- management@smallchangesmy.org
The Revolution of Project Beanstalk
by Amiera Batrisyia
Selangor, October 2025 – Small Changes finally closing its last project with its yearly day-visit camp for young adolescents around Klang Valley. This time around they visited orphanage homes in Paya Jaras and students at SMK Telok Panglima Garang, Banting, This year’s Project Beanstalk camp revolved around the theme “Revolutionary”, designed to inspire innovation, entrepreneurship, and digital literacy among students aged 13 to 15.
The project was led by the Project Director Amiera Batrisyia, with modules spearheaded by Johan Arif and Aleesha Shahzi while the project operations coordinated by Athilah Hasan and Nik Najwa. The programme aimed to equip underserved youth with skills relevant in a fast-changing world. The theme ‘Revolutionary’ was chosen to show students that transformation begins with knowledge, imagination, and the courage to try something new.
At the heart of the camp was a deliberate approach to designing modules that resonate with the youths. Recognizing this as a crucial stage of development where identity, confidence, and aspirations take shape the team focused on creating activities that were comprehensible, engaging, and purposeful. The aim was not only to teach new skills but also to nurture critical thinking, creativity, and self-expression.
Designing Camp Modules to Inspire the Next Generation
Concepts were broken down into relatable examples and hands-on activities, helping students connect lessons to real-life situations. Notable modules included “Sell Your Help”, led by facilitators Ameen and Izzul, and “Theme Park Tycoon”, led by Iman Putri and Iman Najib, which gave students the opportunity to innovate and showcase their talents.
The camp also focused on building future-ready mindsets. Activities encouraged problem-solving, critical thinking, and creative expression, fostering a sense of ownership over learning and building confidence in taking initiative. Values and character development were embedded throughout, with collaboration, empathy, resilience, and responsibility highlighted as essential life skills.
The modules that emphasized hands-on, interactive learning generated the strongest engagement. Group challenges, problem-solving tasks, and creative projects encouraged active participation and teamwork. Students designed mini business ideas or digital solutions, applying concepts in real-time to reinforce understanding. Standout modules included “Pop Up Market” led by Alif Aiman and Yasmin Humaira and “Grand Prix” led by Erin Sofia and Amalin Elysha where students built innovative solutions from scratch and designed an F1-style racetrack, demonstrating both creativity and fun engagement. Interactive games and storytelling sessions also proved impactful, teaching skills such as resilience, empathy, and critical thinking while keeping learning enjoyable and relatable.
The biggest success to us was the engagement from the students meaningfully across all modules, from innovation and entrepreneurship to digital literacy. The activities were not only educational but also fostered teamwork, creativity, and confidence among the children. Another key achievement was the strong participation and enthusiasm of the students, demonstrating their curiosity and willingness to learn despite the short timeframe of the visits.
Showcasing Positive Impact
The success of the day-visit camp was evident in both student engagement and feedback. Our impact index reflected this clearly, with module ratings averaging over 4.54 (out of 5) and topic understanding scoring an average of 4.50 a strong indicator that students grasped the concepts and found the sessions meaningful. Beyond the numbers, memorable moments emerged: students proudly presenting their mini-projects, collaborating on creative challenges, and expressing excitement about applying their new skills in daily life. These experiences highlighted the programme’s transformative potential, reinforcing its role in building confidence, curiosity, and essential skills among young learners. Special thanks to Fatehah Izzaty and Aida Ameera for their invaluable support in implementing these assessments successfully.
Moments of Lasting Impact
Several moments stood out as especially meaningful. Early challenges, such as logistical hiccups, nervousness during presentations, and occasional disengagement by the students quickly became opportunities for growth by the project team and facilitators. The team adapted their approaches, refining presentation styles and actively listening to feedback from the Project team, which made the sessions more interactive and engaging.
What made these moments truly memorable was the immediate shift in student participation and enthusiasm. Children who were initially quiet or hesitant soon became active contributors sharing ideas, collaborating on tasks, and showing curiosity. This underscored the importance of flexibility, responsiveness, and teamwork in creating an environment where students feel supported and motivated to learn. These experiences not only reinforced the programme’s value for the children but also provided lasting lessons for the facilitators and Project team.
As Project Beanstalk concludes, we reflect on the meaningful connections, creativity, and growth witnessed over the two-day visits. Seeing students engage with innovation, entrepreneurship, and digital literacy, while embracing teamwork and curiosity, has been truly inspiring. These moments remind us why initiatives like this are vital for nurturing the next generation of changemakers.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the orphanage homes at Paya Jaras and SMK Telok Panglima Garang, Banting, for their warm and generous welcome. Our deepest thanks also go to all the facilitators whose dedication and hard work made this project possible.
