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National Youth Council

The National Youth Council (NYC), was established on 1 November 1989 by the Singapore government as the national co-ordinating body for youth affairs in Singapore. It supports the development of youth and youth organisations through awards, grants, national and international programmes, research and publications, and various other support activities. It is also the administering body for the Singapore Youth Awards (SYA), Outstanding Youth in Education Award (OYEA), and a liaison body with ASEAN and International Organisations on youth development.

Vision
The National Youth Council's working definition of youth encompasses those between the ages of 15 and 30. It aims to create opportunities for youths to maximise their potential and contributions to society. It aims to develop well-rounded youths, an environment for youth development to thrive, and to develop a vibrant youth culture. The ultimate vision of these strategies is to nurture them into "World-Ready Youth", one who is empowered with life skills in order to contribute fully in any living situation, either locally or globally.

Programmes
A programme initiated by the NYC is "Service Learning" (S-L), whereby youths learn as they serve. They are taught how to explore their community, be aware of and identify its needs, and propose ways to meet those needs. Through service learning, it is hoped that youths gain a sense of community building and community bonding.

Another programme initiated by the NYC is the Youth Expedition Project (YEP), which is now administered by the Singapore International Foundation (SIF). Youths travel to various locations in the region, in groups of 20 to 25, to participate in community projects. They get to experience first hand the living conditions in the rural areas of countries such as Xinjiang or Inner Mongolia. They have refurbished schools, conducted surveys on the local flora and fauna and constructed irrigation systems, amongst others. Since its launch, more than 1000 youths have participated in these expeditions. This has helped the participants better understand people in other countries, and to have a deeper appreciation of Singapore as their homeland.

Grants and Awards
In July each year, the NYC confers the highest national youth honour, the Singapore Youth Award, to outstanding youths who have made excellent contributions in the following fields: arts and culture, community and youth services, entrepreneurship, science and technology, and sports and adventure.

The NYC, with the support of the Ministry of Education, also confers the Outstanding Youth in Education Award (OYEA) to honour the achievements of young educators who have a passion in teaching and nurturing their students. Every year, the award is presented at the Minister for Education's Teachers' Investiture Ceremony.

In addition, it established the Youth Ambassador Scheme, which identifies well-recognised, successful home-grown talents to inspire youths. The current NYC's Youth Ambassador is Kit Chan, a well-known local performing artiste who has successfully established a presence in the regional Chinese pop scene. Chan also contributes actively to community projects in the region. Hence, her determination to succeed and active involvement in the community make her an ideal role model for youth in Singapore.

To better understand youth trends and their underlying factors, the NYC works with youth groups, academics and students by sponsoring their research studies. Its youth research grant has supported various local and foreign studies on youth.

It set up the Youth Organisation Capability Development Fund (YOCDF) to help major youth organisations revamp their organisational development, and to better manage their organisations. In addition, it has a Youth Development Tools and Curriculum Scheme, whereby youth organisations are given the support to design new and innovative youth programs and activities for their youths. In 2001, seven youth organisations benefited from these schemes, receiving a total of S$337,000 from the NYC.

International Partnerships
The National Youth Council also works with regional and international youth organisations to connect local youths with those from other countries. Each year, an average of 70 youth organisations benefit from international programmes facilitated by the NYC. For instance, it has collaborated with other members of ASEAN, facilitating and holding youth camps, such as the Singaopre-Malaysia Youth Camp from 24 to 29 June 2002, and youth seminars, such as the ASEAN Seminar on Urban Youth Work II in March 2002. At the international level, it is a member of the Commonwealth Youth Programme, sending its representatives to attend Commonwealth youth ministerial meetings, and workshops.

Timeline
1974 : The National Youth Council began as the National Youth Coordinating Committee (NYCC) within the People's Association.
1 Nov 1989 : Following a recommendation by the Advisory Council on Youth, the NYCC was upgraded to the National Youth Council Secretariat (NYCS), to take on a larger role of coordinating youth activities and policies. The then Minister of Health, Yeo Chew Tong, was appointed as the first National Youth Council Chairman for the term 1989/91.
Apr 1993 : The NYCS was upgraded to fall under a special wing within the People's Association.
Jan 1995 : The NYCS was then renamed the National Youth Council (NYC).
1996 : The National Youth Centre and the Youth Park were completed and opened.

National Youth Council, 113 Somerset Road, National Youth Centre, Singapore 238165.



Author
Nureza Ahmad



References 
Ho, K. C. (2003). Youth. Sg: The state of youth Singapore. Singapore: National Youth Council.
(Call no. RSING 305.23509595 HO)

National Youth Council (1996). Official opening of the National Youth Centre & Youth Park: Commemorative magazine. Singapore: Author.
(Call no.: RSING 362.7095957 NAT)

National Youth Council (2000). Youth vision in the 21st century: Because every youth matters. Singapore: Author.
(Call no.: RSING 305.3095957)

National youth seminar 2000: Developing world-ready youth. (2000). Singapore: National Youth Council.
(Call no.: RSING 305.3095957 NAT)

National Youth Council. (2004). Retrieved on 24 March, 2004, from www.nyc.youth.gov.sg/



The information in this article is valid as at 2004 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.

Subject
Organisations>>Associations
Administrative agencies--Singapore
Youth in development--Singapore
People and communities>>Social groups and communities



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