National Youth Achievement Award: More Than Academics
The Singapore education system is tough to navigate, everyone seems to be an overachiever, and many find themselves awestruck by their peers. How is that someone you know doing everything all at once? The education system wants you to focus on more than just academics to encourage youths to be more well-rounded. By partaking in service learning, outdoor appreciation, and healthy living, you can strike a balance and, at the same time, earn the National Youth Achievement Award (NYAA).
WHAT IS NYAA?
The award aims to help young people aged 13 to 30 develop themselves holistically. The award consists of three main components: service learning, outdoor appreciation, and healthy living and has three levels– bronze, silver, and gold.
Service Learning activities include Values-In-Action (VIA) projects or volunteering activities which give back to the community. Some common activities include volunteering at Old Folks’ Homes, packaging food and toys at Food from the Heart, or even tutoring!
Outdoor appreciation activities can be a simple hike at Bukit Timah Hill or even a walk at your local park.
Healthy living is a simple component to achieve if you are still schooling since there are PE lessons. Otherwise, activities such as swimming or daily walks count towards your NYAA hours as well.
As the award requires a reflection, it would be useful to document the activities you partake in so they can be verified.
Bronze is open for those aged 13 and up, with the minimum period of involvement being six months.
Silver is open for those 15 and has a slightly longer minimum involvement period of twelve months.
Lastly, Gold is open for those aged 16 and up, with the longest minimum involvement period of eighteen months. All levels are to be completed before one’s thirtieth birthday.
While there are three main components, the Gold tier has an extra component called Community Leadership Initiative, which encourages participants to take on leadership roles in their own community’s service projects.
The gold award requires slightly more finesse and commitment than the other two levels, as it has an extra component and a longer duration of commitment. As in the name of the component, one should identify a need in their own community and find solutions that will make a positive change in the space. Furthermore, it provides the opportunity for you to partner with like-minded people who will join you in making meaningful contributions back to society.
While there are three levels, it is not required for you to complete the bronze or silver levels to sign up for the gold award. Once you have completed and written up your report for the 18 months, your report needs to be checked and verified by the NYAA Office. You will then be invited to an interview to share your experience and things you have learnt.
WHY SHOULD YOU SIGN UP?
Final year diploma student in Community Development at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Neo Wei Li, 21, who was awarded the gold award, shared that the “experience really enhanced [his] social life”. Over 18 months, he has managed to balance the four components required to achieve the gold award by focusing on activities he was previously involved in and seeking out further volunteering opportunities on top of that.
The award encourages individuals to be consistent in their efforts towards themselves and the community. Similarly, Wei Li had learnt to juggle various commitments and manage his time better than before.
Second-year diploma student in Mass Communications at Republic Polytechnic, Nur Qistina Binti Mohammed Azmil, 18, shared that participating in NYAA allowed her to achieve a better work-life balance and become a more well-rounded person.
When asked to share more, she said, “without this programme, I would have focused the entirety of my education life journey only on academics and lost sight of other things that are just as important.”
HOW DO YOU SIGN UP?
To sign up, you can contact the NYAA Council through email or a call to express your interest. You would then have to fill out the enrolment form provided. For self-nominations, there is a fee of $7 (Bronze), $12 (Silver), and $17 (Gold).
Alternatively, you can reach out to your school’s NYAA Award Coordinator to express your interest. Usually, schools will offset the cost of the fee. The benefit of signing up through your school is that they usually organise events to fulfil the various criteria of the award.
The NYAA programme is an excellent opportunity for youths to have more versatile experiences and see the fruits of their labour in themselves and the community. As Wei Li shared, “the NYAA programme encourages youths to strive and always be a better version of themselves, building resilience, dedication and compassion along the way.”
To find out more about the programme, you can refer to their FAQ.
Photos in the article were provided by the interviewees and used with their permission.
