Enabling Youth to Pursue Passion with Purpose

Enabling Youth to Pursue Passion with Purpose
• Singaporean youth are driven and compassionate, according to the initial findings from Singapore’s first national-level longitudinal study on youth – Youth STEPS
• National Youth Council (NYC) is committed to partner youth to turn their passions into action through this year’s YOUTHx
• YOUTHx is a month-long celebration to showcase youth dynamism and aspirations
SINGAPORE; 15 July 2019 – Singaporean youth are driven and compassionate. They desire to strike a balance between looking out for themselves and others around them.
2 This is according to the initial findings from Singapore’s first national-level longitudinal study on youth – the Youth Study on Transitions and Evolving Pathways in Singapore (Youth STEPS). The study surveys over 4,000 Singaporean youth (born between 1993 and 2000) annually over a six-year period to understand their transition from adolescence to adulthood. It was launched through a partnership between the National Youth Council (NYC) and the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) Social Lab in 2017.
3 The study complements NYC’s existing efforts to understand the state of our youth, and inform youth policies and programmes to bring Singapore forward.
YOUTHx – A platform that empowers youth to take action through partnerships
4 Reflecting the values and spirit of Singaporean youths, NYC continues to expand collaborations with its People, Private and Public (3P) Partners through YOUTHX – a platform that empowers and enables youths to pursue their passion with purpose.
YOUTHx Grant Call Projects
5 As part of YOUTHx, the National Youth Fund has supported 21 ground-up projects that showcase youth dynamism and aspirations through the YOUTHx Grant Call. These projects span across a wide range of youth interests – arts, education, community service, entrepreneurship, sports and adventure, well-being, culture and heritage. Projects include:
a) Campus Legends by Cybersports & Online Gaming Association (Singapore) (SCOGA) An Esports league for tertiary students to compete on three games – League of Legends, Arena of Valor and FIFA 19. Beyond the competition, they will also hold workshops/master classes on the game titles, inculcation of competitive integrity, and various Esports career skills such as Journalism, and Shoutcasting.
b) A Pilot Makerspace: Make Up Your Mind by Care Corner-Teck Ghee Youth Centre Engaging youths from low income families and at risk of developing mental health issues through a series of Makerspace Technologies sessions involving woodwork.
c) Sembawang GRC Youth Festival – The Grand Arena by Woodlands Citizens’ Consultative Committee
The festival aims to provide a platform for youth in Woodlands to showcase their talents and pursue their musical aspirations.
d) 5th National Deaf Games 2019 by Deaf Sports Association (Singapore)
Annual National Deaf Games bring together hearing impaired youths and their families to experience sports events competitively.
YOUTHx Weekend
6 On 3 and 4 August 2019, Singapore Sports Hub will play host to a festival of endless possibilities where young people get to discover their passion and purpose.
7 Presented by NYC, the YOUTHx Weekend brings together six strategic partners and other programme partners to rally support, network and resources as a collective to promote youth aspirations, interests and youth culture in Singapore. Some of the new strategic partners this year include People’s Association and the Ministry of Education. The YOUTHx Weekend will feature youth causes, community and culture.
8 David Chua, Chief Executive Officer of NYC said, “Young Singaporeans have grown up in a different context and the ongoing long-term Youth STEPS research is important in understanding their values, aspirations and perspectives. It helps to bridge the perception and expectation gaps, and allows us to provide the space and empowerment to realize their potential for themselves, society and Singapore. What we are seeing at this point of the study is that they have a strong sense of agency and compassion – they care about making a difference to community and the environment, and I have seen many instances of youth action on the ground which do not agree with the recent Graciousness Survey that youth fear being ridiculed for kind acts. The strong drive and passion that the Youth STEPS revealed will be apparent in this year’s YOUTHx festival at the Sports Hub, which not only provides a platform to showcase their talent and potential but their deep passion, purpose and tenacity.
9 9 “YOUTHX is a multi-agency collaboration for youth by youth, and an example of the partnership that we hope to achieve with the SG Youth Action Plan, which is about young Singaporeans stepping up and taking action toward realizing their vision for Singapore,” added Mr Chua.
10 See attached Annex for full details of the YOUTHX programme. For more information on YOUTHX, please visit: https://www.nyc.gov.sg/youthx.
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Media Contacts
Kelvin Leong Senior Manager
(Strategic Communications) National Youth Council
DID : 6734 4233
HP : 9323 9965
Email: Kelvin_Leong@nyc.gov.sg
Natalie Ng Account Manager
BCW Singapore DID : 6671 3246
HP : 9488 7904
Email: Nataliejl.ng@bcw-global.com
About the National Youth Council
At NYC, we believe in a world where young people are respected and heard and have the ability to influence and make a difference to the world. Together with our partners, we develop future-ready youth who are committed to Singapore by instilling in them a heart for service, resilience and an enterprising spirit.
About YOUTHX
YOUTHx is a month-long celebration in July to showcase youth dynamism and aspirations, where youths push the boundaries and pursue their passions, while demonstrating a strong sense of purpose and care for others. Recognising the many interests and passions of youths in Singapore, YOUTHx features projects funded by the National Youth Fund YOUTHx Grant Call and will culminate in a larger celebration on 3-4 August 2019.
About the Institute of Policy Studies and IPS Social Lab
The Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) was established in 1988 as an independent think- tank to study and generate public policy ideas in Singapore. Today, IPS continues to analyse public policy, building between thought leaders, and communicate its findings to a wide audience. IPS Social Lab is an independent centre under IPS for social indicators research. It seeks to understand Singapore society through survey-based research on social perceptions, attitudes and behaviours in Singapore, using the most robust standards in survey methodology and statistical analyses. IPS Social Lab is committed to serve the public interest as a national resource centre for longitudinal data.