Embargoed for publication till 23 June 2016, 1.00pm media advisory 10 Eunos Road 8 Post Centre #12-01 Singapore 408600 Tel: (65) 6319 8712/52 Fax: (65) 6319 8755 Website: www.cdc.org.sg/SouthEast

To: News Editors

23 July 2016

LAUNCH OF LEADERSHIP LEARNING ACADEMY BY EMERITUS SENIOR MINISTER MR AIMS TO NURTURE COMMUNITY LEADERS OF THE FUTURE

Singapore, 23 July 2016 – Youths are stepping up to understand the needs of residents and how they can make changes to better the lives of the community. This is through the Leadership Learning Academy, newly launched by Emeritus Senior Minister (ESM) Goh Chok Tong, MP for Marine Parade GRC and Patron of Marine Parade Leadership Foundation (MPLF), which was set up to nurture community leaders of the future.

The Leadership Learning Academy (LLA) is a new programme under the MPLF that aims to nurture community leaders of the future by providing multiple platforms for youths to be immersed in experiential learning and engagement with other youth leaders. Through community walks, dialogue sessions and more, youth participants are able to gain more awareness and exposure to local community issues and resources, as well as further enhance their leadership capabilities. In addition, youths who are inspired to do more for the community through new initiatives may tap on seed funding.

Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, Patron of MPLF said, “Youth leadership is an important starting point of forging one’s sense of purpose and conviction to serve the community. With the launch of the Leadership Learning Academy, youths will have more opportunities to know their communities and initiate ideas that can make a difference. Through these experiences, I am confident that we will be able to nurture our youths to become leaders of tomorrow.”

Youths were given a preview of what they can expect in a session from the LLA on 16 July 2016. 50 youths went for a community walk in Serai to better understand some of the different religions such as Buddhism, Taoism, Islam and their practices. To deepen their understanding of the different religions, they were provided a guided tour of places such as Singapore Buddhist Federation, Soon Thian Keing Temple, and Khadijah Mosque. Following the community tour, youths participated in a dialogue session with the theme “Sharing our Common Space: Local and Global Challenges. “The dialogue discussed topics such as sharing common spaces and how integration can be facilitated, as well as the role of youths in helping to preserve social cohesion and harmony against the backdrop of rising radicalism.

Mr , Chairman of MPLF shared, “We know our youths have many ideas but do not know where or how to actualise them. The LLA is a platform where youths are given the chance to voice their ideas and opinions responsibly, and see through their ideas to benefit the community. At the same time, we have community leaders to guide them to realise their ideas. So we encourage youths to join us in making a difference to the community.”

We would like to invite your reporter and photography or TV crew to this event. Interviews with Mr Seah Kian Peng and Associate Professor Fatimah Lateef can be arranged.

Detailed Programme Date Saturday, 23 July 2016 Time 10.00am Media Registration

10.20am Arrival of Mr Seah Kian Peng Adviser to Marine Parade GRC Grassroots Organisations Chairman, Marine Parade Leadership Foundation (MPLF)

10.30am Arrival of Guest-of-Honour (GOH) Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong Adviser to Marine Parade GRC and Grassroots Organisations Patron of the Marine Parade Leadership Foundation

10.35am Opening Remarks by Mr Seah Kian Peng Chairman of MPLF

10.40am Sharing by NextGen Leadership Programme (NGLP) youths on their Learning Journey and Cohort Project

11.10am Address By Guest-of-Honour Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong

11.20am Presentation of Certificates and Group Photo-Taking By Guest-of-Honour to NGLP graduates

11.30am Launch of Leadership Learning Academy by GOH and MPLF Board of Directors

11.35am Address By Associate Professor Fatimah Lateef Vice-Chairperson of MPLF

12.15pm Media Interview

1.00pm End of Programme Venue Lifelong Learning Institute, Level 1, Event Hall 1-1 11 Eunos Road 8, 408601

To RSVP and for more information, please contact:

Ms Claire Koh Manager (Corp Communications) South East Community Development Council DID: 6319 8712 Mobile: 9695 7630 Email: [email protected] Ms Amelia Lim Assistant Manager (Community Projects) South East Community Development Council DID: 6319 8709 Mobile: 9646 9657 Email: [email protected]

About South East Community Development Council South East CDC was set up on 24 November 2001. It oversees the Marine Parade Group Representative Constituency (GRC), East Coast GRC, Fengshan Single Member Constituency (SMC), Mountbatten SMC and MacPherson SMC, and serves a population of about half a million residents. At the helm of South East CDC is Mayor Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman, who steers efforts in achieving the three strategic thrusts that guide the work of the CDCs. Termed the “ABCs of Community Bonding‟ — Assisting the Needy, Bonding the People and Connecting the Community — South East CDC initiates and manages programmes in collaboration with both community and corporate partners along these three strategic thrusts, so as to nurture a vibrant and self-reliant community.

For more information on South East CDC, visit www.cdc.org.sg/SouthEast or be our Facebook fan at www.facebook.com/secdc.

About Marine Parade Leadership Foundation The Marine Parade Leadership Foundation (MPLF) was established in 2009 by Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong to promote interest and excellence in community leadership and help grow a new generation of young leaders for the Grassroots Organisations (GROs) and Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs) in Marine Parade GRC, Mountbatten SMC and MacPherson SMC (collectively referred to as MPMM). The objectives of the Foundation are to:

• Create public awareness of the importance of community service in GROs and VWOs; and • Stimulate interest among young people in serving as volunteers in GROs and VWOs.

Through leadership programmes and awards, the Foundation aims to build a strong network of potential community leaders for the grassroots and voluntary sectors.

About NextGen Leadership Programme NextGen Leadership Programme is the MPLF’s flagship programme, designed to support youths to discover their leadership potential. The 9-month mentorship programme will enable youths to develop their leadership capacities, project management and interpersonal skills, through a variety of trainings, local ground attachments and community project opportunities. Youth participants can expect to forge new friendships, impact their communities and have fun doing it.

About Leadership Learning Academy Leadership Learning Academy is a new programme that provides multiple platforms for youths to be immersed in experiential learning and engage with other youth leaders. Through community trails, dialogue sessions, group discussions and more, youth participants are able to gain more awareness and exposure to community issues and resources, as well as further enhance their leadership capabilities. In addition, youths who are inspired to do more for the community through new initiatives can apply for seed funding.

Vision To nurture community leaders of the future

Mission 1. To create awareness and exposure to community issues and resources 2. To create and provide platforms for immersion and experiential learning 3. To enhance leadership capabilities 4. To perpetuate the multiplier effect in engaging youth leaders through multiple platforms

The 3 pillars of Leadership Learning Academy

LEADERSHIP LEARNING ACADEMY

Community Community Service Learning Leadership Immersion

Dialogue Community Volunteer Sessions Walks* Opportunities*

Motivational Community- Community Talks Based Learning Initiatives*

* Existing initiatives under MPLF