Conversational games, pitch zone and lifestyle market among highlights at SG Youth Forum 2025, Singapore News

AsiaOne

15 hours ago

SINGAPORE — What are acceptable pathways of success in Singapore? For Clarice Song, 37, there is no fixed route.
It should be shaped through exploration and fun, said Song, co-founder of the youth organisation Bold At Work, adding: "There are not enough conversations about how one can pursue alternate pathways in Singapore."
Hoping to encourage more of such conversations, Song and her team created That's How We Roll!, a tactile game which encourages players to explore their own narratives of success and what it means to them.
Inspired by the principles of design thinking and the storytelling elements of the game Dungeon & Dragons, the game encourages players to take charge of their life's narratives.
The game is one of many youth-centred resources that will be showcased at the SG Youth Forum 2025 on Sept 6, where 30 organisations will be setting up booths.
Organised by National Youth Council (NYC) Singapore, the forum will be held at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre and feature a variety of activities such as a dialogue, pitch zone, and workshops.
The forum will spotlight the sentiments gathered from youth through various engagement sessions since November 2024 under the SG Youth Plan.
Also taking a booth is the Inter-University Network (IUN), which represents undergraduates from five autonomous universities in Singapore. It will be presenting their survey findings on how youths are redefining success.
IUN president Edison Ng, 24, said forum participants "can expect to be challenged, in terms of reflecting on the goals they have in life and how these goals came about".
"Ultimately, we hope to send the message that there is not one definition of success, and youths should be free to chase whatever they want to do," he added.
Friendzone, a social organisation whose mission is to connect communities and youths through conversations, will invite visitors to a game of Sometimes Life Sucks and Sometimes Life's Good conversational poker at its booth.
The poker cards contain tough conversation starters, such as "share a memorable or relatable quote/lyric that inspires you", designed to spark meaningful conversation and deepen social connection.
The cards are among the ways Friendzone co-founder Tham Jun Han, 32, hopes the social organisation can help cultivate a kampung spirit in neighbourhoods.
"Friendzone was inspired by our time living in NUS student residences, which had a very strong sense of community," he said.
The forum will be attended by David Neo, Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, and Goh Hanyan, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Culture, Community and Youth.
Neo will take part in a dialogue discussing how youth can be more involved in shaping Singapore's future.
At the forum's project pitch zone, 20 youth-led initiatives will be given the platform to showcase their ideas to attendees, who can then vote for projects that resonate with them to receive up to $2,000 in funding.
Among the other activities are a free colour analysis demo station by image consultants, a youth-led lifestyle market, and live panels hosted by Singaporean content creators such as The Hop Pod, Charlene Chew and James Reiner.
Pre-registration is required for some of the activities. Those interested to attend the forum can sign up at https://go.gov.sg/sgyf-stcr
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This article was first published in The Straits Times . Permission required for reproduction.