Do you know of the many opportunities out there that are open to youths?
If you don’t, it’s not too late to find out. Here are some really great ones we’ve found: take a look and seize the chance to apply to the ones calling out to you!
There are also quite a few competitions you can join, by the way, so don’t forget to check those out too.
Campfire is a relatively new programme that was launched in early 2021 as a partnership by the National Youth Council, *SCAPE, and Tribal Worldwide Singapore (a digital agency). It is a launchpad programme that guides youths on developing and pitching their solutions for problem statements developed for real-world companies, with two weeks of lessons/workshops and regular mentorship sessions with select industry leaders and programme advisors.
It is open to Singaporean youth and Permanent Residents aged 18-35, and will last for six weeks. All participants will receive a certificate of completion after the Campfire programme ends, and may be able to enrol for it as part of an internship with Tribal Worldwide Singapore. Proposals with potential may be selected to be implemented.
Registration for the next round has opened, so don’t miss it!
Instead of doing the pitching, why not listen to the pitching…and help fellow youth make their ideas for change a reality?
The Young ChangeMakers initiative by the National Youth Council gives you this opportunity when you join the Youth Curator Community! Youth Curators are aged anywhere between 15-35, and comprise both students and young professionals from diverse backgrounds.
Young ChangeMakers is a youth-for-youth programme. Community Curators meet once a month to listen to ideas from fellow youths (Open Mic sessions), and evaluate if an idea is ready to proceed to the next stage and receive the YoungChangeMakers grant. They will then provide the teams or individuals behind the ideas support and guidance to push their idea or initiative.
Being a Community Curator helps you expand your network and improve your skills in facilitation, project assessment and community building. It also helps you to make a difference, so consider applying! You could also apply for the grant if you have an idea or project that will benefit our local community!
3) Youth Corps Leader Programme
If you have been active in community service, are 17-25 years old, and desire to get some leadership experience, this is the right programme for you. Lasting nine to twelve months, you will be working to implement a service-learning project with a National Agency and/or Community Partner.
You can expect to commit at least six hours weekly, or more, depending on your team’s work flow and arrangements. The selection exercise alone will involve activities and an interview, so make sure you’re in it for the long haul and have the capacity before applying.
As an aspirant of the programme, you will be able to network, lead, mentor, have access to funding support, internship opportunities and more. Registration for the upcoming batch closes in September.
4) Young Social Entrepreneurs (YSE) Global
The YSE programme is eight-months long, runs annually and caters to youths 18-35 (of all nationalities) looking to scale up their social enterprises. It consists of an online workshop, six-month remote (customised) mentorship, regional learning, and a pitching session for shortlisted teams who have been shortlisted during the workshop phase.
Participants of the programme may stand to receive up to SGD 20,000 in grants for the development of their social enterprise or viable idea. You are highly encouraged to apply in a team.
The programme has achieved significant results: according to an impact study by the Singapore International Foundation, the programme organiser, 86% of the social enterprises that won funding from the YSE programme from 2012-2017 were still operating in 2020[i]!
That’s not all: the impact study also found that 94% felt that they gained increased business acumen through the programme. If you have a cause-based venture that you want to take to greater heights, this programme may just be the spark you need!
Launched by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY), the Youth Action Challenge is open to youths 15-35 with great ideas or initiatives to help the environment, societal issues or Singapore’s economy.
All participating teams/individuals will work on a solution that addresses the challenge statement of their chosen theme, undergo training to fine-tune their pitching skills and proposals, and pitch what they have to a panel of judges during the Final Open Mic Session. The panel will decide how much funding each team/individual receives, which ranges from SGD 5,000 to 50,000.
This is a free programme. Season one was launched ran from end 2019-early 2020, and the top team received SGD 50,000 in funding[ii]. Season three will be opening really soon—during August 2021, in fact! Don’t miss out on it; you can indicate your interest and register later on.
For the curious, there are recaps available for season one and two! The Youth Action Challenge site has also uploaded the problem statements, pitches, and project descriptions for past finalists; it’s interesting and inspiring to see what our peers have been up to even if you don’t join!
Will you sign up for these programmes? We sure hope you will. We welcome anyone who’s been part of these programmes to drop a comment and share their experiences with us too. We love insights!
Do take care and stay safe!
[i] https://www.sif.org.sg/-/media/Files/SIF-Publications/SIF-Young-Social-Entrepreneurs-Impact-Study-2020.pdf
[ii] https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/winners-of-youth-action-challenge-summit-get-50000-grant-to-carry-out-initiatives-to
