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MTC is honoured to be one of the 27 recipients for the 2nd Call-For-Proposals sponsorship award on Better Internet x Youth. Make The Change (MTC) is honoured to be one of the exhibitors of the inaugural Better Internet Conference held at the Singapore Institute of Technology. The Better Internet Campaign, centred around the message of "Be Safe, Be Smart, and Be Kind", is the Media Literacy Council’s (MLC) flagship event to champion media literacy in Singapore and bring it into the national consciousness. Mr S Iswaran, Minister for Communications and Information, giving his time to appreciate our beneficiaries' artworks. Here are some takeaways from the conference: Be Smart: Always check the source of received news; whether it is from a credible source. Be Safe: Never click on suspicious links and give out personal infomation indiscriminately. Be Kind: Be Sympathetic and Empathetic. Imagine yourself on the receiving end of unkind remarks.

Have you ever wondered about what kind of internship programmes are secondary school students taking up? Despite ranking at the top of OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) , Singaporean students have become good test takers instead of holistic innovators. As such, we need a change in our education mindset from a rigorous exam/test focused curriculum towards a experiential learning process. Recently, Ministry of Education (MOE) calls for removal of mid-year examinations for Secondary 1 and 3 and across all primary and secondary levels to have one weighted assessment per subject in a term . More secondary schools are going beyond the usual extra-curricular activities to open up opportunities for their students to be attached to a company fora shoer stint during their school holidays. Good news! You no longer have to be in a polytechnic or university to explore your career interests. Today, a 14 year old secondary two student can benefit from the chance to learn from an actual working environment and gain their unique take on industries ranging from Hospitality to Business Start Ups. Here comes the big question... There are so many internships out there, how do you know which one to apply for? At Make The Change (MTC) , we have the privilege to host different groups of secondary school students for internship. We gathered insights from our past interns. This is the introductory guide to choosing the right secondary school internship: Ever felt lost staring at job portals or overwhelmed by the list of options your school provide; don't fret! Here are some guidelines to help you with your search: 1. List down the top 3 internships closest to your ideal career/interests If you already know exactly what are your interests and career choices, that's good. You can start preparing yourself and find your ideal internship. If not, keep calm and take time to reflect on your daily choices. Start by asking yourself, what makes you tick. What are the hobbies and interests that energises you? During your conversation with friends, what topic do you find that you cannot stop talking about? While scrolling through the feeds on your social media, which type of posts will you stop for? What occupation best fits your aspiration? Once you identify your interests, you will be able to narrow down your options. 2. You can see yourself working for the company No one wants to wake up dragging their feet to work everyday. You got to do your homework. For every internship you are applying to, google about them and read up on the company culture and values they represent. You have to ask yourself: A) Do you identify with the values the company represent? B) Is the internship an opportunity to make a greater impact or is it just another job? C) Do you see yourself contributing to the company rather than just receiving from them? 3. Look for a company that is open and willing to share Interviews are the best platforms for you to find out about the company. It is to your benefit when you ask related questions. This is a good litmus test to see if the company is willing to be open. Lucas, one of our interns, reflected Make The Change was transparent in showing him the workings of the company and appreciate the effort in giving the interns the full working experience. 4. Be open to learning from multiple perspectives Every job has its own learning experience. Never belittle a job just because it may seem menial or physically demanding. Always stay humble and hungry to learn from the various tasks assigned to you. If you are managing well with your assigned work, seek out opportunities where you can contribute. Now that you are well armed with these tips, what are you waiting for? Start seeking out your desired internship today!

Holidays are awesome, holidays are fun! Spending part of your free time for camps are usually rewarding too- you get to meet new people, think about ideas and participate in activities beyond the school curriculum. This year, we managed to facilitate a series of workshops for our winners from the annual Design For Good Youth Competition. Running through differing creative touchpoints such as social media, photography, videography and digital art, we hope that our youth changemaker camp can get participants to learn more and explore these mediums to express, experiment or even pursue creativity in the days to come.

It's the first class for our 2nd intake last Saturday! Holding the class at Enabling Village, we are geared up for the upcoming lessons to prepare our new students for the rising digital world. From offline to online, brands are seeking talents to manage their web portal, e-commerce platform and even customer’s brand loyalty activities through various digital and open-source platforms. ​ This programme is designed to equip them with essential IT skills and know-how to manage the e-commerce portal via existing open source platforms or self-design platform with entrepreneurial mindset. ​​We look forward to growing and learning together :)

We are always thankful for opportunities that enable us to share more about our training courses for persons with disabilities in Singapore. Our team at Make The Change is happy and proud of our very own CEO, Michelle, as she went on 938Now to share our programmes live! Last month, we are humbled to have not only one, but two radio interviews with 938Now. Together with Michelle, the two sessions touched on the key topic of employment inclusiveness and invited two different guests to provide the perspectives of the employer and employee respectively. Here are the highlights of our featured session with Keith de Souza and our MTC Alumni Wen Jie: 1. Begin With The End In Mind Before Wen Jie became our alumni through the MTC Essential Communication Design programme, he was already keen to learn more about design. Serving in army as a regular, Wen Jie met with an accident 4 years ago that resulted in a permanent disability. Having the resilience to pursue his interest, he found out about a career fair from SG Enable and took the first step to drop by and explore the options available. Coming across Make The Change's booth, he decide to sign up for a course in Essential Communication Design. 2. A Postive Learning Attitude Changes The Game When asked about the course, Wen Jie mentioned that he has learnt alot from the lecturers as they were professional and attuned to adjust the pace of the class accordingly. After six months, Wen Jie graduated with an updated portfolio of digital skills and knowledge in and sent his resume in to Make The Change. He was then offered an opportunity to explore a whole new career with Excel Hardware. 3. A Longer Journey Is Often A Greater Story Today, Wen Jie is a digital maketing executive at Excel Hardware. Having an annual turnover of S$20 Million in both online and offline channels, Excel Hardware is a forward-looking enterprise that manufactures kitchen fitting solutions in both domestic and regional markets. Not only is Wen Jie contributing to the design team, he is also handling the e-commerce platform that is helping to scale the business. 4. No One Starts Out Perfect And All-knowing. When asked about his first day at work, Wen Jie recalled that he was nervous and not as confident as he is now. He also shared on how his boss has been good and patience to guide him, and that his team welcomed him warmly. Wen Jie believes that the workplace environment was suitable for him, so there was not much adjustment made to redesign the space. Also, he doesn't want to be especially looked after, and would prefer to be treated as the other team members and be appreciated for what he can bring to the table. 5. Worrying Hardly Gets You Anywhere Wen Jie had his own concerns when he was starting out as well- he was afraid of people looking down at him for his disability, and he wonders if he can really measure up to the industry standards. However, he urges persons with disabilities to not let these fears stop them and step out of their comfort zone to give it a try. 6. Together We Are Better There is strength in unity when like-minded people pursue similar goals. Ever since the first intake in 2015, 85% of the graduates from Make The Change's programmes have found employment upon graduation. When asked about the process, Michelle highlighted that communication is the important key. This means that the team will often speak to both the students and their caregivers to explore how this education can benefit them. The barriers to entry are brought reasonably low as SG Enable provides up to 90% subsidies of the entire course fees. Most of the classes are also held in the accessible Enabling Village. At the students' own timing, they can also practice with the software available at Make The Change's valued partner, M.A.D. School. 7. Empowerment Helps To Bridge Education with Employment As a training provider, it is important to always consider the bigger picture and align content that will not only benefit the students in their current season, but also their future. By engaging industry practitioners to conduct the courses, the content is created with the intention to get the students ready for the marketplace. Of course, Rome is not built in a day and it takes consistency to foster a good portfolio after building up a good foundation. For this purpose, Make The Change has invited potential employers to the classes, as both parties get to understand and share more about their needs, goals and stories.

Social Entrepreneurship is at the heart of what we do. This year, we are more than happy to continue taking part in Asia's largest celebration of social enterprises. Festival For Good 2018 has been an enjoyable experience for our team, and here are 4 keys to Make The Change at the mega gathering this year! 1. Strengthening the Ecosystem Besides sharing about our purpose and story at our booths, our team had the chance (and space) to go around Marina One to know more about what our neighbours are doing this year. Who knows- this may be the first step of many great collaborations within the sector itself. Sometimes you don't have to go far to meet the right people. On top of it being a new place in town, the festival is also held at one of the most Instagrammable spaces in Singapore! 2. Growing our Changemaker Community We are glad to have met many familiar faces at the festival- be it our past project partners or students, it is always heartening to see how the same community is staying to grow even further. This year, we had many festival-goers who signed up to be part of our Changemaker community as well. Some of them are students while others are working professionals looking to explore the social entrepreneurship space. Tapping onto platforms such as Facebook, it is important for us to be aware of the happenings around and beyond the sector. 3. Support from both Public and Private No matter how you prefer to term or coin the 3 sectors (private+public+people or public+private+civil etc.), you will probably agree to the necessity of collaboration. Gatherings like the Festival For Good is arguably one of the very few platforms capable of showcasing such a tri-sector partnership. We are happy to have met up with Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth over the weekend and share what we have been doing thus far. Also, the Festival is powered by DBS Foundation, who is focusing on building a more inclusive Asia by championing social entrepreneurship. 4. Learn, Unlearn, Relearn Learning, unlearning and relearning is all part and parcel of growth. Take the video above for example. We love how this content is executed- they have real social entrepreneurs debunking common myths around social enterprises. Being a content creator and curator ourselves, this is a great learning case study. The week leading up to Festival For Good has also hosted the DBS Foundation Social Enterprise Summit 2018, as well as the Grand Finale of the 2018 DBS-NUS Social Venture Challenge Asia (SVC Asia). While the former serves as a gathering to celebrate, recognise and inspire social entrepreneurship in the region, the latter is a platform for new ideas to be tested and explored as sustainable innovative solutions. The importance of having a community All in all, the happenings and events purposed for social enterprise don't just serve to reach out to the public, but also to strengthen collaboration and understanding within the sector itself.

Do you think Singapore is ready for employment inclusiveness? It is almost paradoxical to limit its definition. On one hand, workplace inclusiveness includes the acceptance of every individual's background and opinion. On the other, you can see how it is about creating an environment that provides equal opportunities for everyone to work. This means that persons with diabilities should also be able to access and make use of the tools available to complete work tasks. If you have been following Singapore's Budget 2017, you will probably remember how there was a significant emphasis on training, integrating and building an inclusive workplace last year. If it turns out well, we will have more potential for our resident labour force to grow. Even as 3.4 per cent of residents aged 18-49 in Singapore have a disability, people with disabilities make up just 0.55 per cent of the total resident labour force. There is space and opportunity for us to reach out more. By focusing on talents and skillsets, the workplace should be easy for everyone and anyone to be a part of the team. How we can bring this ideal into reality today? Here are some examples (not exhaustive) where Singapore is strengthening her employment inclusive in the workplace: Designing an Assessment Tool for Organisations Other than the Budget emphasis, much has been done to nurture a more welcoming environment. To raise the bar, SG Enable has a special accessment tool from Singapore Business Federation Foundation that can help employers discern if their work environment is ready to hire, retain and grow persons with disabilities as members of their organisation. A tangible guideline is practical to point out specifc areas in which employers can improve on, making it easier to prepare and offer a condusive environement for new members to come on board. Constantly Changing and Challenging Perceptions Ryan Ng, founder of social enterprise Society Staples, puts it the best when he shares how the proliferation of glasses have destigmatised shortsightedness as a visual disability. Rather than a handicap, you might even see a pair of spectacles as a fashion accessory. This is an example of how changed mindsets can lift up negativity, and innovate on ways in which tools can be redesigned for use. Another example comes from Volvo East Asia, where additional workplace facilities like automating doors and ramps have been promptly added for the convenience of wheelchair-users. Redesigning spaces hold a powerful key not only for inclusiveness to happen, but also to sustain. Having said that, work culture is extremely important in retaining employees as well. Giving a little more attention to make sure that every individual's needs and concerns are addressed consistently will result in a longer term retention within the organisation. This is hard work that takes consistency and dedication. The Role of Education in Employment Inclusiveness Besides building up the right environment for persons with disabilities, you will probably agree to how sharpening the right skills is important as well. More than just a job, employment also gives you the joy and dignity of earning your own keep. For many persons with disabilities who have not had the chance to work, employment can come across as a form of recognition, as their companies honour them not for anything but the skills they have to offer. And as Nelson Mandela best puts it: "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." Our team has been offering our creative programmes for persons with diabilities for the past 4 years. With an approximate 85% of our graduates finding employment upon graduation, we are heartened to be part of the journey to equip and nurture more creatives. Here is Wen Jie's story of how he found his job at digital marketing after graduating from our programme: Join us to get Singapore ready for employment inclusiveness We are still works-in-progress, with many more areas to improve and grow in. If you believe in what we believe in, do join us and be part of the movement in these ways: 1. For Employers Our graduates from Communication Design in Marketing, Digital Marketing and Website Design and E-commerce can help you and your team to build a higher capacity for the digital space. Drop us a mail at info@makethechange.sg and we would love to arrange for a short chat to see how we can help connect and work together. 2. For Potential Students If you have been wondering about what skills or courses to go for, why not think about what we have to offer? Our next intake for 2018 is in the coming November, and signing up is easy. Simply fill in the form here. So, Singapore ready for employment inclusiveness? With social service organisations facilitating consistent feedback, review and improvements, the communication and understanding from both potential employers and employees are likely to be strengthened significantly. The rise in Social Enterprises in the recent years may also help to bridge the gap as well, as many social entrepreneurs are aware and committed to embed inclusive employment as part of their business objective. A tangible framework like the assessment tool can also serve as a good reference point across organisations as well. In the longer run, training programmes equip persons with disabilities with useful skillsets for employment in the future of work. From here, we may have a long journey ahead to make employment inclusiveness the new normal. Singapore is on good ground to build up a solid foundation for inclusiveness to take root and flourish for many years to come.

Last Friday, we just had our award ceremony for MTC Design For Good Youth Competition 2018! Having invited all our finalists, we were happy to finally meet them altogether for our winners' workshop. Even as we didn't manage to meet every single one of our finalists, we were heartened to know more about the finalists who came :) Putting up the artworks, our winners also got to see their shortlisted artworks in the exhibition space before the workshop started. We had our opening sharing by Make The Change's CEO, Ms Michelle Lim, who connected the finalists with why we do what we do. We believe that design can empower and transform lives. Mr Han from Media Literacy Council took the stage later to elaborate more on media literacy, and encouraged the participants to send their ideas for the Better Internet x Youth Call-for-Proposals. At the heart of this nationwide design competition, we want to tap on the creativity of our participants to internalise information on a social cause before expressing their ideas on the canvas. This is where our last speaker, Mr Kenji Choo, came in to share how design and visual literacy can make a difference in expressing the intended message. We believe that the process is just as (if not more) important than the end, for it is the journey in which our young people get to understand and find out more about media literacy. Their interpretation for "Be Safe, Be Smart and Be Kind" opens up to a variety of drawing styles, colouring techniques and messaging. Out of the 150+ entries that we have received this year, our top 5 finalists are: Best Craftsmanship Award Tay Jo-Ren Pasir Ris Secondary School Most Creative Award Zhang Tianhui Nan Hua High School Most Creative Award Li Xin Rui Hwa Chong Institution Judges' Choice Lance Capistrano Serangoon Garden Secondary School Judges' Choice Yap Yi Xin ITE College East

Do we ever thank people enough? An observation relatable to Singapore and beyond, appreciation (especially to those closest to us) is often overlooked in today's world. Bearing in mind of how we are fast approaching the end of 2018, many of us might have already met the few special people who went the extra mile to make the change for us, with us and through us. And no matter the love language, we always have the choice to make our appreciation known to them. Here are 3 simple (and hopefully, timely) reminders of how we can show our appreciation to those who have taken the chance to make the change in our lives today: 1. Make Gratitude Your Everyday Language Be it online or offline, our prioirties shift along with the faster and faster pace of life. Our fleeting thoughts land from one to another as we scroll through a seemingly endless vault of new and newer things. But if we take some time to step back, we will probably realise how we were first influenced and changed by many others before we end up to be where we are today. For one, you can probably imagine how we can all be better at gratitude if we embrace it as a language. To embed thankfulness into our daily interactions, we can make it a point to let people know that we appreciate their actions, big and small. From a real life conversation to an email for a new work associate, the effort to say or show thankfulness is a powerful movement that will truly make the world a better place. 2. Give Your Changemaker A Token Of Appreciation And of course, nothing says thank you like a fresh bouquet of flowers. Digitalisation made it very easy for flowers to be ordered and delivered, and it is all the more true for Singapore. You can literally have a bunch of them sent to your doorsteps within the day itself. The great thing about getting flowers is that they'll have one for every occasion (eg. weddings, store openings, birthdays). And this is not exclusive to women who like flowers. These arrangements have long evolved to be curated and designed for a larger audience. From humourous hampers such as the nuggets bouquet to the minimalistic brocoli, there is bound to be something for everyone. For those who are thinking of giving something more, why not go for a hamper or some gift vouchers? And if you are looking at something smaller, a cup of KOI with extra toppings or a thoughtful pack of vitamin Cs are great too. 3. Take Your Own Chance and Make The Change For Another "If you get, give. If you learn, teach." – Maya Angelou One of the most powerful ways to show appreciation is to continue and pass it down to the next person you get to meet. You'll never guess how a simple action on your part can make the difference in someone else's life. And it doesn't necessarily have to be a large, dramatic one-time sacrifice. Sometimes consistency speaks louder and inspires better. Rather than the stereotypical picture of a big nationwide movement, a changemaker usually makes the biggest change in the ordinary, daily life of another. We can probably begin with a refreshed mindset to be open and ready to give. More often than not, the toughest part is making the choice to step out. Perhaps we will be able to find something rewarding and fulfilling for ourselves in the process as well. Who are your changemakers today? As Robert Ingersoll best puts it: "We rise by lifting others." You probably can think of a few people who have inspired or helped you in one way or another. Why not make a conscious choice to celebrate them today? You might never know- they might be waiting for a changemaker to let them know that their actions and thoughts are appreciated.

If you haven't heard about it, our Make The Change Award Ceremony took place last Friday, on the evening of August 24th! Hosting our graduates from the 3rd intake of Essential Communications Design and 2nd intake of Digital Marketing, we are so happy to see their loved ones coming to celebrate their success as well. To add on, our graduates from the 2nd intake of Website and E-commerce design have already had their celebration separately at the Muscular Dystrophy Association (Singapore). Year by year, we are happy to be part of the movement to bring design and creativity to communities. As Nelson Mandela puts it: "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world", we hope to open up more doors of opportunity for persons with disabilities to venture, pursue and dream. We are also heartened to have our co-sponsor, Excel Hardware, with us for the evening. Their lovely digital marketing manager, Ms Aerisha Lee, dropped by to share a few words about the employment of PwD graduates in their workplace. From an employer's perspective, she stressed that a good team is not so much on hiring the "best" people, but rather about hiring the right people. The welcoming culture in Excel Hardware is also testified by Michael, their new employee and an alumni member of Make The Change's programme in Essential Communications Design. Moving forward, Excel Hardware has committed to continue in welcoming more persons with disabilities to join their family, for they believe that their abilities can help to bring the team further into greater heights. To us, the journey of our graduates doesn't just stop at the last class. We hope to help bridge our graduates with suitable career options upon the completion of their course, and is always looking for employers with the same heart and goal as us. With our hearts full from the ceremony, our team will also move forward to receive and reach out to more people. Who knows, maybe a nudge of encouragement is all they need to step out of their comfort zone and try something new. It is never easy, and it often takes courage to challenge yourself in picking up a new skill, meet new people and grow. If you know of anyone who can benefit from our course programmes in essential communications design, digital marketing and website design and E-commerce, do visit: https://www.makethechange.sg/personswithdisabilities for more.

If you have been following us for some time, you will probably know that Design For Good is moving towards our very first year with the Krafters in Cambodia! A lot of growth has happened in our first year, as both teams in Cambodia and Singapore work together for progress. So, what has changed before and after Design For Good? We ran a short interview with the Krafters in Phnom Penh to see what they have to say. Q: The main before-and-after difference? 1. Learning to adapt to customer orders 2. Producing better quality products 3. Improving in time-management to send products on time Q: The most difficult challenge so far? The rug-braiding team feels that their main challenge is still to produce a quality rug by hand as the sewing process is not easy. Gradually, each member learnt how to work independently as well as in a team. Having said that, the production of their handmade products is also becoming more manageable overtime. Q: How is everyone's financial situation now? While many are waiting to settle their debts, Solutions to End Poverty (STEP) has already stepped in to collect their financial data and explore the potential of partnering with banks for micro-financing loans. Their products have also been sold in Cambodia and overseas, in Singapore and Switzerland. Q: Example of how living conditions became better? Ms. Kong Pov and Mr. Chay Yeng work in two of the teams in SMILE Village. To the two of them, the one year brought about a very big difference to their family. Compared to her previous situation, Ms Kong Pov can now better support her children's education, food and other expenses such as water, electricity and home rental. Q: What did the Krafters learn from their fellow team members? As a team, the Krafters started working together after becoming neighbours in SMILE Village. A first for many of them, this was a chance for them to learn from each other. They learnt how to work together and produce good quality works. Q: What are the Krafters' dreams now? Similar to when we first met them, the team still has the same answer when we asked them about their dream. A step closer today, they hope that their debts will be resolved completely, so that they can start afresh and get their own home in the future.

If the Krafters ever had a flagship product, it will most likely be their classic 50cm rug. Round like cookies and eye-catching like gigantic lollipops, these rugs are accent pieces that can complete the look of your favourite space. More importantly, they are braided by the hands of someone trying her very best to earn her own keep, with her own hands. If you have heard of our story, you will probably know how our products are co-created. This means that we bring communities-in-need, artists and designers in to create a product together. Through this process, we hope to share stories, skill-sets and knowledge to one another, and help chart a journey to financial independence. Here's how the process came about: Step 1: Working together for product development ideas We first start off by asking about the skills and strengths that the teams have, and bringing in opinions from designers and artists to explore ideal materials and colour combinations. Step 2: Purchase of excess fabrics from huge manufacturing factories For those who are familiar with the concept of upcycling, this is what the Krafters believe in. Purchasing excess fabrics from large factories, the team gave them a new life by combining strips together to braid rugs. Step 3: Colour and fabric selection The Krafters first select the right colours and fabric. Due to the nature of upcycling, many rugs are often one-of-a-kind (it's gone once it's sold out) and some colours cannot be purchased in bulk. Step 4: Braid fabrics together It is important to maintain a consistent pattern with the fabrics as the sewing Krafter braids the fabric together, rope by rope. Step 5: Sew and secure rug into place This is a highly challenging step, as the braiding team has to secure the rope rightly together so that the whole shape of the rug can be maintained. The effort behind this craft also results in an unique finishing to each and every rug. Step 6: Quality check by both teams in Phnom Penh and Singapore After completing the rugs, the braiding team will check on the quality before sending it over to Singapore. Sometimes, constructive feedback will be given so that mistakes can be corrected and avoided in the future. The rugs are then be sent to Singapore, and go through a quality check for a second time before the Singapore team adds on the finishing touch with the packaging and labels. Step 7: Passing the rug into your hands The last step is super important, because we appreciate every single person supporting us in this project. It is always a joy to meet people who see the value in our craft, and we always look forward to more encounters like such :)