NEA launches programme to develop youth leaders in the environmental sphere; to offer workshops, learning journeys
The Youth for Environmental Sustainability (YES) programme will equip leaders with environmental expertise and skills.
To cultivate passionate and active youth leaders in the environment sphere, the National Environment Agency (NEA) launched the Youth for Environmental Sustainability (YES) Leaders Programme on Tuesday (Sep 5).
The inaugural programme is slated to take place from October 2023 to June 2024, involving 27 participants from eight local Institutes of Higher Learning.
The YES Movement originated from the annual observance of Youth for the Environment Day (YED), which has been held since 2011. In 2021, NEA evolved YED from a one-day event into the year-round YES Movement.
A key initiative of the YES Movement, the YES Leaders Programme will provide leaders opportunities to enhance their environmental expertise and skills while executing sustainability projects within their school campuses or communities.
Upon the successful completion of the programme, participants will join NEA’s YES Network, which consists of youth leaders who are presently engaged in various youth engagement programmes.
It will also offer youth leaders networking opportunities with their peers and exposure to international organisations engaged in environmental efforts.
From Sep 30, 2023 to Jan 19, 2024, NEA and its partners such as Chye Thiam Maintenance and the National University of Singapore (NUS) will conduct workshops and host learning journeys for YES leaders.
The workshops and learning journeys will include topics on sustainability within both Singapore and the global context, along with teaching community engagement skills.
To help the teams implement their initiatives or ideas, NEA will provide funding support of up to $5,000 per project. The leaders will be mentored by past recipients of the NEA’s EcoFriend Awards.
Sophia Ding, a recent graduate from NUS Environmental Engineering shared that the programme has allowed her to “connect with fellow sustainability enthusiasts and build a supportive community.”
“This programme provides me with the tools and knowledge necessary to lead impactful, enduring environmental transformation initiatives,” she said.
More information on the NEA YES Leaders Programme can be found here.
