WHO'S ELIGIBLE FOR THE YLDG?

Youths (aged 13-35) attending leadership development programmes are eligible for the YLDG. The following organisations may submit the YLDG application for their students’/ youths’ leadership development:

  • Secondary Schools and Junior Colleges
  • Institutes of Higher Learning (Polytechnics, ITE, Centralised Institution, Universities)
  • Voluntary Welfare Organisations
  • Youth Organisations
  • Grassroots/community/self-help/ethnic/faith-based groups

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

The training programmes should aim to train and equip youths with competencies to provide community services and/or lead community projects. They should be at least 4 hours and may be in various format depending on the needs of the participants. e.g. workshops, seminars, experiential activities and camps.

Core modules (should be at least 50% of the training programme)
  1. Leadership development; AND
  2. Community project management and/or                                      Service-Learning application.
Optional module (training providers may suggest other optional modules)
  1. Mentoring

Leadership Development

To impart to youths the knowledge of basic leadership roles, values and responsibilities, and to equip them with various skills necessary for practicing effective leadership.

Community Project Management

To equip youths with essential tools and skills for implementing community projects, thus enabling them to actively engage in doing something meaningful for their community. This includes topics such as project planning, managing logistics, budgeting, sourcing for resources and evaluation etc.

Service-Learning Application

S-L stems from experiential education and is a learning and teaching approach whereby youths are developed through their experience of serving their community.

Understanding the S-L approach to carrying out community projects will help the youths to:

  • Identify and meet real community needs which leads to more meaningful projects
  • Discover important values and lessons for personal growth while engaged in service to their community
  • Make connections between the service they are providing and the world around them, thus increasing their sense of civic-mindedness and citizenry.

Guidelines for Training Programmes (Download)

POST-TRAINING ACTIVITIES

To ensure that the grant recipients apply the knowledge and/or skills they have learnt, they must plan and serve the community on their own or in groups (of about 12 pax) within 3 months after the training.

Examples of post-training activities include:

  • Initiating and implementing community projects in groups or as an individual
  • Taking on a leadership or co-leadership role in community projects
  • Participating in committees or workgroups in the community
  • Initiating interest or self-help groups in their community
  • Taking on the role of mentoring others

Check out the Guidelines for Post-Training Activity Plans (Download)

YLDG FUNDING

The YLDG will fund up to 60% of the training cost, capped at $300 per youth per year, based on one of the following conditions:

Post-training activity plans Amount of grant
The plans benefit the community within your school/organisation. 50% of total training cost
The plans include at least one project that benefits an external community outside your school/organisation. 60% of total training cost
The plans include an innovative project/programme that has not been done before or is not part of the annual school/organisation routine, i.e. above and beyond the usual projects/ programmes.             

Examples of innovative projects/programmes include:               (a) Raising anti-bullying or anti-gang awareness in the school;                                                                            (b) Increasing students' awareness of national policies or topical national issues;                                                                 (c) Conducting dialogue sessions between students and staff on school management issues;                                                 (d) Collaborating with community organisations in the schools' neighbourhood to understand the local needs and resources available;                                                                         (e) Designing and creating a new space or channels for student voice and empowerment; and                                               (f) Initiating and establishing student committees to identify current youth trends within the school etc.

Application forms should reach us at least 3 weeks before the start of the training programme.

YLDG Application Form (Download)

TRAINING PROVIDERS

Recommended Training Providers

Applicants can choose to engage the recommended training providers listed here. These training providers have proven track records in conducting programmes that connect leadership development training for youths to hands-on service involvement in the community.

Other Training Providers (for YLDG applicants)

Training programmes by training providers not included in the recommended list may be eligible for the YLDG, pending NYC’s review and assessment of their capability and reliability, through on-site observation of how the particular training programme is conducted. 

Note: If your school or organisation is planning a training programme with a training provider who is not YLDG-certified, the training provider will need to be YLDG-certified before we can process your YLDG application.

Application for YLDG Certification (for Training Providers)

Please download and complete the YLDG certification form. Please note that an on-site observation will only be arranged if the submission of your training programmes fulfill the YLDG guidelines. The on-site observation will be arranged and carried out before any YLDG application can be processed.