Supporting our youths to give back to the community

Madam President, Patron of Youth Corps Singapore,

SPS Amrin Amin, Chairman of Youth Corps Singapore Advisory Committee,

Youth Corps Aspirants,

Parents and friends,

Ladies and Gentlemen

1. A very good evening to all of you. I would like to thank Madam President for being here today, for supporting our youths, and promoting youth volunteerism as the patron of Youth Corps Singapore.

2. At Youth Corps Singapore, we run projects and events that support a wide range of causes, through over 16,000 members. This year, our 110 Youth Corps Aspirants initiated community projects focused on environmental and social issues, such as caring for the elderly and persons with special needs. These projects have benefitted close to 2,000 people.

We are working with community partners to equip youths with skills to make a lasting impact on the community

3. At the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, we recognise that our Youth Corps members have the heart and passion to serve. Our surveys and engagements have shown that many of you are deeply concerned about issues like social divides, environmental sustainability, and vulnerable communities. We also know that you want to make a difference on these issues. Through initiatives like the Youth Corps Leaders Programme, we aim to give youths from all walks of life the opportunity to develop their capabilities and to practise their leadership, contributing to the society in the process. By doing so, Youth Corps helps to mend social divides and grow SG Cares by building a more caring, compassionate and inclusive home for all.

4. One of the new programmes we initiated this year is the Leaders Programme (Immersion Track). It was designed in partnership with seven social service organisations, including Beyond Social Services, Big Heart Student Care, and Trybe. The objective is for our Youth Corps Aspirants to develop a better understanding of the social sector and to acquire skills in serving the community.

5. The pilot involving 22 Youth Corps Aspirants was well received. Through on-the-job placements in these organisations and training sessions with Youth Corps, our youths learned about programme planning, design, and implementation. They also developed community leadership skills, and gained experience in volunteer recruitment and management.

6. One of the partner organisations is SHINE Children and Youth Services. According to Tok Kheng Leng, a social worker at SHINE, “The Aspirants played a crucial role in setting up Read with Me, a reading programme for children from low income communities. Through the process, they learnt to think critically to contextualise programmes for the community's needs. They also learnt that doing good is not enough, it is important to do good well so that the community can benefit from it.”

7. Anita Kumari Arsha, one of the Aspirants attached to SHINE, said, “Prior to this, I didn't know about the circumstances of people living in rental flats, or even that these issues existed. My perception of the challenges that these families face was far off from reality. The programme has given me an insight into these issues, and I believe that's the key in starting conversations and really being a rallying force.”

8. I am glad that our youths are able to grow and benefit from these meaningful experiences. Hence, I am pleased to announce that we will be expanding the Immersion Track by working with more community partners, and opening it up to 60 Youth Corps Aspirants next year.

YCS brings together youths from all walks of life to meet the needs of the community

9. More than 1,000 youths from all education pathways have gone through the Youth Corps Leaders Programme, including students from ITE, polytechnics and Universities, as well as young working adults. One of the reasons why the Programme is successful is because of the diverse backgrounds of our Aspirants. Each one of you brings unique perspectives, experiences and talents to the Youth Corps community.

10. Take Team HeARTware for example. It has eight youths from varied backgrounds, at different stages of their lives – students from ITE, SOTA, Eunoia and Pioneer JC, SUSS, as well as others working or taking a gap year.

11. Wan Sarah, who is currently interning at Pathlight School, drew on her experiences in working with children with special needs. Ong Wen Xuan, a student at SOTA, contributed her expertise in visual arts. Together, the team designed a curriculum to promote social and emotional learning through visual arts for 35 children from underprivileged backgrounds. The curriculum also facilitated opportunities for these children to strengthen family ties with their parents, such as through making crafts together to celebrate Mother's Day. Parents have shared that this programme has helped their children become more confident in relating to others, and has even improved relationships at home.

12. By going through the Youth Corps Leaders Programme together, you have built more strong friendships with peers who may be very different from you. I hope that you will continue to learn from one another, and collaborate to make a greater impact on the community.

We will continue to support you to give back to the community

13. After today's commencement ceremony - as you noticed, it's commencement and not graduation, as commencement is the start of a new journey - you will be conferred as Youth Corps Leaders. It is the start of a new journey to create change and inspire others. There are many ways for you to continue contributing to the community. One way is to extend the projects you have started at Youth Corps. 

14. For example, Project Happy Club by Team Loc Folk encourages seniors to adopt an active lifestyle through weekly exercise sessions in the Telok Blangah neighbourhood. The sessions tap on community assets, using chairs from neighbouring coffeeshops to run some of the exercises. About 30 of the seniors in the neighbourhood come back regularly for more sessions due to the energy and enthusiasm of the youth volunteers. Team Loc Folk used their Pay-it-Forward Award (PIFA) to implement a second run of the project, which is ongoing. This award provides each Youth Corps Leader with seed funding, to support you in continuing to contribute to the community. You can also choose to give back by leading volunteers in Youth Corps programmes, and mentoring aspirant teams.

15. Beyond Youth Corps programmes, the National Youth Council also provides other resources to support your passions. You can apply for the Young Changemakers Grant, which provides seed funding and resources to support your ideas into implementation. You can also tap on the National Youth Fund, which will provide funding for ground-up initiatives to spark social change. Whether you are currently studying or working, I encourage you to tap on these resources to continue to do good.

Conclusion

16. Finally, I would like to thank our community partners and mentors here today for devoting your time and resources into nurturing our youths. To parents and friends, thank you for supporting them on their journey.

17. Madam President said at the Youth Corps Service Week this March, “You have the power to show us the way forward, to create a better Singapore, both today, and tomorrow.”To our Aspirants – I hope that you will continue to strive towards a more caring and inclusive society. Let the words of anthropologist Margaret Mead drive you. She said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

18. Thank you.