Our Social Ventures Portfolio aims to move beyond traditional charitable giving, to projects where involvement by Sgp Cantabs would generate unique value. Avenues for Cantab involvement include needs identification, innovative solution proposals, finding appropriate partners/sponsors, as well as direct participation.

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Pilot Project: Cambridge-Halogen Youth Leadership Programme

• The Cambridge Chapter (Singapore), together with Halogen Foundation Singapore, is aiming to establish a two-year leadership training programme for secondary school students. The Youth Leadership Programme emphasises a critical but often neglected aspect of personal development and provides a channel through which Cambridge alumni can meaningfully contribute back to the local community.

• Halogen Foundation is the only not-for-profit charity in Singapore that specialises in youth leadership development. Over the past 5 years, Halogen has enriched over 42,000 students through their programmes and events. Halogen has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Center for Creative Leadership, which allows Halogen to adapt CCL’s executive leadership materials to suit the youth audience. DPM Teo Chee Hean is the Patron of the foundation. More information about the Halogen Foundation may be found at: http://www.halogen.sg/

• For more information, download the info note.

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How the Portfolio works

1. Online listing of existing ideas (see below), each presented in a fixed format i.e. target beneficiaries, value-add from Cantab involvement, costing, manpower needs.
2. Alumni vote for ideas by pledging time and/or money
3. Once an idea is fully resourced, it will be implemented by the group of alumni who pledged time to it. The Society will also source for corporate partners who would like to sponsor certain projects with consequent naming and co-branding rights

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Criteria for Portfolio projects

1. Social impact of the project;
2. Relevance to University and Society objectives;
3. Innovativeness and sustainability of the proposed solution(s); and
4. Effective use of the unique Cambridge brand and assets.

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Project Listing

If you are interested in sponsoring, coordinating or volunteering for any of the ideas below, have new ones you'd like us to post, or would be interested in helping us set up a proper Social Ventures Portoflio portal, we'd love to hear from you! Contact us at cambridgesocietysg@gmail.com

• Fall Immersion Program - to bring 20 promising Sec 3 students of modest means to Cambridge for a 1-2 week study trip in November, during which time they will "shadow" a current undergraduate. Purpose is to inspire students to work towards getting into Cambridge as an achievable ambition. During the trip, students should also complete a pre-prepared research project by utilising University library resources or interviewing a University academic (by prior arrangement). 4 partner schools will be selected on the strength of their student nominees and proposed plans to translate/multiply the learning experience to students who did not go on the trip.

• Working Youths Project - focuses on students who have to work part-time to support their families, likely at very low wages given lack of qualifications and experience. Helps them find more meaningful part-time jobs via a skills training and corporate partners program, where they get "paid study leave" during the month before school exams. Subject to 6-monthly renewals based on good work and educational performance.

• Free Tuition Clinics - volunteer alums / undergrads on summer vacation help kids from neighbourhood schools with their revision for final exams during the September holidays

• Driving Livelihoods Program - helps to cover cost of driving lessons and license application to help unemployed breadwinners support themselves and their families

• Grant-A-Wish Scheme (with Breadline) - Breadline is a VWO that organises a tight network of volunteers who directly visit the elderly to assess their needs and connect them with available schemes and resources from Government and other VWOs. The Society's Grant a Wish scheme will be for wishes e.g. washing machine, that do not fall into any existing category of need provision.

• Social Venture Philanthropy Incubator - to organise a workshop in Summer with overseas SVP experts; participants "through-train" to doing a project with advice from the same experts. Purpose is to raise awareness of SVP as a means of contributing socially, and to develop local leaders in this area.

• Summer Community Involvement Program - Current Cam students return in Summer to execute a community project with advice/participation from alumni in Singapore.