By Ms Low Yen Ling, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth & Ministry of Trade and Industry, Chairperson of Mayors’ Committee & Mayor of South West District, and Chairperson of SHGSCL
Good morning
Our Guest-of-Honour, Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Mr Lawrence Wong; Ms Indranee Rajah, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Finance and National Development; Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs and Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Home Affairs; distinguished Board Members, principals and educators, parents and children of our Big Heart family.
Today, we celebrate ten years of Big Heart Student Care — a fulfilling decade of touching young lives and strengthening our communities. From our first centre to a network that now spans 30 student care centres and 7 KCare centres serving more than 5,600 children today, this milestone belongs to every partner, parent, teacher, and child who believed we could build something special together.
Our Founding Story
Ten years ago, the four Self-Help Groups — CDAC, the Eurasian Association (EA), SINDA, Yayasan MENDAKI and — came together, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, with a simple belief: Every child deserves a safe, nurturing and enriching environment after school.
From that shared purpose, Big Heart was born — with a clear vision and mission, to inspire minds and touch hearts. Since then, Big Heart has cared for over 17,000 students.
Compass of Care
What sets Big Heart apart is our compass of care. We do more than supervise; we shape young minds and impart values that set the foundation for a bright future. Through the daily routines at Big Heart centres, our children learn and practise responsibility, empathy and resilience.
They read, explore, build, play — and learn to care for one another – gaining essential skills for life. We offer a broad enrichment menu—spanning STEM, reading, fitness, arts, and global citizenship—to build confidence and life skills that help them thrive in a dynamic world. At Big Heart, education is a life journey, not a race.
And, everyone – whether as individuals or organisations, teachers, parents, volunteers, or community partners – plays a role in nurturing and uplifting our students in their learning journey.
Community of Care
The community of care is our unique strength. Our four SHGs provide a robust scaffolding – from fee subsidies to learning support. Together with Big Heart, they embody our shared commitment to inclusion and opportunities for all. Over the last decade, more than 130 organisations have stepped forward as partners of Big Heart. They have broadened the horizon of learning and enriched the after-school care experience for Big Heart students – from the arts and sports, to deeper academic support and character development programmes. To all our SHGs, partners, and volunteers who have walked alongside us: thank you for widening our community of care.
Writing the Singapore Story on their hearts
This is the Singapore story at work — where many hands come together to shape our young people, with one heart and wish for them, to realise their best potential in their lives. We are fully committed to this uplifting goal. Together with our SHGs and partner schools, we will continue to make student care and enrichment accessible and affordable for families who need more support, provide targeted learning help and social-emotional scaffolding, and connect families to additional services when challenges arise. Because when a child’s foundation is strong, the whole family stands taller — and our society grows stronger.
Future-Ready Students
Looking ahead, we aim to help every child thrive in a fast-changing world. I am pleased to announce two initiatives that will deepen this support:
PlayQuest
First, Project PlayQuest, a joint effort with our four SHGs, was built on the premise that children learn best when they play. PlayQuest will bring joyful, hands-on STEAM exploration or “learning by doing” across the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics.
There will also be creative zones, and literacy-numeracy boosters to nurture curiosity, confidence and imagination. We will pilot it in seven centres this year, and progressively expand PlayQuest to all 30 centres by next year, to reach over 5,000 children.
Serving students with higher needs
Second, we will embark on a Pilot Programme for Students with Higher Needs, developed with the Ministry of Education. It aims to provide more targeted support for students who may need additional scaffolding — emotionally or socially, in their learning. The goal is to strengthen their social-emotional competencies, nurture greater confidence, and help them build healthy relationships.
In this programme, students will be paired with mentors and have the opportunity to explore their interests in areas such as art, music, dance, and sports. By adapting proven mentoring and enrichment approaches from the CDAC, and with the support of our SHGs, we are confident that this programme can equip the students with emotional resilience and a healthy sense of self.
Closing: Continuing to Inspire Minds, Touch Hearts
As we reflect on the last decade and look to the future, our vision to nurture every child under our care remains clear. It is why we began this journey — and why we will continue our mission with fresh energy and heart. This is only possible with our people, partners and the parents and families we serve.
To the Big Heart team, past and present – Your care, creativity, and dedication have made all the difference. Thank you for showing up every day with heart and purpose.
To our SHG colleagues, school leaders, educators, partners, parents, and families — thank you for walking this journey with us. Your conviction in what we do, and the many ways you have contributed, have uplifted the potential of our children.
Together, let us continue to inspire minds, change lives, and write our Singapore story with a big heart for every child to have the chance to blossom and thrive. Regardless of their starting point, they can have a fair shot at success.
To all the children at Big Heart – may you stand tall, dream big and soar to higher heights!
Thank you and happy 10th anniversary to the Big Heart family!