Students at SMU, NUS, NAP, NYP, SP and RP 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. Mr Wong hopes that such efforts will give youths “a sense of empowerment” to “shape” society and “the future of Singapore”. The initiative aims to encourage polytechnic and university students to remain engaged in the community after they graduate. This follows NYC’s efforts with MOE to integrate volunteerism into school curriculum.