The Youth Corps Singapore (YCS) celebrated its 5th anniversary on 26 and 27 July 2019 with a Learning Festival. It served as a platform for youths to develop into volunteers with the heart, knowledge and skills, and be catalysts of positive social impact and agents of change.
The distinguished guests for the Festival were Ms. Grace Fu, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, and Mr. Amrin Amin, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs & Ministry of Health, and Chairman of YCS Advisory Committee.
Here are some of the highlights of the Festival:
- Good to Go! provided an opportunity to gain insights into the lives of our country’s unsung heroes, and to be more appreciative of their contributions. Minister Fu, together with the YCS volunteers, distributed YCS Care Packs to cleaners and security guards along the Orchard Road Belt
- Migrant X Me took participants on an experiential learning journey around Farrer Park as they interacted with migrant workers
- IGNITE – Celebrating Capacity in Community! allowed participants to learn the basics of illustrating from deaf artist Isaac Liang through an immersive workshop
- Introduction to Social Photography equipped participants with the basic principles of photography to create social impact through visual messaging and storytelling
Since its inception in 2014, YCS has been dedicated to supporting youths who are keen to serve the community and ignite positive change.
The Learning Festival is an attempt to further YCS’ mission and is in line with the initial findings from the Youth Study on Transitions and Evolving Pathways in Singapore (Youth STEPS), Singapore’s first national-level longitudinal study on youth. Through this study they found that Singaporean youths are driven and compassionate and have a desire to strike a balance between looking out for themselves and others around them.
YCS provides volunteering opportunities for youths during and beyond their school days, through a diverse range of community service events, regular sector-specific volunteering opportunities, Youth Expedition Projects (YEP) and training and mentoring programme for volunteer leaders.
For more information, please visit Youth Corps Learning Festival website.