First Spring

First Spring ’19 was a full day of fun-filled activities. During the camp, participants were exposed to green initiatives and the opportunities that they have in Hwa Chong to build on their passion for the environment. Through the camp, participants were able to find their voices as individuals promoting environmental awareness, learn how they could create change, and take the crucial steps towards turning intention into action. Click on the tabs below to find out more about each part of First Spring ’19!

Participants moved around the room in response to questions. This activity assisted participants in learning more about themselves — what aspects of the environment were they concerned about? What were their stands on various environmental issues. Knowing one’s stand and voice is the first step to being an agent of change. 

3 volunteers from the Jane Goodall Institute Singapore (JGIS) and 2 students from Anderson-Serangoon Junior College came down to share about their involvement with environmental projects. The speakers from JGIS shared insight on how the institute and its volunteers are promoting peaceful coexistence between macaques and humans by seeking to understand the behavior of macaques, educating the public on not feeding the macaques as well as using guarding as an alternative to culling. The students from ASJC shared about their efforts to implement a straw ban, as well as how they seek to be more environmentally friendly in their personal lives. The students also engaged in meaningful conversations with the participants regarding difficulties in promoting environmental consciousness, and the backlash one can face in the process, and methods to overcome such barriers emerged from the discussion. 

Mr Wally Tham, Director of the Big Red Button company, conducted an engaging and unorthodox workshop for the participants. Through Mr Wally Tham’s workshops, participants experienced the power of sincere, personal stories to change the world — participants learnt how to find their voices and state it firmly, share their passion for environmental activism to create change in an era where climate action is becoming more and more urgent. 

6 J2 seniors invited down in an exhibition-style sharing to talk about their experience setting up and carrying out green initiatives. The seniors’ sharing showed participants how environmental efforts don’t necessarily have to be high-commitment, and they can easily exist alongside academic and extra-curricular commitments! At the end of the sharings,  participants also wrote down their contacts for information on future projects — the first step to turning our desire to create a greener world into action.