MEDIA RELEASE EMBARGOED TILL 3 MARCH 2016, PM

Transcription

1 MEDIA RELEASE EMBARGOED TILL 3 MARCH 2016, PM 1 March 2016 NEW YOUTH CORPS AND UNISIM PARTNERSHIP TO UPLIFT YOUTH VOLUNTEERISM THROUGH SERVICE-LEARNING Youth volunteerism is set to receive a boost through a new partnership between Youth Corps Singapore and its academic partner, UniSIM, with support from the National Youth Council. This marks a new chapter to advance the Service-Learning (S-L) movement and foster more collaborations and meaningful service opportunities for youth volunteers, youth leaders and organisations. 2 Through this partnership, S-L practitioners and volunteers will have the opportunities to build their capabilities and gain recognition for their skills. The larger S-L community will have access to best practices and research materials in the region to contribute to the local S-L scene. The partnership will also open up more opportunities for youths to serve the community. 3 Youth Corps Singapore and UniSIM will mark this partnership with the signing of a Memorandum-of-Understanding (MoU). As part of the partnership, the first S-L certification course in Singapore will be launched. The professional certificate course, among other things will cover specific areas such as philosophy, principles as well as practices of S-L. The course will benefit youths seeking to advance their competency in serving the community. Existing and aspiring S-L practitioners who want to develop their skillsets and obtain qualifications in S-L may also sign up for this accredited programme. 4 Youth Corps Singapore is pleased to partner UniSIM to advance Service-Learning in the sector. This will help to uplift the capabilities of Service-Learning in the sector and provide youths with more access to service opportunities. Service-Learning is useful for youth development as it enables youths to learn more about the community served as well as about themselves. Through the immersive experience, youths will also develop relationships with

2 2 the community, learn new skillsets and strengthen their motivation to stay connected with them, said Mr Ong Kah Kuang, Executive Director of Youth Corps Singapore, which is part of the National Youth Council. 5 Professor Tsui Kai Chong, Provost, UniSIM said, At UniSIM, we want our students to go beyond the traditional notions of volunteering. Service- Learning is a formal part of our curriculum and we train our students to be able to conceptualise social needs, formulate sustainable and impactful solutions, and be lifelong champions of the greater good. We are glad that through this collaboration with Youth Corps Singapore, UniSIM can further contribute to the Service-Learning movement by equipping practitioners with knowledge and skills grounded in the real-world to contribute meaningfully to society. 6 Chief Executive of National Youth Council, Mr David Chua will witness the signing ceremony between Mr Ong Kah Kuang, Executive Director of Youth Corps Singapore and Professor Tsui Kai Chong, Provost of UniSIM at the Service-Learning Conference More details of the MoU will be announced by Parliamentary Secretary for Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, Mr Baey Yam Keng at the Conference. Service-Learning Conference Themed Learning to Serve: From Self to Community, the Service- Learning Conference 2016 seeks to bring together different S-L players to create an ecosystem for youths to develop an understanding of societal issues by studying the different approaches to service. 8 The conference will see 200 representatives from youth sector organisations, educators, and youth leaders from NYC and its partners network, coming together to advance and create greater collaboration of S-L in the youth sector. 9 We warmly invite you and your photographer / camera crew to join us at the MoU ceremony and the Service-Learning Conference More information about the conference is attached at Annex A. The details are: Date : Thursday, 3 March, 2016 Time : 9.00 am pm (Media registration at 8.45 am)

3 3 Venue : SIM Headquarters Performing Arts Theatre 461 Clementi Rd Singapore Guest-of-Honour : Mr Baey Yam Keng Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth 10 We look forward to your RSVP with your details using the attached Media RSVP form by Wednesday, 2 March, 2016 to Brandon Tan (Brandon.tan@ricecomms.com or ). 11 For Media Enquiries, please contact: Contact person/s : Norhana Hamdan (Ms) Manager (Corporate Communications and PR) National Youth Council DID : HP : Fax : Norhana_HAMDAN@nyc.gov.sg Brandon Tan Senior Account Executive Rice Communications DID : HP : Brandon.Tan@ricecomms.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 a dynamic and engaging environment where young people can realise their aspirations and play a part in making Singapore an endearing home for all. About Youth Corps Singapore Launched in 2014 by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and the National Youth Council, Youth Corps Singapore is a national institution that supports youths who are keen to serve the community. As the catalyst for youth volunteerism, it triggers collaboration between youths, community service organisations and the wider society to ignite positive change. Youth Corps Singapore provides a platform for youths to receive life-skills training and mentorship throughout their volunteering journey, and meet like-minded peers with a strong esprit de corps that share the same service ethos. It provides both breadth and depth of volunteering opportunities for youths during and beyond their school days, through a diverse range of community service events; ad hoc community service events, regular sector-specific volunteering opportunities and training and mentoring programme for volunteer leaders.

4 About SIM University SIM University (UniSIM) is Singapore s only private university and its mission is to create excellence in lifelong education through a uniquely-designed learning experience that equips learners for a better future. Home to more than 14,000 students, SIM University adopts a flexible and practice-focused learning approach and offers more than 60 academic programmes in various disciplines. Eligible students taking SIM University s undergraduate programmes enjoy government subsidies and access to government bursaries, tuition fee and study loans. SIM University is a not-for-profit university and the SIM University Education Fund has been an Institution of a Public Character (IPC) since September

5 5 SERVICE-LEARNING CONFERENCE 2016 THURSDAY, 3 MARCH, 2016 MEDIA RSVP FORM NRIC/FIN Full Name as per NRIC/FIN Nationality Date of Birth (YYYY-MM-DD) Organisation / Agency Job Designation MCI Pass No. Car Plate No. (If applicable)

6 6 Annex A Service-Learning Conference 2016 Youth Corps Singapore and UniSIM MoU PROGRAMME Date : Thursday, 3 March 2016 Time : 9.00 am pm Venue : SIM Headquarters Performing Arts Theatre 461 Clementi Rd Singapore Time Activity 8.30 am 9.00 am Breakfast & Registration 9.00 am 9.15 am Opening Remarks by Parliamentary Secretary of Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth 9.15 am 9.30 a Welcome Remarks by UniSIM President 9.30 am 9.45 am Signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) 9.55 am pm Keynote Address Mr David J Begbie, Crossroads Foundation * Media interviews with GOH will be held after the keynote session Plenary Session Mr Ong Kah Kuang, Executive Director, Youth Corps Singapore Ms Anita Low-Lim, Director, TOUCH Youth Mr Puvan, Director, Character & Citizenship Education Branch, Ministry of Education Ms Grace Wee, Immediate past president, NIE Service Learning Mr Scott Ganske, Senior Director, Youth Service America Moderated by Dr Yap Meen Sheng, Director, Service-Learning & Student Life, UniSIM

7 7 Time Activity pm 1.00 pm Lunch & Networking Poster Session All other Media interviews with speakers and participants will be held during lunch