ABOUT OUR EXPERT
Dr Cheong is the founder of Preschool Market, a social enterprise dedicated to enhancing early childhood education in Singapore. With a background in early childhood education and technology, she collaborates with educators, policymakers and community organisations to create meaningful learning experiences for young children.
By Dr Cheong Su Fen
In January 2025, The Straits Times published an opinion piece titled Higher education needs a better focus on service in the community, highlighting the need for community service to play a more central role in institutes of higher learning. While this is a critical point, the foundation for service learning can be laid much earlier — in early childhood.
Service learning should be introduced at an early age as it plays a crucial role in shaping children’s values, attitudes and behaviours. It helps children develop empathy, kindness, resilience and social responsibility — positive attributes that will stay with them for life.
However, service learning does not happen in isolation. It flourishes when preschools and parents work together to create meaningful experiences for children to volunteer and give back to the community.
BALANCING ACADEMICS AND CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
In Singapore, many parents prioritise academics, believing it is key to their children’s future success. However, education should also focus on social-emotional learning and character-building. Service learning bridges this gap — it teaches critical life skills such as collaboration, problem-solving and leadership through hands-on experiences.
Children can give back to the community in many ways, such as donating old clothes to the less fortunate.
The benefits are amplified when preschools involve parents in service learning. When parents participate, they gain a deeper understanding of their children’s development, work more closely with educators, and develop a stronger sense of community. Both parent and child learn to see service not just as a preschool activity, but as a shared family value.
By integrating service learning into early years education and engaging parents as active participants, we help children understand that success is not just about individual achievement, but also about contributing meaningfully to society.
‘START SMALL DREAM BIG’: A NATIONAL INITIATIVE IN SERVICE LEARNING
One of Singapore’s most prominent service learning initiatives in early childhood is ‘Start Small Dream Big’ (SSDB), initiated by ECDA in 2015. SSDB encourages preschools to design and execute community projects, often in collaboration with parents.
For example, many preschools organise food donation drives for SSDB, where children and their families pack and distribute food to those in need. Elsewhere, environment-themed projects see parents and children planting vegetables together in a community garden, while other preschools run fundraising campaigns for various causes.
These experiences create teachable moments beyond the classroom. Such opportunities help children grasp the real-world impact of their contributions while fostering empathy, teamwork, intergenerational bonding and civic responsibility.
When parents join their children in SSDB projects, such as tending a community garden together, it reinforces the importance of community service among preschoolers.
STRENGTHENING PARENT-PRESCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS IN SERVICE LEARNING
To make service learning more impactful and sustainable, we must deepen collaboration between parents and preschools. Educators can encourage greater parental buy-in by highlighting the impact of service learning on children’s development and recognising parents’ contributions.
Parents, in turn, should show a willingness to be involved. As a mother of two young children, I make time to participate in their preschool activities. Community engagement then becomes a shared experience between home and preschool, reinforcing the value of service learning as a lifelong commitment for the next generation.
If we truly believe in building a society that values kindness, empathy and civic responsibility, we must start young — and we must do it together. Small hands can do big things, but even bigger things happen when families and preschools work together.
