Speech by RAdm (NS) Lui Tuck Yew, Minister of State, Ministry of Education at the NCSS "Youths Embrace Social Services!" Awards Presentation Ceremony on Friday, 14 September 2007, at 3.00 pm, at Multi-Purpose Hall Ulu Pandan Community Club

SPEECH BY RADM (NS) LUI TUCK YEW, MINISTER OF STATE, MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AT THE NCSS “YOUTHS EMBRACE SOCIAL SERVICES!” AWARDS PRESENTATION CEREMONY ON FRIDAY, 14 SEPTEMBER 2007, AT 3.00 PM, AT MULTI-PURPOSE HALL ULU PANDAN COMMUNITY CLUB

Ms Ang Bee Lian, Chief Executive Officer

National Council of Social Service

Distinguished guests

Teachers and students

1 Good afternoon. I am very happy to join all of you here to pay tribute to our youths who embrace social services.

2 It is heartening to see so many young people giving the thumbs up and saying “YES2 (pronounced as YES too) I’m IN!” when it comes to lending a helping hand to the less fortunate in our community. This augurs well for Singapore as we work towards building a compassionate society where people who are better off and more fortunate help the needy and disadvantaged.

3 YES2 has met its objectives of creating awareness of the plight of the needy, promoting a better understanding of social service issues, strengthening the interest of our youths in social services and their sense of social responsibility. For this, I would like to commend the National Council of Social Service for collaborating with the National Youth Council and The Straits Times IN to organise “YES2 I’m IN”.

4 By encouraging youths to initiate community service projects that will make a positive impact on the lives of those who are in need, the YES2 Competition offers an invaluable learning opportunity outside of the classroom. It exposes students to the wider social environment by encouraging students to look at social issues and identify areas of needs in the community and come up with ways to help. I was told that the participants embarked on projects covering the whole spectrum of social causes, ranging from helping the poor, the frail and lonely elderly, the disabled, and the terminally ill to youths at risk.

5 I am pleased to learn that in the process of doing the projects, the students have picked up important life skills such as organisational skills, teamwork, project management, leadership and people management skills, and, to have fun at the same time. I am confident that by taking part in YES2, students have learned to translate service learning concepts into positive actions that have a lasting and meaningful impact both on themselves and on those whose lives they have touched.

6 And the ITE College West Ang Mo Kio team members can attest to this. Their paper crane folding project brought in more than 2,000 kg of rice for the needy and they found that it was a great opportunity to stop and think about others and to influence them in a positive way. For them, the project was a simple way of contributing back to society and doing something fun with friends.

7 There are many different ways in which one can help those who are in need. For instance, a group of college students from Hwa Chong Institution turned their hobby of making paper roses into a fund-raising project for Club Rainbow. In another example, a group of students from ITE College Central (Bedok) discovered that they need not look far to offer their help. They carried out a pilot project to help a fellow student who was wheelchair-bound. They put what they learnt in school to good use by making her a remote control to activate the fan and light switch so that she could be more independent at home. The success of the project has spurred the students to come up with a brochure to reach out to and benefit more persons with disabilities.

8 I am impressed by the level of creativity and enterprise spirit that the students have brought to these social service projects. For instance, a group of 14 students from four different Polytechnics got together to develop a board game to educate youths about life’s challenges and to start them thinking about issues relating to old age and retirement. They are sufficiently enthused by the response and are giving thought to patent the board game.

9 I am glad that the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) Community Involvement Programme (CIP) is no longer perceived as just visits to children’s and old folks’ homes. It is no longer about chalking up the minimum CIP hours. What began as a platform to engage students in some form of community work to build social cohesion and civic responsibility in them, has become an avenue to challenge the young to contribute to the community through student-initiated and student-led activities. These projects, based on the students’ interests, give them a greater sense of ownership in their efforts to contribute to society, a greater satisfaction that they are directly involved in a tangible way in improving the well-being of others. Looking at the award recipients here today, I believe we are moving in the right direction.

10 I am heartened by the fruits of your labour. You have seen for yourselves how meaningful this can be because of the impact your projects have on the lives of others. I hope that you will encourage more of your peers to join you as you persevere in your endeavours.

11 Thank you