Nurturing Character Through Community Engagement
Values in Action
Developing Learned Champions with Character goes beyond just honing athletic skills; it involves nurturing values such as respect, integrity, responsibility, excellence, and resilience, which are the school’s values, as well as citizenship and social responsibility.
As part of its Student Development programme, Singapore Sports School organises Values in Action (VIA) initiatives, which are opportunities for student-athletes to give back to the community. At the same time, VIAs are practical opportunities for student-athletes to apply and refine their values, foster character development, and instil a sense of responsibility and gratitude.
In Sports School, every student-athlete in the secondary programme will experience participating in at least one community engagement activity each year.
On 8 March 2024, more than 50 student-athletes from the Bowling, Netball, and Track and Field Academies ran the SSP Sports Education and Experience programme in collaboration with North West Community Development Council for over 70 primary children from CHIJ Our Lady Queen of Peace, Admiralty Primary School and Ahmad Ibrahim Primary School.
Secondary 4 netballer Danya Chua shared her experience: “Engaging in this VIA project of teaching Primary 4 students to play netball has been an incredibly enriching and rewarding experience. Witnessing the P4 kids embrace the values of teamwork on the court was inspiring. The joy reflected on their faces as they learnt to collaborate, support each other, and celebrate both victories and challenges, which brought a positive impact to this project. Through this project, I could also embrace the value of patience. Patience was one of the key values I managed to hook on to, as guiding the P4 kids through the drills required me to be patient in explaining and perhaps repeating myself so that the P4 kids could digest what I was trying to say. Overall, this VIA project was a success, and I was glad to be part of planning this project as a Vice-Chairman.”
Navitha Yovan, an IBDP Year 5 student-athlete from the Track and Field Academy shared the same sentiments. She said, “The SSP Sports Education and Experience @ North West was a truly enjoyable experience for the primary students from Admiralty Primary School, where they participated in team games, consisting of running jumping, and throwing elements across four different game stations at our indoor track. The kids really had a blast of a time, bonding and laughing with our student-athletes while playing in the different game stations. The Track and Field Academy student-athletes avidly participated in making the event a success despite challenges like last-minute weather changes. Overall, serving the community by bringing a smile to the kids’ faces was truly a memorable experience for the Track and Field Academy student-athletes.”
Track and Field Academy student-athletes also volunteered in the SA-SSP Primary Schools Combined Events Invitational 2024 on 9 March 2024. Student-athletes took on various roles in the event management of the track and field meet.
On 22 March 2024, 22 student-athletes from the Bowling Academy conducted a VIA session for 19 upper primary children from Wellington Primary School.
Rainie Kwek Xin Hwee, a Secondary 3 student-athlete from the Bowling Academy, who was the Vice-Chairman for the VIA activity shared, “It was an unforgettable day of bowling fun at the SSP Sports Education and Experience @ North West. Our goal? To spark joy and teach these children the ins and outs of bowling. They were split into pairs and trios, and they had a friendly competition on the lanes and we are so happy to see them mastering the basics. Organising this VIA programme, we learnt how to communicate better and gained leadership skills, leaving us with a deep sense of fulfilment.”
The experiences shared by student-athletes who participated in the VIA activities highlight personal fulfilment gained from participating in the projects. VIA experiences enrich the lives of those being served and leave a lasting impact on the student-athletes.
In February 2024, the Shooting Academy prepared gifts and cards for support staff in Sports School to show their appreciation to them ahead of the Lunar New Year. The gifts were purchased using prize money donated by our shooters. This helps foster a culture of appreciation and reinforces the values of kindness and thoughtfulness among student-athletes.
Other types of activities that student-athletes engaged in 2023 include conducting activities for special needs students and the elderly, environmental conservation, and volunteering at events.
Sports School’s emphasis on VIA initiatives underscores its commitment to developing well-rounded individuals who excel in sports, character, and citizenship. By integrating community service and character development into our curriculum, the School prepares student-athletes to be responsible, compassionate, and socially conscious members of society.
Developing Learned Champions with Character goes beyond just honing athletic skills; it involves nurturing values such as respect, integrity, responsibility, excellence, and resilience, which are the school’s values, as well as citizenship and social responsibility.
As part of its Student Development programme, Singapore Sports School organises Values in Action (VIA) initiatives, which are opportunities for student-athletes to give back to the community. At the same time, VIAs are practical opportunities for student-athletes to apply and refine their values, foster character development, and instil a sense of responsibility and gratitude.
In Sports School, every student-athlete in the secondary programme will experience participating in at least one community engagement activity each year.
On 8 March 2024, more than 50 student-athletes from the Bowling, Netball, and Track and Field Academies ran the SSP Sports Education and Experience programme in collaboration with North West Community Development Council for over 70 primary children from CHIJ Our Lady Queen of Peace, Admiralty Primary School and Ahmad Ibrahim Primary School.
Secondary 4 netballer Danya Chua shared her experience: “Engaging in this VIA project of teaching Primary 4 students to play netball has been an incredibly enriching and rewarding experience. Witnessing the P4 kids embrace the values of teamwork on the court was inspiring. The joy reflected on their faces as they learnt to collaborate, support each other, and celebrate both victories and challenges, which brought a positive impact to this project. Through this project, I could also embrace the value of patience. Patience was one of the key values I managed to hook on to, as guiding the P4 kids through the drills required me to be patient in explaining and perhaps repeating myself so that the P4 kids could digest what I was trying to say. Overall, this VIA project was a success, and I was glad to be part of planning this project as a Vice-Chairman.”
Navitha Yovan, an IBDP Year 5 student-athlete from the Track and Field Academy shared the same sentiments. She said, “The SSP Sports Education and Experience @ North West was a truly enjoyable experience for the primary students from Admiralty Primary School, where they participated in team games, consisting of running jumping, and throwing elements across four different game stations at our indoor track. The kids really had a blast of a time, bonding and laughing with our student-athletes while playing in the different game stations. The Track and Field Academy student-athletes avidly participated in making the event a success despite challenges like last-minute weather changes. Overall, serving the community by bringing a smile to the kids’ faces was truly a memorable experience for the Track and Field Academy student-athletes.”
Track and Field Academy student-athletes also volunteered in the SA-SSP Primary Schools Combined Events Invitational 2024 on 9 March 2024. Student-athletes took on various roles in the event management of the track and field meet.
On 22 March 2024, 22 student-athletes from the Bowling Academy conducted a VIA session for 19 upper primary children from Wellington Primary School.
Rainie Kwek Xin Hwee, a Secondary 3 student-athlete from the Bowling Academy, who was the Vice-Chairman for the VIA activity shared, “It was an unforgettable day of bowling fun at the SSP Sports Education and Experience @ North West. Our goal? To spark joy and teach these children the ins and outs of bowling. They were split into pairs and trios, and they had a friendly competition on the lanes and we are so happy to see them mastering the basics. Organising this VIA programme, we learnt how to communicate better and gained leadership skills, leaving us with a deep sense of fulfilment.”
The experiences shared by student-athletes who participated in the VIA activities highlight personal fulfilment gained from participating in the projects. VIA experiences enrich the lives of those being served and leave a lasting impact on the student-athletes.
In February 2024, the Shooting Academy prepared gifts and cards for support staff in Sports School to show their appreciation to them ahead of the Lunar New Year. The gifts were purchased using prize money donated by our shooters. This helps foster a culture of appreciation and reinforces the values of kindness and thoughtfulness among student-athletes.
Other types of activities that student-athletes engaged in 2023 include conducting activities for special needs students and the elderly, environmental conservation, and volunteering at events.
Sports School’s emphasis on VIA initiatives underscores its commitment to developing well-rounded individuals who excel in sports, character, and citizenship. By integrating community service and character development into our curriculum, the School prepares student-athletes to be responsible, compassionate, and socially conscious members of society.
