Design for Change Challenge Targets 40 Schools
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Design for Change Challenge Targets 40 Schools in Its Second Year
2011-03-08 14:25
SINGAPORE, March 8, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Design for Change (DFC) Singapore continues to inspire students to creatively spark positive change with the DFC Challenge 2011 in Singapore. Registration for the 2nd Design for Change Challenge begins today with an informative briefing session at Telok Kurau Primary School. The programme is set to grow to include up to 40 schools this year from 10 schools that participated last year.
DFC Challenge is an innovative programme that aims to give children aged 9-14 an opportunity to express and put into action their own ideas for a better world. It encourages children to explore and identify ways in which they can make a difference, and helps them to design projects to create change within their community.
Kicking off the programme, DFC Singapore will run a series of workshops in participating schools that will help children discover ways in which they can enact change. Participants are guided as they carry out the programmes they have envisioned, which will then be showcased at the grand finale, the Social Change by Children (SoCh) Exposition that will be held in October this year.
The DFC Singapore programme is managed by SoCh in Action, a group composed of a dedicated team of volunteers and interns with a range of expertise and a common passion for working with children. SoCh in Action focuses on promoting community projects through innovative and engaging activities, such as DFC Challenge and the SoCh Exposition.
"We are very excited to bring Design for Change back, building on the success of last year's School Challenge and SoCh Exposition," said Madhu Verma, founder of SoCh in Action. "At the heart of DFC and SoCh is the belief that children are powerful drivers of change. They can make an impact on society; and we grownups should believe in them so they will believe in themselves."
Verma said the DFC Challenge and SoCh 2011 organising teams have high hopes of boosting participation this year to as many as 40 schools. "We are pleased with the overwhelming interest of schools, teachers, parents, and the strong support of our corporate and institutional partners. We look forward to welcoming new partners on board and running a very successful programme this year," she said.
"SoCh is a project with huge potential to enhance the creativity of today's youth. At Maybank, we are committed to making lives better and we also believe in creating bonds between generations," said Ms. Pollie Sim, CEO of Maybank Singapore, one of the sponsors last year.
The pilot implementation of the DFC Challenge last year saw 10 participating schools, five winning teams; and some 450 children, parents and teachers attending the SoCh Exposition.
Clementi Town Secondary School's fundraising project for an earthquake stricken Haiti was recognised for having "Most Impacted People". The student council sold T-shirts, designed by the alumni, in support ofCharity Water -- a non-profit organisation that provides clean water to the affected community.
Pasir Ris Primary School's "Trash to Treasure" was awarded for being the "Easiest to Replicate." The team of 11-year olds realised that a lot of household items, books and toys in fairly good condition find their way to the landfill. They started a blog listing down the unwanted goods and established a system to match them with the needs of people in the neighbourhood.
To learn more about the winning projects, DFC Singapore and SoCh 2011, please email[email protected].
About DFC Singapore Challenge & SoCh Exposition
SoCh exposition is an extension of the Singapore chapter of Design for Change Challenge, an international programme that reached out to 50,000 schools in 21 countries. The Design for Change Challenge is an attempt to change how we relate to our society, people and environment. Design for Change Singapore 2010 successfully demonstrated the potential of giving young children an opportunity to design and implement solutions for issues that they felt were important. For more information, please visit www.dfcsingapore.com
Press Contacts
Donna Garcia / John Tan
Rice Communications for Design For Change Singapore
Tel.: +65-6221-8045 / 8729
Email: [email protected] / [email protected]SOURCE　DFC Singapore & SoCh Exposition