60 Years of Singapore – Life Skills Our Children Can Build for the Future
2025 marks Singapore’s 60th birthday — SG60. In just six decades, we have transformed from a young, vulnerable nation with limited resources into one of the world’s most stable, innovative, and respected countries.
Our journey has been anything but smooth. We’ve faced challenges ranging from economic downturns to global health crises, yet each obstacle has been met with determination and a willingness to adapt.
These qualities — Resilience, Adaptability, and Vision — are not only the foundation of our nation’s success, but also life skills every child can learn and carry into their own future.
Life Skill #1: Resilience — Bouncing Back Stronger
Singapore’s story
Our early years were marked by uncertainty. With no natural resources, high unemployment, and pressing security needs, we could have given in to fear. Instead, we doubled down on hard work, strategic planning, and unity.
Key National Example
Our water independence journey — from reliance on imports to pioneering NEWater — turned a vulnerability into a strength.
Learning Point for Parents
Resilience grows when children are encouraged to face challenges, rather than be shielded from them. Let them problem-solve, make mistakes, and try again.
- At home: Give them small responsibilities they can own fully.
- After setbacks: Discuss what went wrong and what can be done differently next time.
Life Skill #2: Adaptability — Thriving in Change
Singapore’s story
In the 1980s and 1990s, we transformed from labour-intensive industries to high-value manufacturing and financial services. Today, we lead in green innovation, tech, and digitalisation.
Key National Example
Our Smart Nation push — from cashless payments to AI-powered healthcare — shows that staying relevant means embracing change before it’s urgent.
Learning Point for Parents
Adaptability helps your child navigate a fast-changing world. Encourage them to learn new skills, stay curious, and explore perspectives beyond their comfort zone.
- At home: Introduce them to new hobbies or ways of learning.
- In school: Celebrate effort in tackling unfamiliar subjects, not just the grades.
Life Skill #3: Vision — Planning Beyond the Present
Singapore’s story
Our growth didn’t happen by accident. Leaders set ambitious but realistic goals decades in advance — from Changi Airport’s expansion to Tuas Mega Port — ensuring readiness for future challenges and opportunities.
Learning Point for Parents
Help your child set long-term goals, even if they seem far away. The process of planning builds discipline, foresight, and confidence.
- At home: Ask them what they’d like to achieve in 1 year, 3 years, and 5 years.
- Teach them to break big goals into small, achievable steps.
Why This Matters for Our Children
Singapore’s journey is a living lesson: resilience, adaptability, and vision are learned skills — not fixed traits.
At home, this means encouraging problem-solving rather than giving immediate solutions.
In school, it means valuing curiosity and creativity alongside academic achievement.
In life, it means seeing challenges as stepping stones rather than roadblocks.
These are the same life skills nurtured in the I Am Gifted!™ Programme — where students learn to recognise their strengths, adapt to change, and work towards meaningful goals with confidence and purpose. Just as Singapore turned its challenges into opportunities, our children too can transform obstacles into milestones for success.
As we celebrate SG60, the best way to honour our nation’s journey is to pass on these life skills to the next generation. The Singapore of 2085 will be shaped by the dreams, adaptability, and grit of the young people we are raising today.
And in the spirit of SG60, we’re celebrating with something special — an exclusive $600 discount for the first 60 sign-ups for our 4-day I Am Gifted!™ Holiday Programme this August 2025. This is our way of making it easier for families to invest in their child’s growth and future.
Offer ends 31 August 2025 or when the first 60 seats are taken — whichever comes first.
If it is possible for others, it’s possible for you.
It is only a matter of strategy.
No matter what strategies you decide on, whether to pick up a relevant self-help book or attend a prestigious school holiday programme, remember that it all begins with your beliefs – how you see yourself and what you say to yourself every day.
