Kickstarting the Singapore Children’s Forum (SCF) 2021/2022 is a two-day virtual orientation programme organised for the 14 participants aged between 11 and 17, who are now part of the SCF 2021/2022 Core Group.
Photo: Singapore Children’s Forum Virtual Orientation
The orientation was conducted with sharing sessions by Children’s Society’s staff members. The programme includes interactive group activities that allowed participants to voice their opinion, thoughts and perspectives on the topics of mental well-being, digital world, education and the impact of Covid-19.
Participants were introduced to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), which embodies the spirit of the SCF. They also set group norms together, and these will guide and influence the way they communicate with one another throughout this journey. The youth participants also shared their visions and what they would hope to achieve from their participation in SCF through an image or a drawing.
Photo: Drawing by a youth participant, “I want to be able to voice out issues for all youths.”
Photo: Drawing by a youth participant, “I want to achieve growth through here and learn new things.”
Some hoped that “their problems will be taken seriously”, others wanted more opportunities to express themselves and hope for the forum to be a platform for them to grow and learn new knowledge.
The youth participants then discussed more on the four topics that were identified for this year’s Singapore Children’s Forum - mental well-being, digital world, education and the impact of Covid-19. In their respective breakout rooms, they had the opportunity to share their views while also hearing more from one another on the topics discussed.
On mental health, some youth observed that this is a common issue that young people grapple with. They also see this as an area where more can be done in terms of education and intervention. While navigating the online world, youth acknowledged the potential dangers, with some of them sharing personal experiences and the steps they have taken to keep themselves safe.
Wrapping up a day of fun-filled activities and discussions, participants were invited to share their thoughts about the orientation, with some describing it as “empowering” and “enriching” while others felt that it was “engaging”. One of the youth participants also shared that “There’s a lot of different voices coming together to express one point, so I would say unique”.
With enthusiasm, passion and positivity, these youth participants will continue to journey as a team together with their youth mentors as they seek to ‘Let their voice be heard’.
Comments