Ignite Programme

About the Programme

The CJC Ignite Programme seeks to develop critical and creative thinkers with social consciousness. Primarily, this is achieved through integral learning, inviting students to make connections across disparate fields and topics of learning. This interdisciplinary approach lends itself naturally to inquiry-led, concept-based, and problem-solving learning approaches, challenging students to be active and inquisitive learners. 

The programme is anchored in pedagogically-driven lessons aimed at achieving these outcomes, and augmented by milestone programmes (the Ignite LSLP, Symposium, and Conference), which provide experiential and authentic learning opportunities and allow Ignite students to apply and showcase their growth in the Programme. The Ignite Programme is offered to students selected for their academic potential and dispositional fit to the Programme’s objectives. Watch this video for more information!

In the classroom, students are challenged to think beyond the syllabus, to engage with their learning conceptually, and to form inter- and intra-disciplinary connections. Students are encouraged to question actively and challenged to take the lead in their learning. 2021 also saw the pilot run of experimental interdisciplinary lessons, such as the application of Game Theory (from Economics) to the dramatic motif of games (in Literature). As pedagogical experimentation continues, students can look forward to more such lessons. 

Beyond the classroom, students are given regular opportunities to encounter interdisciplinary learning in a real-world context. In the 2021 Ignite Conference, for example, students explored the topic Food Future / Future Food, under the enduring theme of Sustainable Development. Students were invited to explore the politics, sociology, and economics of food. The Conference took a blended form, comprising asynchronous learning and online learning journeys – culminating in problem-solving group tasks. 

In another demonstration of interdisciplinary learning: the 2021 Ignite LSLP and Ignite Symposium explored the question of what it means to age well in Singapore’s Context. In collaboration with Greenology, Ignite students explored how to bring Green Intelligence and Horticultural Therapy to bear upon Dementia caregiving. Building on that experience, they explored user-centric design principles for the elderly, in the Ignite Symposium, in partnership with NUS’s School of Continuing and Lifelong Learning (SCALE). Guided by Dr Kuan Yee Han, they critically assessed assistive technology for the aged, considering physiological, social, and emotional aspects of ageing. 

Suitability

Apply for the programme if you wish to

• Think beyond disciplinary boundaries

• Participate in interactive, innovative programmes

• Think conceptually, not just procedurally

• Develop yourself as a socially conscious individual

• Foster an open-minded disposition comfortable with productive ambiguity

Admission

A briefing will be held in the week of Orientation and interested students will be invited to sit for a selection test. Following the test, some may be asked to participate in a group interview. We are especially keen to have candidates who demonstrate intellectual curiosity and a willingness to collaborate with others to learn and grow. 

More details will be provided in the briefing.