Empowering STEM Education Professionals Programme

About the Programme
Explore ESEPP 2024/2025
Discover ESEPP 2025/2026
Register for the ESEPP Learning Festival 2026

About the Programme

meriSTEM@NIE aims to lead and catalyse STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education research, teaching, and partnerships in Singapore so that future generations of educators, learners, and citizens can harness relevant STEM knowledge and skills to address current and emerging challenges and adapt to an ever-changing and progressing landscape.

It organises the Empowering STEM Education Professionals Programme (ESEPP) to enhance the quality of STEM literacy; build a community of STEM educators worldwide;  encourage more pervasive adoption of STEM education in schools located across the globe; and build partnerships between schools, NIE, and industries for STEM education globally.

Participants attend a workshop before the competition to understand the principles of designing an instructional lesson package that incorporates the elements of STEM. As part of the competition, participants submit an instructional lesson package based on a theme proposed by the organisers. This is followed by a sharing session where participants, industry partners, and faculty from institutes of higher learning gather to converse, share, and learn from each other. ESEPP is held at a national level and is open to all primary and secondary school teachers.

Objectives of ESEPP

Learn more about ESEPP 24/25

ESEPP 2024/2025

With its very first international competition and Learning Festival themed "STEM as Culture", 2025 marks ESEPP’s global launch. Highlighting the holistic approach of STEM education, it integrates and fosters culturally diverse values and practices to cultivate a global mindset of shared responsibility and global inclusivity. Participants had the opportunity to engage with ESEPP alumni in meaningful sharing sessions, gained insight into the perspectives of STEM professionals, and had firsthand experience in urban farming and prototyping with robotics. 

Check out highlights from our Learning Festival here!

CHECK OUT THE PAST THEMES AND WINNERS HERE!

  • The theme of STEM as Culture highlights STEM education as more than just the integration of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. It emphasises the interactions between the disciplinary content knowledge, practices and skills. This holistic view additionally promotes a deeper appreciation and understanding of how STEM solutions can impact and be responsive to cultural contexts.

    We would like to congratulate all 32 teams from 51 schools for their impressive lesson ideas.

    WINNING TEAMS

    Primary Category

    National Institute of Education (Singapore)

    Super Scraps: From Trash to Treasure

    • Divyanandhini Anandakumar

    • Odelia Ong

    • Yu Yun Tan

    Combined Team (Republic of Korea): Seoul Myungshin Elementary School, Seoul Shindap Elementary School, Seoul Suam Elementary School

    From Seoul to Stars: Global Light Pollution SOS

    • Bora Lim

    • Yungsuk Jung

    • Ickjae Lee

    Secondary Category

    Dunman Secondary School

    Hawker Heritage Harmony: Balancing Cultural Roots and Nutritional Science for Singapore's Future

    • William Wong

    • Adeline Yong

    • Angelina Tang

    PENABUR Intercultural School (Indonesia)

    Designing a Mini Circular Economy Loop as a School Way of Life

    • Suyanti Witono

    • Antonius Juniadhi

    • N. Krisnu Prabowo

    • Jacqueline M. Sonza

    SPECIAL COMMENDATION

    Princess Elizabeth Primary School

    Grow It Forward: Cultivating STEM, One Leaf at a Time

    • Jeslyn Ho Li Ju

    • Xu Huimin

    • Felicia Lee Hui Ling

    • Sophia Yang Shu Han

    • Khor Lee Chiang

    Jurong West Secondary School

    Envisioning the 2030 Menu: A STEM Innovation to Sustain Singapore's Love for Food

    • Wang Zhi Chua

    • Zhi Zhong Aloysius Aw

    • Li Ying Lim

    • Wei Sheng Chew

    Download ESEPP 2024/2025 Report here.

    View the ESEPP 24/25 Learning Festival here.

  • The theme “Applying STEM to Create a Sustainable Tomorrow” reflects the urgency and relevance of sustainability in our world today. The lesson packages are centred around authentic real-world experiences for meaningful learning of sustainable practices and solutions.

    We would like to congratulate all 16 teams from 15 schools for their creative and innovative submissions.

    Primary Category

    St. Anthony’s Primary School
    Upcycling as a way to reduce waste
    • Tan Shu Tian
    • Wong Shyh Jiun
    • Chia Angela
    • Song Hwei Fang
    • Sim Lu Ping Lina
    • Cheryl Dorothy Nonis

    Secondary Category

    Dunman High School
    Sustainable Floating City
    • Chen Shunfa
    • Low Jin Hao
    • Alvin Teo
    • Ng Mui Leng
    • Ian Zhao Bolun
    • Wong Teck Piaw

    CHIJ St. Joseph’s Convent
    Reducing Carbon Footprint in the Classroom

    • Soh Yi Hao Dino
    • Loh Chu Ken
    • Lee Yu Xian
    • Sujena D/O Sethuram
    • Siti Nurizzati Binte Jamil
    • Joyce Teo Chew Bee

    Kent Ridge Secondary School
    Design a Mini “Cloud Garden” for Our School
    • Xu Kaibin
    • Zhou Li
    • Seto Yi Kang Marcus
    • Ramish Goby
    • Koh Guang Wei
    • Wong Wai Kit

    Download ESEPP 2023/2024 Report here.
    Access the lesson packages here.
    Find out about the ESEPP 23/24
    Workshop here.
    View the ESEPP 23/24 Award Ceremony here.

  • The theme "Think like a ___________, Design like a ___________" was proposed to allow teachers to design more diverse and creative integrated STEM activities.

    We want to congratulate all the schools and teachers of the participating teams for their excellent submissions. All 15 entries from 17 schools were of high quality and it was difficult to select the winners.

    Primary Category

    Westwood Primary School:
    Think like an Urban Planner, design like a Floating-Farm Farmer
    • Kang Hui Chin Jane
    • Jennifer Long Miaw Ying
    • Sia Pei Fen Dawn
    • Ong Xuan You Joel

    Punggol Primary School (Team 2)
    Think Like a Fowler, Design Like an Engineer
    • Oh Ling Fang
    • Joey Tan Jing Jie
    • Joanna Tan Ming Yi
    • Lim Gek Wah
    • Poh Bee Leng Anne
    • Tow Poh Huay Adeline

    Secondary Category

    Naval Base Secondary School
    Think Like a Plant Whisperer, Design Like an Urban Farmer
    • Boon Lishi Lisa
    • Mohammad Alfiyan Ahmad Buhari
    • Ong Seow Wei
    • Kasthuri Silria Sullivan
    • Zhang Jingda

    Combined Schools: Woodlands Secondary School, School of Science and Technology Singapore, River Valley High School, Queenstown Secondary School
    Think Like A Sea Turtle, Design Like A Polymath
    • Kee Jing Yee
    • Lau Shi Yun
    • Fu Ruiqi
    • Wong Koi Lin

    Download ESEPP 2022/2023 Report here.
    Access the lesson packages here.
    View the ESEPP 22/23 Award Ceremony here.

  • In response to Singapore's '30 by 30' initiative as we move towards producing 30 percent of our nutritional needs by 2030, the theme selected for the ESEPP 2021/22 was Edible Landscapes. Below are the winners.

    Primary Category

    Madrasah Irsyad Zuhri Al-Islamiah
    • Rosli Abdullah
    • Nurul Iffa binte Omar
    • Sueriaty binte Abdul Khalil
    • Zuraidah binte Abdul Karim
    • Kasmawati binte Kassim
    • Nur Hidayah binte Murad

    Secondary Category

    Dunman High School
    • Chen Shunfa
    • Lee Seng Lee
    • Adrian Ong Wei Xiang
    • Zhao Bolun Ian
    • Chang Wan Yin

    Peirce Secondary School
    • Ng Bingfu
    • Wong Hei Man
    • Thenmozhi Nalathamby
    • Tan Yin Chin
    • Lai Jia Hui
    • Lee Xiu-Ping

    Combined Team: Cedar Girls’ Secondary School & Dunman Secondary School
    • Lim Xinjie
    • Lee Xin Er
    • He Caiqing
    • Winnie Liang Huiyi
    • Adeline Yong Yean Ping
    • Jeffrey Jefferson Gafar

    Download ESEPP 2021/22 Report here.
    Access to the lesson packages here.
    Winners featured on MOE Schoolbag.

  • The theme selected for this inaugural ESEPP competition is Sustainable Energy as the availability and accessibility to sustainable energy is fundamental to improving the quality of lives.

    A total of 20 teams of teachers from 7 primary and 10 secondary schools submitted their lesson packages for the competition. In the primary school category, there were a total of 9 entries as there were 3 entries from one of the primary schools. On a similar note, there were a total of 11 entries in the secondary school categories as there were 2 entries from one of the secondary schools. All entries were judged in April 2021.

    Below are the winners for the primary and secondary categories.

    Primary Category

    Geylang Methodist School (Primary)
    • Tan Chor Kheng Christine
    • Teo Ser Leng
    • Nadiah Hana Abdul Rahman
    • Tan Chia Peng

    Westwood Primary School (Team C)
    • Goh Ho Laye
    • Preetha Balagi
    • Teo Shu Ting Cheryl
    • Tong Jin Yi
    • Elaine Lew Yi Ling

    Secondary Category

    Compassvale Secondary School
    • Preeti Kulkarni,
    • Caroline Hew
    • Chong Khiam Kiat
    • Tay Siew Woon
    • Sarah Ang En Ling
    • Mohanajothi Kesavan

    Raffles Institution
    • Chan Kuang Wen
    • Eleanor Tan Shu Min
    • Gabriel Lim Boon Kiat
    • Qian Kun

    Download ESEPP 2020/21 Report here.
    Access to the lesson packages here.

    Overseas Exchange for Winners of ESEPP 2020/21

    10 winners of the ESEPP 2020/21 travelled to Bangkok, Thailand from 28-30 May 2022 to participate in a STEM capacity building seminar with a focus on design thinking. The workshop was also attended by 50 Thai teachers from 10 schools identified as Centres of Excellence in STEM Education. Our Singapore teachers presented their winning ESEPP STEM projects at the seminar and exchanged ideas about STEM teaching with the Thai teachers.