Cultivating Community Impact Through Student VIA Projects

The world may be rapidly changing but the value of compassion remains constant. There will always be people in need and it is important for people to lead with kindness and heart. It is thus important to instill this value since young. When students are given opportunities to care, contribute, and reflect, they learn that compassion is not just a feeling, but a practice. 

That's where Values in Action (VIA), a cornestone of Singapore's Key Development Experience, comes in. VIA helps guide young people to grow into active contributors, making positive impact in the community. Today, it is a compulsory part of education from primary to pre-university levels, encouraging students to identify community needs, propose solutions and act with purpose. It aims to deepen development of empathy, intiative, and social awareness by making students put their values, knowledge, and skills into practive while taking ownership of their initiatives and reflecting on the difference they can make. 

The Transformative Power of VIA Projects: Learning Beyond the Classroom 

Students from Tanglin Trust School after a visit to the FFTH Warehouse to lean about the food packing process.

By stepping into different environments and engaging meaningfully with people from all walks of life, students discover perspectives that no textbook can fully capture. VIA projects plant the seeds of empathy, responsibility, and a genuine commitment to making a positive difference. 

Cultivating Empathy and Understanding 

Empathy can take many forms, and what seems like a small act of service can spark a deeper understanding.

In a Straits Times article, students shared their experience planning a camp for 10 and 11-year-olds, aimed at boosting the children’s emotional well-being. Yet, what left the greatest impact was not on the participants, but on the organisers themselves. Through the camp, student organisers learned to dispel stereotypes and take the time to truly understand their participants. They walked away with a deeper sense of empathy and a renewed commitment to continue helping the children they had crossed paths with. Some even continued to pursue more volunteering opportunities beyond their VIA projects. 

Experiences like these transform VIA projects into more than a compulsory school activity, but a lifelong lesson in empathy. 

Developing Community Awareness and Initiative 

As students progress through VIA projects, they begin to recognise their own ability to make a difference. Many learn to look closely at their surroundings to identify where change is possible and take the initiative to ignite change within the community. 

For example, after facilitating an intergenerational bonding activity, one student was inspired to involve their family to take action and support those in need. These moments highlight how VIA projects spark action well beyond the school setting and create a lasting impact on the students and the community. 

Gaining Lifelong Skills and Perspective

Participation in VIA projects goes far beyond fulfilling a school requirement, it shapes the way students view the world and their role in it. These experiences build essential skills such as problem-solving and collaboration, while also encouraging a mindset that values empathy, responsibility and inclusivity. Over time, students begin to see service not as a one-off task, but as an integral part of their growth, equipping them with perspectives and abilities they can carry into every stage of life.

Partnering with Food from the Heart: Meaningful VIA Opportunities 

Students from Gan Eng Seng Secondary with the donations they collected through a food donation drive they organised.

Food from the Heart actively works with schools to nurture civic-mindedness in youth through hands-on purposeful engagement. These collaborations not only address immediate needs in the community but also lay the foundation for a generation that understand the impact of giving and the importance of collective action. Through this, we hope to instil the values of empathy, responsibility, and community care from an early age.

Key Collaboration Avenues for Schools 

Here at Food from the Heart, we offer students a diverse range of volunteering opprtunities. that cater to different skills, interests, and schedules. 

1. Food Donation Drives 
   Students take the lead to promote the initiative within their school community and set up collection points to gather essential food items for donation. Through this, students get a tangible sense of how their collective small action can compound into bigger impact, directly improving lives by helping to ease food insecurity with their food donations. 
   
   
2. Fundraising Events
   These activities are not the exclusive action of collecting cash. Students can channel their creativity into activities that inspire participation such as bake sales, themed runs, and concerts. These events help train students teamwork and communication skills as they raise funds that will go towards helping us purchase healthier food options or vital logistical needs like transport and storage. 

For schools exploring volunteer work for students in Singapore, connect with us! Together, we can shape projects that offer students a unique experience while benefit the wider community in need.