Students at SMU, NUS, Nanyang Polytechnic, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Singapore Polytechnic, and Republic Polytechnic will be given more money and help to work on community projects and research. The National Youth Council (NYC) will pump in $1.9 million to support them through partnerships with their schools, said Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Lawrence Wong. The funding will go towards youth projects that benefit local and overseas communities, including existing programmes such as the Youth Expedition Project which promotes volunteerism. The initiative aims to encourage polytechnic and university students to remain engaged in the community after they graduate. In 2010, 72 per cent of 15-to-19-year-olds were involved in at least one community group, NYC statistics show. In contrast, the rate among people aged from 20 to 24 stands at 59 per cent.