Reality Check!

The Projects Day Semi-Finals are arriving! :D

Few things that we have to collate.

1. Group File (light green file that Baifeng has bought :D) - The Group File will feature all the emails we have sent and received thus far and all the documents that have been produced by us.

2. Project Website (to be done by XC asap)

3. Semi-Finals Powerpoint Presentation

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The conference is arriving in the midst of our hustle and bustle.
It's up to us to turn things round and strive for the best!

We can do it guys, let's go.

Dahwei.

A Brief Look In

Hello all,

We’re progressing closer and closer to the conference itself. The conference itself will be held in early August, with a confirmed date (: While we continue to prepare, we hope that it will be a memorable experience, not just for the OT, but also for the student participants.

We’ll also be carrying out some green activities in Hwa Chong as part of the service-learning project. Stay tuned!

Cheers,
Quek Baifeng

We met with Dr. Ryal Wun from ECO-Singapore today to discuss about our conference. He suggested that we get Ms. Grace Fu to grace our event as the Guest-of-Honour.

As for the guest speakers, he suggested finding personnel from BCA and Capitaland. Coupled with ECO-Singapore, the conference will have input from private, public and people sector.

We have also established contacts with Nanyang Girls' High and Raffles Girls Secondary School. Their student representatives have agreed to present on what they are doing for the environment during our conference.

Things were looking fine when suddenly we were informed by Mrs. Giam that we cannot invite Ms. Grace Fu as our GOH, due to the fact that she will be coming to our school for another event around that period of time.

Undaunted, we changed our GOH to the chairman of ECO-Singapore, Mr. Wilson Ang. It's just left with the emails and replies now, before we take our next step.

It has been an enriching and fulfilling journey, and despite the fact that we have some stagnancy moments, I really feel that we have learnt so much and we can do so much.

Just one point to note, regardless of what the outcome of pday is, it does not matter. So long as we get the conference up, continue our initiatives, and take this project into its 2nd year -- it's good enough.

XOXO

EnvirOlympics!! bySK

The EnvirOlympics was definitely a refreshing way to reach out to teenagers of our age.

Throughout the event, participants were expected to fulfill certain conditions and tasks in an Amazing Race-fashion. The activites that we had to participate in were fun and interesting and allowed us to bond further more as a team.

One of the tasks at VivoCity was expecially meaningful. One of our team mates had to put on a billboard and we had to go around the whole mall spreading the environmentally friendly message on the billboard and obtain signatures and photos. This task not only boosted the confidence of the participants but allowed members of the public to take an active role in the games as well. This goes well in spreading the message of environmental conservation to the public. Through this activity, members of the public are made aware of various methods through which they could help cut down on their carbon footprint and by extension, do their part for environmentalism.

All in all, I felt that this event generally achieved its aim of educating members of the public about conservation of the environment and reducing their carbon footprint as well as spreading pro-environment messages to the public.

EnvirOlympics 2008

Hah Choo, I caught the Green Virus.

I participated in the EnvirOlympics 2008, an event aiming to raise awareness about environmentalism in Singapore. It was incredible. There was an Enviro-Torch relay, coupled with cool mini-games to spur participants on.

Our main objective as participants was to interact with the public to promote environmentalism and encouraging them to do their part for the environment. I reckon the event was a great success.

I reaped many benefits from the event. Firstly, we had to overcome the barrier between us and the total strangers. However, things worked out because our common objective was to help Singapore in its bid to become greener. My group and I had a great affection for the environment, and in the process of promoting environmentalism, we unknowingly became stronger legions for our cause. It was a thorough and enjoyable learning journey; imparting our knowledge with the public and the sharing of ideas with fellow green ambassadors.

Next, we rooted for the environment and publicity agents. Our peculiar tasks (such as getting our teammate to put on a billboard and walk around to collect signatures) attracted much public attention, allowing us to communicate green ideas and concepts to the public. It was an unique experience, spiced with enrichment due to its environmental flavour. As green avatars, I must say that we have had a wonderful time promoting environmentalism.

Loved it, a green race for green people. (:

just some thoughts!

I guess doing SL requires more than just commitment and time. It requires sacrificing things that you might want to do, and events that you might want to participate in.

Our project is not the typical "find-an-organisation-and-help-them" SL. Our service is to the world, to the next generation, to mankind. What I feel about doing SL is that you should not just find random organisations that are willing to take you in and start doing "SL". That has no value in it, as you are not doing SL because you want to do it but because you need to do it.

I thought our progress thus far, albeit slow and full of hiccups, was fruitful and it was a wonderful learning journey. It made us realise that so many people are starting to do their part to save the Earth, and it definitely feels good to be part of this cause as well.

Re-Live! It’s in us. It’s in me.

Re-Live. The name itself sounds like a huge inspiration. A rebirth of something that was originally held so dear to us – cycling. Cycling is probably one of the most energy saving and healthier forms of transport that since its evolution from centuries ago remains a key transportation in our society. In parks that is.

How many of us cycle to school or work? This perhaps applies to the people who stay much nearer to their location of preference rather than those who live further away. I guess the total number in Singapore will disappoint. Cycling, as viewed by many, is just for recreation at East Coast Park. Well, that’s true.

I find cycling to be very fun. The main problem I find with cycling is not that no one knows about it, it’s just the huge inaccessibility of taking a bicycle and cycling around. Orchard Road is not built for bicycles and neither is any of our neighbourhoods (though some are starting to realize its potential).

Hahas I think my friends (the organizers) also recognized this point and tackled it with the placement of 20 odd cycling machines (that are usually found in gyms) there right next to Plaza Singapura. The challenge was to cycle 10km to get a free shirt and the overall challenge was to achieve a highest total distance cycled in the 10 days it was held during. Fun and engaging, I took up the challenge and had a good sweat.

Many times I thought of giving up, especially when I saw that my friends had already been far ahead of me virtually. But my strength brought me forth and my perseverance prevailed (: Even though I’m not the first amongst my friends to reach the 10km mark, it is an achievement I am proud of.

I think, more of such events in the future will definitely bring about a change in Singaporeans’ attitude towards alternative forms of transport or energy etc. The good thing is that such attitudes are in the process of changing.

And we need a green change to power this world in the future.

Green Schooling - Conference

My journey with this service learning project group thus far has been extraordinary. As members of an environmental service learning group, we had to fulfill an entirely different kind of need. Singapore’s need. The need to become greener. However, more specifically, our group also targetted youths for our environmental conference, aiming to educate youths on a green lifestyle in school and the benefits of green schooling.

In this globalising era where the pace of life is rapid, environmentalism has been neglected and shunned in a corner. We aim to spearhead a green schooling legacy that will sustain itself into the future, allowing youths to study in a greener, healthier environment.

Green Schooling now for the future of Youths.