Young citizens here who wish to champion causes such as mental health, suicide prevention or environmental sustainability can now tap into a S$250,000 (RM775,000) grant to fund their initiatives.
The grant, which will give each approved project between S$1,000 and S$3,000 (RM9,300), was announced at the annual Global Youth Leaders’ Summit yesterday.
It is funded by outdoor education company Innotrek and can be applied for through local charity FutuReady Asia’s Character and Leadership Academy.
The summit was held both virtually and physically at Serangoon Garden Secondary School and was attended by more than 1,000 young people and 77 participating schools.
Following the grant’s announcement, Innotrek chief executive Tony Tan Tuan Tiong told The Straits Times: “This year, we got some of our business back, so we thought it would be nice to find a good cause and channel (funds) back to the youth and their projects.”
Tan anticipates that many applicants will look at initiatives related to mental health and suicide prevention, as his staff have picked up on this trend among young people.
The event was attended by Minister of State for Education and Manpower Gan Siow Huang, who shared her own experience of signing on to the military when she was younger because she wanted a meaningful career.
She said: “As young leaders, the community needs your energy and passion to come together, lead ground-up efforts and spark conversations on what truly matters to us. In fact, the biggest actions all started out small, on an individual level.
“Be it being grateful for what you have, caring for the environment, your community, inclusivity or living out your aspirations – you all have the capacity to make a positive difference.” — The Straits Times/ANN
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