What is Connecting Communities 2023?
Connecting Communities is a festival from 18 to 28 September 2023 to inspire and celebrate Community Engagement and Service. There are three parts to this festival:
1. Projects Showcase Exhibition (18 - 22 Sept)
Celebrate meaningful projects by the NUS Community.
2. The Giving Marketplace (19 Sept)
Connect passionate individuals with avenues to contribute.
3. Conference (28 Sept)
Inspire one another to ignite change in our own capacity.
Connecting Communities Conference
Connecting Communities is a festival from 18 to 28 September 2023. The Conference Finale gathered students, professionals and practitioners, where we explored concepts such as Asset-Based Community Development and discussed what drives youth participation in community engagement.
The Giving Marketplace
15 different causes from NUS Community Service projects and Social Service Agencies raised funds from handmade accessories, custom merchandise, and baked goods to raise awareness and recruit more volunteers for their respective communities.
Projects Showcase Exhibition
Community Service projects by NUS students, staff and alumni were featured in this panel exhibition to showcase the memories forged from these engagement projects with the community.
Here's the digitalised copy of the exhibition!
Booth 1: Project HAK (NUS Rotaract) – Purchase project-based merchandise to support NUS Students’ initiative with the Pong Song Village in Laos.
Booth 2: NUS Me Too! Club (NUS Rotaract) – Support NUS Students’ engagement sessions with Persons with Intellectual Disabilities @ MINDS when you buy their handmade accessories!
Booth 3: Project Embrace (NUS Rotaract) – Find out how NUS Students are engaging teenagers on the Autism Spectrum and what you can do to join this project!
Booth 4: Project Women Empowerment (WE) (NUS Medicine Students) – Support NUS Students’ in their engagement with young women in Singapore Girls’ Home by buying their self-designed totebags and stickers.
Booth 5: Project Damai (NUS Medicine, Nursing & Dentistry Students) – Get your pictures taken and purchase T-shirts to support NUS Students’ to provide medical aid to communities in Cambodia.
Booth 6: Project Chee-Wit-Chee-Waa (Uni-Y NUS) – Support NUS Students in Chiangmai, Thailand, by purchasing their T-Shirts, crocheted goods and other DIY products.
Booth 7: AIC Silver Generation Office – The Agency for Integrated Care is recruiting! Join them as a volunteer to befriend and connect with seniors in our community.
Booth 8: Dignity Kitchen – Support Persons with Disabilities when you buy baked goods and other festive treats like mooncakes!
Booth 9: Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) – Purchase keychains, button badges, thumbdrives, stickers and many more to support the care for rescued animals.
Booth 10: Salvation Army – Purchase merchandise like Towel Pets, Floating Cups and more to support their services to diverse communities.
Booth 11: Society for Physically Disabled (SPD) – Purchase the SPD Artisan Collective’s journals, leather products and more to directly support the differently-abled artisans.
Booth 12: SG Healthcare Corps – Are you looking for opportunities to support healthcare workers? Join us to find out how you can join the SG Healthcare Corps!
Booth 13: Flour Power – Purchase delicious bakes in support of Persons with Intellectual Disability and individuals recovering from mental illnesses.
Booth 14: Children-At-Risk Empowerment Associations (CARE Singapore) – Project X-Cite is a wellbeing mentoring programme looking for both mentors and mentees! Register for the role of your preference!
Booth 15: Empathy Simulation Challenge (NUS OSA) – Take part in our Empathy challenge and stand a chance to win limited prizes!
NUS Communities and Engagement (C&E) Pillar (General Education) – Find out how community engagement plays a part in an NUS student’s academic journey! Learn how a service-learning experience encourages students to think deeper about societal issues while taking constructive action to advance social services and community building.
NUS Cares – Find out how NUS Alumni have been engaging the community in their own time!
NUS Student Projects – Discover meaningful projects that NUS students have been embarking on with the community!
Children & Youth Development
- Project Embrace (NUS Rotaract) – Support Children on the Autism Spectrum in their learning development.
- Yishun Reading Odyssey (NUS CSC) – Develop children’s interest in reading!
- Dayspring Volunteering Programme (NUS CSC) – Support young girls in their learning and development.
- Readability (Uni-Y NUS) – Enhance children’s literacy skills!
- Y-Craft It (Uni-Y NUS)– Support children through arts & crafts and intentional mentoring!
Active Ageing
- Lion Befrienders (NUS Rotaract) – A seniors-befriending project.
- L-derly Befrienders (NUS CSC) – A seniors-befriending project.
- Project A.C.E. (NUS CSC) – Engage seniors in fun activities and day outings!
Environment & Sustainability
- Project EcoPlanet (NUS College) – Awareness campaign for responsible consumption and clothes swapping initiative.
- Terrarium-Building Workshop @ Tanjong Pagar CC – Awareness campaign for recycling.
Social Cohesion
- Project R.A.I.S.E. XIX (NUS CSC) – Fundraising campaign to support children & youth programmes.
- Bishan Home for the Intellectually Disabled (BHID) (NUS CSC) – Engage residents in BHID to boost their confidence!
- Project heART (NUS CSC) – Engage Persons with Intellectual Disabilities with arts & crafts!
- Special Olympics (SO-NUS) (NUS CSC) – Engage Persons with Disabilities in sports and other recreational activities.
- Mindsville@Napiri (NUS CSC) – Engage residents at Mindsville@Napiri to develop their motor skills and independent living skills.
- Project Grant-A-Wish XX (NUS CSC) – Bring joy by granting the wishes of children with chronic illnesses or less-privileged children.
Health & Wellbeing
- Project Lilacs (NUS Nursing Students) – Educate girls and young women on their sexual health.
- Project KRaft (NUS Rotaract) – Accompany children and seniors with illnesses during their stay at the National University Hospital (NUH).
Overseas Community Service
- Project Sangkhem (NUS NVAC) – Support the underserved communities in Cambodia.
- Project OceaNUS (NUS College of Design and Engineering) - Support the underserved communities in Vietnam.
- Project Chee-Wit-Chee-Waa (Uni-Y NUS) – Support the underserved communities in Thailand.