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Internship Experience - Singapore Polytechnic
Earlier in March 2026, we welcomed Rithika from Singapore Polytechnic for a two-week internship at Make The Change as part of the Young Changemaker Programme. From supporting community workshops to contributing to youth programmes, her internship offered an inside look at how creativity, empathy and thoughtful planning comes together in a social enterprise.
Rithika began her internship journey by understanding how does Make The Change operates and the communities that we work with. Through an empathy-mapping activity with her intern buddy — Lea who was an overseas intern from Switzerland, they both stepped into the shoes of visually impaired individuals and considered the everyday experiences and challenges faced by the community. Presenting her findings gave her an opportunity to organize her thoughts, communicate her ideas and understand why empathy is an important starting point when developing solutions for the community.
One of the most meaningful moments of Rithika's internship was supporting a Digital Drawing Workshop for seniors at Goodlife Studio by Montfort Care. Before the session, Rithika was introduced to the basics of Procreate and learned the basic features such as the different brushes, the quick shape tool, and how to draw on different layers, so that she could confidently guide our senior participants.
Working directly with the seniors encouraged Rithika to develop patience, communicate instructions clearly and adjust her support according to each participants's learning pace. More than simply teaching them how to use a digital tool, the workshop showed her how technology and creativity can create opportunities for seniors to learn, express themselves and connect with others.
Rithika also contributed to the planning and implementation of Make The Change's Youth For Change (YFC) programme. Her main responsibilities included refining promotional messages, creating social media poster for the programme's guest speakers. She also designed presentation slides, prepared certificates for participants and supported the administrative coordination of the sessions.
During our Youth For Change workshops, Rithika helped to prepare the venue and manage programme logistics. By attending the sessions, she gained a closer understanding of how youth programmes are executed — from the preparation happening behind the scenes to the facilitation and coordination required on the actual day.
Rithika also supported our learning programmes with schools in Singapore by assisting with post-programme administrative tasks. She used Padlet, our data collection tool, to collate trainers’ final reports on students’ learning. Approaching the work with curiosity, she gradually gained confidence in using Notion and Google Sites to organize information for each school participating in our Apple New Media Programme.
Rithika's Reflection
" I learned the value of a strong support system and how passion helps me persevere through challenges. This experience also gave me insight into working in a social enterprise and the programmes MTC runs. "
Over the two weeks, Rithika demonstrated adaptability and a willingness to take on a wide range of responsibilities. From supporting seniors and preparing youth workshops to creating digital content and organizing programme resources, each experience offered her a new perspective on how thoughtful planning and creativity can contribute to meaningful community impact.
We appreciate Rithika's contributions during her time with us and hope that the knowledge, confidence and experiences she gained at Make The Change will continue to guide her in her studies, future career and journey as a changemaker!
