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IMPACT 0503: CHAMPIONING NEW CONNECTIONS AND FRIENDSHIPS

Youth Action Challenge (YAC) is a platform for youth to provide solutions that tackle the issues we are concerned about. Since October 2021, over 80 teams and more than 310 youths have undertaken the YAC Season 3 journey.

Lee Kay Ern, 18, is currently a JC2 student at Hwa Chong Institution. In between juggling school work, she tries to give back to her community by befriending the elderly and children. She worked on the YAC project called Conexa, a community marketplace platform that matches youth with exciting activities that they can enjoy at subsidised rates! Today she shares more about that journey.

What was your role within your YAC project?

Within my YAC project, I was in charge of social media and program design, as well as administration.

What motivated you to join YAC?

I joined YAC because I wanted to do something outside of school. With my life mainly revolving around my school activities, I wanted to step outside my bubble and be more involved in the community.

Can you share with us your experience with your YAC project?

My experience in YAC was a fulfilling and rewarding one. Being surrounded with like-minded and passionate teammates, it was exciting to work with them to turn our ideas into reality. From the early stages of brainstorming and researching, to meeting with potential partners and pitching our idea, I got to experience the journey of ideating and executing.

What are some challenges you faced while working on your YAC project?

It would probably have been promoting our project idea. Initially, we were rather ambitious with our outreach goals. We struggled with garnering public outreach as publicity was limited. Thankfully, through word-of-mouth and collaborations with other organisations, this obstacle was gradually overcome.

Could you share more on how your project has a positive impact?

Conexa is a community marketplace platform that matches youth with exciting activities that they can enjoy at subsidised rates whilst meeting new friends. Our project helps to improve social support amongst youth through the creation of curated quality communities that are centred around their interests.

Were there any key takeaways or learning points from your time with YAC?

Through YAC, I learnt the importance of understanding our community’s needs. Sometimes, it was very easy to get carried away with perfecting our project. However, I realised that ultimately the foundation of our project lies with the needs and wants of our target audience. By aligning our project’s objectives with the problem situation, we can then make a positive impact in our society.