children’s journey to create a better world, a better Earth. It may look simple, but we believe that it will generate positive results and changes for them in seeing the importance of sustainability for their future,” Palupi said.