Helping Students Design for Change
As part of Microsoft’s drive to help empower the next generation of thinkers and leaders, Microsoft has come on board as the main sponsor of the world’s largest change movement by students – the Design for Change (DFC) School Challenge 2011, in Singapore last September.
Running in its second year, the DFC School Challenge showcased 80 participating teams from over 30 Singapore schools. Winners of the DFC Challenge in Singapore were selected by a local panel of judges from the Singapore Children’s Society, IDEO, Ashoka Singapore, the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre, the United Nations Association of Singapore, Microsoft Singapore and the Ministry of Education.
Winning social projects were showcased at SoCh’s annual children’s event – the Be the Change exposition on 12th November 2011, and helped to promote children’s awareness and involvement in various social and environmental issues. The DFC Singapore Challenge and the Be the Change exposition are both run by SoCh in Action – a registered social enterprise, since launching in 2010.
“Students are the future leaders of society and business. Design for Change is the first time we are supporting a competition for primary to secondary school students with similar intent. We are pleased to partner with inspirational organizations such as SoCh in Action, to encourage students to take the lead and be part of the change,” said Ms Verdayne Nunis, Central Marketing and Public Relations Group Manager for Microsoft Singapore. “The program is in line with Microsoft’s global effort to encourage our employees, customers, partners and community at large, to think ahead, and be what’s next.”
Besides sponsorship at the DFC School Challenge, Microsoft Singapore also presented a special award to the team with the most creative presentation using Microsoft software applications, aptly titled the ‘Tools for Change Award’.
The Central Community Development Council (CDC), through its Mayor’s Imagine Fund, which supports innovative initiatives or projects that champion social causes, also leant its support for the Be the Change exposition.
“Through our Mayor’s Imagine Fund, Central Singapore CDC is happy to support initiatives such as the Be the Change exposition where the young are encouraged to be the catalysts for making impactful and positive changes to the community they live in. We hope to promote a greater sense of active citizenry among younger Singaporeans, so as to encourage them to take more ownership of our community,” said Mr Mark Tan, General Manager of Central Singapore CDC.
“Students are the future leaders of society and business. Design for Change is the first time we are supporting a competition for primary to secondary school students with similar intent. We are pleased to partner with inspirational organizations such as SoCh in Action, to encourage students to take the lead and be part of the change.”
- Verdayne Nunis, Central Marketing and Public Relations Group Manager, Microsoft Singapore