What drives you to give back to the community?
For this group of Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) students who are also working professionals with the Ministry of Home Affairs, having busy working schedules on top of family duties meant little to no time to do something worthwhile for the community.
When the opportunity presented itself for them to collaborate with a community partner for their group-based assignment, they leaped at the opportunity to give back.
What’s special about this group of students? From preventing crimes, commanding a unit of hazmat specialists, to protecting our borders, they collectively held one community close to their hearts: caregivers. And so, begins their advocacy journey with CAL as part of our CAL 4 Mental Wellness (C4MW) Campaign!
As the pilot batch of students to complete the newly integrated 'Learning with Communities' module under the Public Safety & Security Degree programme, from February to August this year, CAL mentored these eager individuals in campaign direction, project planning, execution, to final evaluation and reflection – culminating in our CAL x SUSS T-Shirt Design Competition!
The team chose this approach to address two key goals: to normalise conversations around mental health by increasing its visibility, thereby reducing both public and self-stigma; and to celebrate our hidden heroes – caregivers who often sacrifice their own mental health, finances, and lifestyles for the well-being of their family and friends. Through this competition, it spotlighted caregivers’ labour of love and resilience, bringing greater recognition and support to these invaluable individuals.
Meet the team and our winners for the competition! To celebrate their thoughtful interpretations of caregiving and mental health, CAL invited them and Associate Instructor Ms Sharon Tan over to our office to know them a little more over a mini tea party. Their entries inspired the final design of our C4MW 2024 campaign t-shirt!
If there was one takeaway these students had from this experience, it is that meaningful change begins with open conversations. As youths and young parents, they discovered the importance of creating more dialogue around mental health, especially among young caregivers who often face unique challenges. This journey not only deepened their understanding of the caregiving community, but the importance in fostering a more supportive environment for all.
Pictured below are the project team alongside 50 of their SUSS peers, who they succesfully mobilised to join us for our C4MW Mass Walk on 27 July! A strong supporter of CAL's Caregivers-to-Caregivers Young Caregivers (C2C-YCG) Training Programme, CAL extends our heartfelt appreciation to SUSS, excited for future collaborations to come! ✨
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