SPLAT!

40 students from River Valley High School volunteered for the SPLAT! Community Action Event Hands Up, Hands On, which was held along Orchard Road. They encouraged the public to pen on handprints messages of encouragement for youths-at-risk and ex-youth offenders, and to pose for photographs with their messages.

Their messages will be presented to organizations assisting youths-at-risk and ex-youth offenders, and the photographs will be combined to form a Photograph Mosaic in the shape of Singapore. This “puts a human face” to the public’s support. A representation of our collective support as a nation for youths-at-risk and ex-youth offenders, our Photograph Mosaic will be displayed in a mobile exhibition at educational institutions and libraries nationwide.

Yan Chen, 16, a volunteer from RiverValley High School, said, “I enjoyed myself and learnt a lot, especially the attitudinal trait of perseverance. We had to persist even when we were rejected by individuals who were not keen to participate.”

Kellie Tan, 16, another volunteer from River Valley High School, said, “This event has helped my friends and I to develop our confidence and communication skills. I believe that ex-youth offenders deserve a second chance and I’m glad to contribute to this cause.”

SPLAT!’s next community action event Hands Up, Hands On will be held on 28 Apr 2012 (Sat). We will continue to engage the public into accepting and offering second chances to youths-at-risk and ex-youth offenders while inspiring community action to support their rehabilitation and reintegration into society. We look forward to the public’s continuing support in our endeavour. — SPLAT!

SPLAT! would like to express its appreciation to Ms Ho Yanlin, Ms Ong Hui Ling, Mr Png Kian Ming and Mr Dennis Tan Wee Leek from the Singapore Management University (SMU).

From Left: Mr Dennis Tan Wee Leek; Mr Png Kian Ming; Dominic Lim, SPLAT!’s Group Head of Strategic Management and Founder; Ms Ong Hui Ling; and Ms Ho Yanlin

Between Feb 2012 and Apr 2012, the team developed an electronic volunteer management system (VMS) that will assist SPLAT! in managing and developing its volunteers. Among other functions, the VMS can analyse data on volunteer profiles, participation and performance. These information will support SPLAT! in the review, formulation and development of its strategy, policies, plans and programmes. It will also improve the accuracy and increase the efficiency of data mining.

Dominic Lim, SPLAT!‘s Group Head of Strategic Management and Founder, said, “We thank Yanlin, Hui Ling, Kian Ming and Dennis from SMU who have selflessly contributed their time and competencies to develop the electronic VMS.  Their contributions will improve our volunteer empowerment outcomes and processes. They have been consultative, independent and went beyond the call of duty on more than a few occasions. We wish them the very best in their future endeavours.” — SPLAT!

“Social Service is Not a Zero-Sum Game”, The Straits Times, 12 Mar 2012 (Mon)

WE ARE concerned with the Singapore Association of Social Workers’ (SASW) view that ‘helping people effectively delineates the distinct difference between a social worker and a volunteer’ (‘Misconception confuses volunteers with social workers’; last Tuesday).

We agree with the SASW that social workers are qualified professionals equipped with the knowledge and skills integral to delivering help in our increasingly dynamic social service ecosystem.

However, volunteers perform a complementary role in this ecosystem, contributing their time, effort and skills, without credit or remuneration, to serving the needy and the disadvantaged. Thus, volunteers help people and, in many ways, contribute significantly to building social capital.

For example, the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports’ youth rehabilitation system deploys volunteer probation officers and volunteer mentors towards the rehabilitation and reintegration of former youth offenders.

Collaborative synergies are also achieved through the sharing of information, work processes and joint operations with social workers on the ground.

Without this synergy, social workers or volunteers, on their own, short-change themselves. Divide ourselves unnecessarily and we clip the wings of our collective aspiration to serve the Singaporean community.

In essence, social service is not a zero-sum game where we sharply delineate trained social workers who help the needy from volunteers who are allegedly less effective.

Rather, the social service ecosystem encourages a diversity of mindsets, skills and platforms.

As a unified rather than divided sector, social workers and volunteers pool their collective energies and strengths into nurturing a truly inclusive and progressive country that all Singaporeans can proudly call home.

Lydia Melissa Chan (Ms)
Team Head, Policies and Plans
SPLAT!

“Misconception Confuses Volunteers with Social Workers”, The Straits Times, 6 Mar 2012 (Tue)

THE misconception that social workers are volunteers is common (‘Volunteers are not social workers’ by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports; last Thursday).

Social work values, code of ethics, theoretical knowledge as well as social work research and understanding of human behaviour and the social environment inform the practice of a social worker.

Social workers also undergo rigorous training and qualification through their basic and postgraduate degrees, which include internships. 

The complexity of human behaviour demands a wide repertoire of skills and knowledge, which drives the need for a social worker to undergo the rigours of training and formal tertiary studies.

Helping people effectively delineates the distinct difference between a social worker and a volunteer.

Most social workers also undergo continual training relevant to their work to keep abreast of effective models of working with individuals, families and communities. 

The appreciation of the various systems and agencies helps social workers to know who and what to engage. 

The up-to-date knowledge and supervision help them to move with the growing trends and needs of various target groups.

While many may think that it takes a strong and kind heart to be a social worker, it is hoped that through rigorous training and education, one can build up the skills relevant to be an effective professional in our profession.
 
Sujeeta Elizabeth Menon (Ms)
Chair of Public Relations
Singapore Association of Social Workers

Dominic Lim, SPLAT!’s Group Head of Strategic Management and Founder was the keynote speaker at the 3rd Temasek Academy Service-Learning Day organised by TemasekJunior College.

In his keynote address titled “Exploring the Dimensions of Service-Learning”, Dominic spoke on how his experiences at various life stages shaped his journey of service-learning, how discipline is vital in acquiring knowledge and skills to help us do good well, how the hearts of others matter above our own, and how as a community, we have the responsibility to nurture care, consideration and compassion in our fellow human beings.

Dominic shared about the attitudes, knowledge and skills to help the needy and disadvantaged gain self-reliance, and elaborated on the ripple effect we of transforming the lives of our beneficiaries. — SPLAT!

Read Dominic’s keynote address here.  

SPLAT! is providing project consultancy and management to a team of undergraduates from the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) leadership programme (NUS-LEAD), who are implementing a community photography exhibition Love through Lenses.

Love through Lenses showcases 40 photographs that highlight the importance of inter-generational bonding in building strong and resilient families. Volunteers from Hwa Chong Institution and the NUS equipped youths from Tampines Ville RC with photography skills. The volunteers and youths then captured photographs of families bonding at various locations inSingapore. 

Love through Lenses was launched at the Atrium of Tampines Central Community Club. It will be held between 18 Feb 2012 (Sat) and 20 Feb 2012 (Mon). The guest-of-honour for our launch was Mr Heng Swee Keat, Minister for Education and Adviser to Tampines Grassroots Organizations.

Our guests comprised youths from Tampines Ville RC Youth Chapter, stakeholders and volunteers from the HCI, and the NUS, and their family. A project video was screened to applause from our guests, reflecting their affirmation for the youths and volunteers who stepped forward in acquiring knowledge and skills that they will use in service to the community.

Ms Cheryl Tay, a member of the NUS-LEAD Team, delivered the welcome remarks. She shared the impetus for Love through Lenses and urged our guests to foster greater interaction between the older and younger generations in creating a more inclusive and cohesive society.

In his opening remarks, Mr Heng shared his thoughts that the many strong and united families that develop the character, values and strengths of their members, that learn from experience, and that engage in continuous learning and growth, will provide Singapore with the edgeto succeed. He also presented certificates of appreciation, viewed the exhibition and interacted with the youths and volunteers.

Mr Hen Yi Xuan, 21, a member of the NUS-LEAD team, said, “It is gratifying to the see the project come to fruition. Witnessing how everything is pieced together makes me feel that the time, effort and sleepless nights devoted to this project are worth it.”

Shirlynn Koh, SPLAT!’s Team Head of Programmes, said, “The concept of Youths Helping Youths is most meaningful, especially when it is used in service to the community. SPLAT! will continue to provide project consultancy and management, with the view towards creating multiplier effects in volunteer capability and community outcomes.”

SPLAT! will continue to engage the public into accepting and offering second chances to youths-at-risk and ex-youth offenders while inspiring community action to support their rehabilitation and reintegration into society. We look forward to the public’s continuing support in our endeavour. — SPLAT!

SPLAT! is providing project consultancy and management to a team of undergraduates from the National University of Singapore (NUS), who are implementing a community photography exhibition Love through Lenses. 

Love through Lenses showcases photographs that highlight the importance of inter-generational bonding in building strong and resilient families. Volunteers from Hwa Chong Institution and the NUS will equip youths from Tampines Ville RC with photography skills. The volunteers and youths will then capture photographs of families bonding at various locations in Singapore. These photographs will be exhibited between 18 Feb 2012 (Sat) and 20 Feb 2012 (Mon) at the Atrium of the Tampines Central Community Club and  on 4 Mar 2012 (Sun) during the Tampines Town Day. Love through Lenses is supported by SPLAT!, the Tampines Central Citizens’ Consultative Committee, the Tampines Ville RC and YouthVille.

Love through Lenses will be launched on 18 Feb 2012 (Sat) by Mr Heng Swee Keat, Minister for Education and Adviser to Tampines GROs.

Lydia Melissa Chan, SPLAT!‘s Team Head of Policies and Plans, said, “SPLAT! appreciates this opportunity to share our knowledge and experiences in programme and project development and management with youths in Singapore, in their endeavour to help others youths. Indeed, the concept of Youths Helping Youths contributes to the bonding, bridging and linking of social capital.” — SPLAT!

SPLAT! was invited to the River Valley High School (RVHS) Service-Learning Festival that was organised by its Service and Citizenship Society (SCS). This annual event provided students from RVHS with an increased awareness of volunteering opportunities. VWOs were invited to present on their mission, programmes and avenues where students could contribute. 

Shirlynn Koh, SPLAT!’s Team Head of Programmes, presented on our vision, mission, strategy and programmes. She shared with the students her personal experiences, first as a participant of our Pioneers in Community Development Programme and presently as a Principal Volunteer.

SPLAT! also set up our mobile exhibition comprising information panels, artworks produced by youths-at-risk and ex-youth offenders, and testimonials by volunteers who have participated in our public education, fundraising and volunteer development programmes. Students were provided the opportunity to pen messages of encouragement for youths-at-risk and ex-youth offenders, as part of our community action event What Can I Do?. Students also learnt about SPLAT! and some shared their interest to volunteer with us.

Ms Liu Tian Li, 18, President of the SCS, said, “It was great to see SPLAT! engaging students to voice out their aspirations in helping youths-at-risk. We look forward to seeing more students putting their words into actions with SPLAT!.” — SPLAT!

The Facilitator’s Manual for the SPLAT! DVD Youth Delinquency and Me can be downloaded here.

Youth Delinquency and Me develops an informed awareness and desire in educators and students to actively involve themselves in addressing the concerns and challenges that youths-at-risk and ex-youth offenders face, and deepens their understanding of rehabilitative processes for youth offenders. It comprises reflections by professionals involved in rehabilitative processes and ex-youth offenders. An extract adapted from the life experiences of an ex-youth offender that highlights themes revolving around at-risk behaviour is incorporated into. Our DVD was distributed to all secondary schools in Singapore on 20 Jun 2011.

The Facilitator’s Manual complements our DVD by guiding educators in the facilitation of class discussions and individual reflections. Educators can reproduces copies of the class discussion and reflection sheets for their students.

Lydia Melissa Chan, SPLAT!‘s Team Head of Policies and Plans, said, “The Facilitator’s Manual enhances the value of our DVD as a learning tool. By structuring reflection and guiding discourse, educators and students can better appreciate the behaviours and contributing factors of youth delinquency in Singapore, and the rehabilitative processes that prepare ex-youth offenders to become and remain self-reliant. SPLAT! will continue to explore possibilities that increase the acceptance and offering of second chances to youths-at-risk and ex-youth offenders.”

Dominic Lim, SPLAT!‘s Group Head of Strategic Management and Founder, said, “What began as reflections by rehabilitation officers and ex-youth offenders in 23 secondary schools has evolved into a production that is available and accessible to educators and students in all secondary schools in Singapore and all social service organisations that assist youths-at-risk and youth offenders. The Facilitator’s Manual reflects SPLAT!‘s commitment to multiplying and maximising the returns on social investments in our programmes. I thank and appreciate our volunteers and stakeholders for their conviction, commitment and contributions.”  — SPLAT!

As SPLAT! commences its sixth year of engaging the public to accept and offer second chances to youths-at-risk and ex-youth offenders, we introduce our inaugural tagline “Embracing Risk, Inspiring Change”.

Our tagline encapsulates how SPLAT! embraces the passion and strengths of youths-at-risk and ex-youth offenders, inspiring and igniting their inherent potentials as positive change agents.   We empower volunteers with the attitudes, knowledge and skills integral to serving our community, unlocking vaults of hidden talents to the light and pathways of realization.

With dedication, verve and the hunger to initiate positive societal transformations, our movement builds on the intrinsic bonds shared between youths of all ages and dispositions. SPLAT! connects beneficiaries, volunteers, partners and the public, empowering all members to share our common vision of hope and engagement. In boldly rehabilitating the past, we create the civic communities of Singapore’s future, transforming wastelands of despair into oases of dignity and opportunity.

Dominic Lim, SPLAT!‘s Group Head of Strategic Management and Founder, said, “Our tagline articulates the responsibility and potentials of our community to effect and sustain individual and systemic changes that transform the lives and livelihoods of youths-at-risk, ex-youth offenders and their ecosystem. Every challenge presents opportunities to demolish assumptions and limitations. We embrace the risk inherent in overcoming challenges because we hold dear our first fundamentals that our beneficiaries can and will change in tandem with our community.  We expect and demand nothing less than the very best from our volunteers and those whom we work with because our actions as a community are critical to creating ripples of change and possibilities for our beneficiaries.”

Lydia Melissa Chan, SPLAT!‘s Team Head of Policies and Plans, said, “As SPLAT! continues its mission of inspiring community action to support the rehabilitation and reintegration of youths-at-risk and ex-youth offenders into society, our tagline reminds our volunteers and stakeholders that our beneficiaries are our first fundamentals. We must never shy from risks and challenges that the process of helping them presents. The key elements of our tagline will be incorporated into our Volunteer Management Framework that is being conceptualised and will be implemented in Q3 2012.” — SPLAT! 

Lydia Melissa Chan, SPLAT!‘s Team Head of Programmes, will be appointed as Team Head of Policies and Plans. She will lead our Policies and Plans Team in formulating movement-level policies and plans, developing movement capabilities, analysing developments in service-learning and youth delinquency in Singapore, reviewing stakeholder feedback and assessing risks. A Psychology undergraduate at the National University of Singapore, Lydia holds a leadership appointment at its Tembusu residential college. She was the Chairperson of the SPLAT! Community Action Event What Can I Do? Coordinating Committee and the SPLAT! Call4Artworks Coordinating Committee, and a Member of the SPLAT! DVD Youth Delinquency and Me Coordinating Committee.

Tricia Goh, SPLAT!‘s Team Head of Policies and Plans, will be appointed as Team Head of Programmes. She will lead a Programmes Team in planning and implementing programmes that empower volunteers, youths-at-risk and ex-youth offenders. She is awaiting entry into university and works as a ballet teacher. Tricia was a Member of the SPLAT! DVD Youth Delinquency and Me Coordinating Committee.

All appointments take effect on 03 Oct 2011 (Mon).