They Dare to Care

Do you dare to care? That’s the challenge a group of students from Nanyang Polytechnic currently pursuing their diploma in Social Sciences (Social Work) asked their peers late last year.

To encourage them to step out of their comfort zone to do kind acts, the Year Two students held a social campaign called ‘Dare to Care’ beginning end November to mid December.

A survey was first conducted among the various faculties in the polytechnic to get a clearer sense of what students thought of kindness within the campus. A series of eight flash mobs was also carried out in various locations within the school to generate curiosity and better promote the campaign.

Next, cameras were used to capture acts of kindness by students, and footage collected was put up on a special Facebook page. Kindness quotes and photos also helped to spread the message of kindness to the online community.

The students’ effort cumulated on 16 Dec 2011 when they held a half day event which included photo opportunity with Singa, exhibition panels, and pledging to be kind. A unique ‘Singa Lost in NYP Challenge’ was also held, to get students to carry out simple acts of kindness such as buying a drink or giving a hug. Once these ‘tasks’ were accomplished, Singa could then move along a planned route around the campus.

This campaign was partially funded by SKM’s Seed Kindness Fund, which encourages interesting and creative ways for youths to help spread the message of kindness in Singapore.