Equipping Youth Leaders with Sustainability Mindfulness through STEAM and Design Thinking Approach

Background: The problem statement, with regards to instilling SDG to our youths, is ‘how might we elevate our youth’s capability to deliver SDG?’ This paper explores the use of STEAM (Yakman, 2008) and Design Thinking (IDEO) as an approach towards enabling youths on sustainability and acts as a baseline to designing key competencies for the study. The present study highlights a STEAM-DT workshop for Grade 11/12 students, which took place over 4-day. Results: With the STEAM-DT approach in the instructional design, it had provided the facilitators with a clear and structured frame in sowing the trans-disciplinary STEAM-DT to the learning. And at the same time, within the 4-day workshop, the students have attained accelerated learning and performance. Conclusion: STEAM education should be approached beyond a subject/disciplinary standpoint, and instead viewed as a means to develop life skills in learners. By integrating STEAM into the learning curriculum, learners are encouraged to think critically, comprehend complex issues, and create solutions.