Yep Starters Kit

How big is your world?

YEP Starter Kit © 2006 National Youth Council All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior written permission of the copyright owners.

Edited: 11 October 2007

How big is your world? There is a whole world out there. Come experience it. Embark on an exciting journey to serve; make new friends; live and learn with them. Join the Youth Expedition Project today. Be part of the world. Be part of the solution.

WHAT IS YEP?

Youth Expedition Project (YEP) is an International Service-Learning programme for young Singaporeans between the ages of 17 – 35. YEP is administrated by the National Youth Council (NYC) of Singapore. We provide subsidies for training and networking support to help you make a difference to communities both locally and abroad. Since 2000, more than 12,000 young Singaporeans have taken up the challenge of a Youth Expedition Project to serve and learn in ASEAN, India and China. Collaborating with overseas communities, volunteers provide support in areas like community income generation, education, environmental conservation, health care, and technology transfer.

OBJECTIVES OF YEP

1.

Combining the elements of community and adventure, the desired outcomes of the YEP are to develop: a.

Self-Confident Youth who are able to work as teams

b.

Youth with strong convictions about their roles and obligations towards the community;

c.

Youth with a strong Singaporean heartbeat, and a better appreciation for our systems, policies and way of life.

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HOW DO I START?

I am interested to be a YEP Participant. If you are interested to be a YEP participant, you can either form your own team and partner an organisation or sign up as an individual with the organisation. In addition, some educational institutions also organise expeditions for their own students. Please refer to http://www.yep.sg/toolbox/index.html for a list of links to organisations with expertise in overseas community services.

I am interested to be a YEP Leader If you are a Singaporean Citizen or Permanent Resident, age 21 years and above at the start of the expedition, then you may apply to be a Leader. The YEP Leader is the overall in-charge and must be at 21 years of age before the start of the expedition. As the leader, you are responsible for the operations and safety of the expedition. You will need to conduct a reconnaissance trip, and attend the YEP Leader Course. (http://www.yep.sg/toolbox/training.html) The role of another leader is to handle part of the operational aspects of the trip and focus on the learning aspects. Specifically, you will need to design learning activities, conduct facilitation sessions and work closely with another leader to manage group processes. You will need to attend the YEP Leader Course. (http://www.yep.sg/toolbox/training.html)

For more information about Pre-Expedition Phase, please refer to (http://www.yep.sg/aboutYEP/pre-expedition.html).

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PRE-EXPEDITION PHASE

The Pre-Expedition usually last about 6 months. It comprises Research, Project Proposal and Preparation. Research At this preliminary stage, you are encouraged to focus on a social issue or community need that you feel strongly about. Discuss what could be the possible root cause/(s) of the issue/need. Find out what is being done and research on how you can value-add to the situation. Next, identify possible local and overseas partners. Call the YEP Team at NYC if you want to bounce your ideas off us.

Project Proposal Applications should reach YEP at least 3 months before the proposed starting date of expedition. It should include: • • • • • •

Brief write up on the issue of interest and the service intent Proposed Local & Overseas Host Partner/s Reconnaissance Plan Proposed Programme that includes the Pre- and Post- Expedition ideas and projects. Endorsed Evacuation and Emergency Plan Endorsement letter

Please refer to project proposal template (www.yep.sg- Toolbox, nuts and bolts) for more information. The following are broad YEP approval guidelines: • • • •

There should be an indication of the learning focus of the expedition. The service project must meet real community needs and should be sustainable. There should be evidence of proper research, planning, including an assessment of the associated risks. The expedition must be free from any religious, racial, political connections or any other affiliations that may be construed as inappropriate.

Funding Guidelines: Please read the funding guidelines carefully before proceeding with you application. The YEP team will keep you updated on the status of your application. You may be required to meet with the YEP staff to discuss your proposal. Edited: 11 October 2007

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Project Preparation: Training YEP Leader Course •

Leaders have to attend the YEP Leader course conducted by YEPapproved Training Agencies before the expedition. YEP strongly recommends that leaders schedule their YEP Leader course AFTER completing the First Aid Course and BEFORE your reconnaissance trip. Leaders have to be at least 21 years of age at the date of departure of the overseas expedition.

First Aid Course •

YEP Leaders must have a current first aid certification from Recognised First Aid Training Agencies (http://www.yep.sg/funding/yep_project_grant.html) before departing for expedition. It is recommended that at least 2 members of the expedition are trained in Basic First Aid. A Wilderness First-Aid certification will be needed for some types of YEP projects (wilderness or very distant rural areas).

Others •

Depending on your project, your team may require skills or language training. It is also very important for your team to understand the sociocultural issues surrounding the service your group is providing.

Project Preparation: Reconnaissance Trip A reconnaissance (recce) trip to firm up operational, learning and safety matters is critical and should be conducted at least two to three months before the expedition. The recce costs are part of the total project costing. The details are elaborated in the guidelines.

Project Preparation: Team-Building Teams are strongly advised to have regular bonding and learning sessions prior to the expedition. A well-formed team with clear expectations will be in a much better position to provide good service and focus on learning.

Project Preparation: Local Community Service You need to implement a local community service project before your group leaves for the overseas expedition. Apart from team bonding, this local service project will help your group better understand the key principles and ethics of community service-learning. We strongly recommend that the local service is Edited: 11 October 2007

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similar or linked to your overseas project to pick up necessary skills, and to better understand strategies used by different societies to approach social issues.

EXPEDITION PHASE

Your expedition should last at least 14 days in ASEAN, India and China. At least 70% of the total time should be spent on the service project. There are many possibilities for projects, depending on the expertise of your group. You have to ensure that minimum quality and safety standards are met. Examples of past YEP projects include: •

• • • • • •

Infrastructure projects e.g. small schools, clinics, seed banks, Water filtration units, rainwater harvesting, bio-gas units, seed banks Education, e.g. Computer literacy, libraries, sharing of teaching methods. Public awareness and education through drama and theatre Enhancement programmes for people with disabilities, orphans Culture and knowledge documentation Marine and terrestrial conservation Health projects, e.g. surveys, vaccinations, awareness.

Your team will be responsible for all logistics, operations and programmes. In case of emergencies, your organisation is responsible for the crisis management. Hence it is important to have a good crisis management plan, which you have to submit to NYC, together with your application. It is highly recommended that your team members read and understand the emergency management system.

POST-EXPEDITION HOME-RUN

Many participants return from YEP feeling inspired to continue to engage the community. Your team will have to complete a simple but community engaging POST-EXPEDITION COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT upon return that is preferably linked to the pre-community service programme. Teams often return to the organization or community that taught and prepared them for the overseas experience and shared reflections and learning points with the organization’s members. More insight into the issue and perhaps further contribution can be made to improve the situation at home. Edited: 11 October 2007

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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What are the guidelines concerning faith-based work? Your group may work with overseas faith-based partners provided the service benefits the entire community and not just a particular faith or religious group. The group is not allowed to engage in proselytizing and any other work with religious connotations. For faith or racially-based organisations planning a YEP, we require including at least 20% members who are unaffiliated to the faith/race.

•

Can I form a YEP team that is not affiliated to an organisation? For now, we support applications with organisation endorsements. If you are not a member of any organisation and want to join an expedition, please refer to http://www.yep.sg/toolbox/index.html for a list of links to organisations with expertise in overseas community services.

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Can volunteers who are ineligible for funding still participate if they are willing to pay? Yes, provided they do not exceed 20% of the total group and are unlikely to disrupt group dynamics. As a general principle, it is good for your group to have volunteers from different walks of life as this provides for a wider diversity of ideas.

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If I have already attended the YEP Leader course conducted by Singapore International Foundation, or if I already have experience leading an overseas community service project do I still need to attend the YEP Leader Course? Yes. Please refer to the type of leader course available on the YEP website.

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Can we seek alternative funding? Many groups raise fund, seek sponsorship or access organisation funds. However, as an indication of commitment, we strongly encourage costsharing by participants. This can be through personal payment or proactive fund-raising campaign run by the team members themselves. Please note: If you are from an Institute of Higher Learning, you should NOT seek sponsorship from the Singapore Totalisator Board (STB) as there is already a funding arrangement between STB and YEP.

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If I am a certified nurse or was trained as a Medical Orderly, do I need to attend the First Aid Course? Current certification of competency is required as YEP acknowledges the professional certification includes regular /periodic tests and

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examinations. For nurses in specialized vocations (eg. psychiatric services, communicable disease control) may require proof of First Aid competency in trauma situations.

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If this is not the first time I am working with the partner, do I still need to conduct a reconnaissance trip? YEP recommends that recce trips be made for specific projects. The only exception that can be made is when a leader has conducted the recce for the project during a YEP trip itself and that s/he will subsequently be doing in the next season, and that all aspects of a recce are covered. (the service, the learning, risk and emergency management preparations).

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Are the pre- and post- expedition community service projects subsidized and are there guidelines? As recommended, the team considered the project as a whole learning experience. The experience will enable the youths in the team to learn about an issue of interest starting from an organization (Eg. Spastic Children’s Association) in Singapore and then explore the similar issue overseas. After which, the team will re-engage with the organization to share and learn deeper aspects of the issue. Subsidy for the YEP programme includes the pre and post-expedition projects, and is capped at $20 000 per team. (Please refer to project funding guidelines for details.)

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If my expedition is not in ASEAN, India or China, do I still qualify for subsidy? Your expedition will still qualify for subsidy if you are engaged in postdisaster work AND if there is a national (Singapore) effort to provide humanitarian support to that country. Such applications will be approved on a case-by-case basis. However, due to limited finds, preference will be given to YEP programmes conducted in ASEAN, India and China.

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