Growing up, Temasek Polytechnic (TP) student Karina Xyza Selvaraju always knew sustainability to be about the three Rs – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.
But following her internship at an environmental social enterprise teaching environmental issues to preschoolers, she realised there were two more to the list: Refuse and Repurpose.
This sparked a growing interest in her for sustainability. Said the 22-year-old Diploma in Communication Design student: “I feel like I wish I had the opportunity to learn of these issues when I was younger.”
For her Final Year Project, Ms Selvaraju hence designed Myna Changes: a three-part book series and game set to educate preschoolers, specifically five to six year-olds, on environmental sustainability. Her project was one of over 330 graduating projects featured at the TP Design Show 2026 from March 12 to 17 at Temasek Polytechnic.
The title Myna Changes is a play on the word “minor” and the common Crested Myna bird found in Singapore.
“As the books are set in a Singapore context and aimed at young children, the name reflects the idea of encouraging them to adopt small, meaningful green habits in their everyday lives,” said Ms Selvaraju.
The series depicts everyday experiences, such as grocery shopping at supermarkets, and draws environmental lessons from them.
Temasek Polytechnic student Karina Xyza Selvaraju’s project, Myna Changes, is an eco-educational book series and game to educate preschoolers on environmental sustainability.
ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR
The books, consisting of short texts and illustrations, are fully hand-drawn by her – a time-consuming process.
“I think every day in school from nine to six, it was just me drawing and redrawing sometimes, because especially when it comes to storytelling, it’s very hard to express what you want to convey (through illustrations),” she said.
