NATIONAL YOUTH ACHIEVEMENT AWARD ANNUAL REPORT 2020 Today's Youth, Tomorrow's Leaders CONTENT Page Executive Summary 1 Mission 2 Policies 2 Policy Relating to Management and Conflict of Interest 4 Future Plans 4 Review of The Year 2020 5 Review of Financial Status 6 Governance Evaluation Checklist 6 Appendix 1: Organisation Structure 8 Appendix 2: NYAA Advisory Board 9 Appendix 3: NYAA National Council 12 Appendix 4: NYAA Board of Trustees 15 Appendix 5: NYAA Operating Partners 16 Appendix 6: NYAA New Participants and Awards Awarded 21 Appendix 7: Summary of Financial Performance for 2020 22 Appendix 8: Online Financial Summary for 2018 to 2020 23 Appendix 9: Donations for 2020 25 Appendix 10: Valuation Report on Investment Property 26 Appendix 11: National Council Meetings Attendance 27 Appendix 12: Chairman’s Report for 2020 29 Appendix 13: Executive Director’s Report for 2020 32 Our Work: Programmes and Activities NATIONAL YOUTH ACHIEVEMENT AWARD ASSOCIATION ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2020 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The National Youth Achievement Award Association was registered on 12 September 1991 under the Societies Act. The Association was approved as a Charity on 12 October 1991. ROS Registration Number: ROS 238/91 UEN No: S91SS0104L Charity Registration Number: 000840 IPC Registration No: 000721 Registered address: 151 Lorong Chuan #06-01B (Lobby A) New Tech Park Singapore 556741 INTRODUCTION The National Youth Achievement Award (NYAA) was officially launched on 9 May 1992 by the President of the Republic of Singapore at the Istana. ADVISORY BOARD The NYAA Council is advised by an Advisory Board chaired by Mr Heng Swee Keat, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance. (Please see Appendix 2) NATIONAL COUNCIL The Award Scheme is managed by a National Council chaired by Mr John Ting Kang Chung, Principal Architect, AIM Associates and an Award Secretariat headed by an Executive Director, Mr James Soh. (Please see Appendix 3) BOARD OF TRUSTEES Chairman: Mr Guy Harvey-Samuel (Please see Appendix 4) INSTITUTION OF PUBLIC CHARACTER The National Youth Achievement Award Association was approved as an institution of public character (IPC) under section 37 (2) (c) of the Income Tax Act since 1992. All donations to the National Youth Achievement Award Association are tax-deductible. BANKERS The DBS Bank Ltd HSBC AUDITORS PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP 1 MISSION The aims of the Association are: • To encourage young people between the ages of 13 and 30 years to develop personal qualities of self-reliance, perseverance, and a sense of responsibility to themselves, society, and the nation. • To promote and present to the young people of Singapore a balanced, non-competitive programme that encourages self-development to the maximum without regard to gender, race, religion or physical impediment. POLICIES Finance and Funding The NYAA Association is a self-supportive, not-for-profit organisation. Our major donor is The Toteboard, and Singapore Pools Pte Ltd. Funding comes from corporate, foundation and public donations. The Association also collects nominal registration fees from the young people who participate in the NYAA Programme (Bronze: S$7.00, Silver: S$12.00 and Gold: S$17.00). Participation in the NYAA Programme The National Youth Achievement Award (NYAA) Youth Leadership Development Programme is an exciting self-development programme for young people between 13 and 30. It is a holistic, balanced and non-competitive programme of voluntary leisure time activities designed to provide our young people with a platform to develop personal qualities and skills to make a difference to themselves, their communities and the world. The new NYAA programme is designed in line with the Ministry of Education's Levels of Attainment, focusing on the effort and merit of the individual. There are three levels in the NYAA Programme: Bronze Level: For those who are 13 and under 30 years old A minimum period of involvement: 6 months Silver Level: For those who are 15 and under 30 years old A minimum period of involvement: 12 months Gold Level: For those who are 16 and under 30 years old A minimum period of involvement: 18 months The NYAA Programme has three key components, which all participants are required to complete, namely: Service Learning (Touching Lives, Making a Difference) This component recognises young people's development as socially responsible citizens who understand the issues faced by the community and explore how they can contribute actively to find a solution. They can choose to undertake a Values-In-Action project or any community service projects of their interest. 2 Objective: To learn how to give helpful service to others in the community and understand the meaning behind voluntary service. Bronze: At least 20 hours of regular activities spread over a minimum period of 4 months. Silver: At least 40 hours of regular activities spread over a minimum period of 8 months. Gold: At least 60 hours of regular activities spread over a minimum period of 12 months. Outdoor Appreciation (To be at Ease with Nature) Outdoor learning supports confidence-building as young people are placed in unfamiliar environments outside of the classroom. It also develops young people's problem-solving skills, enhances teamwork, strengthens understanding of the natural environment, and teaches young people a sense of stewardship for our environment. Objective: To be at ease with nature and develop stewardship for our environment. Bronze: At least 15 hours of outdoor activities with a specific learning goal. Silver: At least 24 hours of outdoor activities with a specific learning goal. Gold: At least 36 hours of outdoor activities with a specific learning goal. Healthy Living (Physical & Mental Wellness) Healthy living aims to develop and maintain a healthy lifestyle that allows us to get through our daily activities. It also hopes to develop a healthy body and mind. Our behaviour has a significant impact on our wellness. Adopting healthy habits with a balanced diet and exercise while avoiding destructive habits such as tobacco, drugs, and alcohol will improve our physical and emotional well-being. Objective: To develop physical and mental wellness through healthy living Bronze: At least 24 hours of regular activities spread over six months. Silver: At least 32 hours of regular activities spread over twelve months. Gold: At least 48 hours of regular activities spread over eighteen months. For Gold Level Only For the NYAA Gold Level, participants must undertake the fourth component: Community Leadership Initiative (Creating an Impact, Delivering Change) This component challenges participants to take on leadership roles in their community service projects. Participants are to identify a need in our community, and through the understanding of cultural differences, find solutions to contribute effectively to bring about a positive outcome. Participants will have the opportunity to showcase their leadership skills as they work in partnership with people from various backgrounds. They need to undertake a community project that will broaden their horizons and train them into culturally sensitive, service-oriented and holistic leaders. The newly remodelled section hopes to see more student/youth-initiated activities that bring positive and meaningful contributions to the community, be it on the national or international level. 3 Objective: To build leadership skills while serving the needs of the community. The Gold Level participant can embark on the initiative individually or in small groups. POLICY RELATING TO MANAGEMENT AND CONFLICT OF INTEREST The Association's Constitution states that a Director should ensure he does not place himself in a position whereby, directly or indirectly, his duties or interests might conflict with his duties or interests as a Director. Disclosure of interests is required should a Director conflict with his duties and interests. He should not participate or vote on the matter. The Association has put a Conflict of Interest Policy for Staff and a Code of Ethics for Council Members. In the year 2020, there are no reports nor cases involving conflicts of interest among council members or staff. However, should there be any issues, members and staff must declare their interest and abstain from decision-making related to the case. Issues and processes relating to management and hiring of staff are open and transparent. The NYAA advertised the job vacancies in internet portals such as Jobstreet, JobsDB Linkined and Indeed. Matters relating to remunerations, increments and bonuses are set and decided by the Finance Committee chaired by Dr Ken Ong and Council Members of the National Youth Achievement Award, chaired by Mr John Ting Kang Chung, Chairman of the NYAA National Council. FUTURE PLANS Leveraging on Technology for NYAA Mobile Apps & Activities The NYAA has developed an online registration system and recording activities through mobile apps for Award participants, moving away from the original traditional recording system on printed materials. Award participants will be able to record their NYAA journey through mobile apps. As a result, we will see a reduced workload, increased accessibility and more effective facilitation for teachers coordinating the NYAA Programme in schools and the NYAA Secretariat. In addition, the mobile apps will allow the participant to take responsibility and monitor their progress on the spot. Finally, the current COVID-19 pandemic will allow participants to use technology to participate in the NYAA programme at their own time and pace. The NYAA also embarked on a leadership development programme to prepare young people for the future's ever-changing and diverse job market. These programmes include leadership training workshops, elevator pitches, and presentation skills usually not covered through books and syllabuses. Programmes aim to guide participants to grow and develop through exposure and hands-on experience. These skills will help prepare our young people to be more confident and sensitive in dealing with the community and their workplace. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all activities and training programmes have been on hold or conducted virtually.