“Start Small Dream Big” was a community service project initiated by the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) which is involved about 20,000 children from more than 300 preschools.
“Start Small Dream Big” was created to encourage pre-schools to create authentic platforms for children to innovate, problem-solve and tap on their unique strengths to help others.
The initiative was first launched in 2015 as part of SG50 and the 15th anniversary of President’s Challenge, an annual series of fund-raising and volunteer activities. ECDA works with participating centres to design and implement community projects over a period of six months.
“Start Small Dream Big” initiative aim is to nurture each child holistically, including character building, to prepare the children for life-long learning, active and responsible citizenry and success in later life.
“I Love Pangolins” event is a closure for the first “Start Small Dream Big” initiative project which was held at Singapore Zoo. Kinderland preschoolers who were the first ever “Little Pangolin Ambassadors” sold handmade crafts and cookies where the proceeds would go towards the conservation of Sunda pangolins.
The Minister of the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) Tan Chuan-Jin wrote on his Facebook page on Saturday (27 August) about “I Love Pangolins” event which is part of the “Start Small Dream Big” initiative.
He said that the initiative is important so that the parents would provide the interactions for the children which would help bring the values of caring for the environment alive. The children would be reminded on how they interact with each other at crowded events, where they queue, look out for others, and being considerate. It is also important for the children to value transmission activities.
The ECDA Grow Beanstalk is an autonomous agency jointly overseen by the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF). It serves as the regulatory and developmental authority for the early childhood sector in Singapore, overseeing all aspects of children’s development below the age of 6, across both kindergartens and child care centres.
