UOB commits S$500,000 to equip 1,000 children from lower-income backgrounds with AI skills

[SINGAPORE] UOB has committed a further S$500,000 to My Digital Bootcamp: AI Edition. It is the fifth run of this programme, and has equipped 1,000 children from lower-income backgrounds with artificial intelligence skills. 

This brings the bank’s total contributions to S$3 million since the programme began in 2019.

Launched in partnership with Central Singapore Community Development Council (CDC), My Digital Bootcamp is an experiential and hands-on day camp that takes place over two days. It aims to expose and equip children with digital skills while teaching them about the current digital landscape.

The programme goes beyond school and community-based coding programmes, and features thematic storylines, modular skills-based workshops and home-based learning with digital-making kits.

Around 100 Primary 3 and 4 students participated in a two-day launch bootcamp on Sep 7 and 8.

Jasmin Lau, acting minister for manpower who was guest of honour, said: “Every child, regardless of their backgrounds, should have the chance to explore technology from a young age, and build confidence through hands-on experiences.

“Programmes like My Digital Bootcamp give children that space to experiment, create and discover what technology can do, while building the curiosity, creativity and adaptability they will need to navigate a changing world.”

This year’s edition started in July, and will end in April next year. It will reach around 1,000 primary school children from more than 50 schools and community organisations across the Central Singapore District.

Focus on AI

For the AI edition of the bootcamp, students will train and test an AI model to see how data influences its decisions, use AI to design a 3D key for an escape room challenge, and programme robots to tackle environmental challenges.

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Younger students will be introduced to AI concepts through instructor-led activities and without using generative AI. Older students will learn how to recognise AI’s influence and create with it. Besides digital skills, students develop problem solving, critical thinking and teamwork skills.

Leonard Tan, head of group corporate social responsibility at UOB, said: “My Digital Bootcamp has continued to evolve with technology and the needs of our children. With the introduction of age-appropriate AI learning this year, we hope to help students become confident and responsible users and creators of technology.”

Inspiring interest

In 2019, My Digital Bootcamp was introduced under Central Singapore CDC’s SkillsFuture Junior movement to provide children from lower-income backgrounds with greater access to opportunities to learn and create with technology.

Across its first four editions, students experimented with robotics, programming, game design and digital art. The third edition included a hackathon, while the fourth one incorporated digital art into the learning experience.

More than 5,000 children across the Central Singapore District have benefited from My Digital Bootcamp since its inception.

Primary 5 students Jeraldyn Ong and Wong Wei Qiao from Bendemeer Primary School participated in previous editions of My Digital Bootcamp. They said they particularly enjoyed Minecraft, coding and building in virtual environments.

Ong said: “I also learnt coding, and that tinkering harnesses my creativity and inspired landscaping elements in building my own virtual world. The bootcamp showed me that the knowledge and skills I learnt can be useful as I move to post-secondary education.”

Wong added: “I enjoyed making modals, playing Minecraft and learning coding to build stuff. The experience made me want to explore further, so I started reading more about virtual worlds, avatars and how digital worlds are created for movies.”

Both students hope to pursue educational opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics-related fields.