The Central Singapore Community Development Council (CS CDC) and Singapore Management University (SMU) today jointly launched a three-year partnership of student-driven collaborations for the youths and the larger community, in celebration of SG50 and SMU15. 

At a mini soccer exhibition that was held as part of the Free Kicks Challenge 2015 jointly organised by the SMU Soccer Club and the CS CDC, the line-up of collaborative events with various interests was kick-started.

In sporting spirit, Mayor of Central Singapore District Denise Phua and SMU President Professor Arnoud De Meyer were geared up aiming for a great start to the partnership, which is shooting for sustainable activities that benefit students and the community mutually in the long run. Launching the partnership with a symbolic ‘kick-off’, they joined students from the SMU Soccer Club and youths from an inclusive soccer team, to warm up for a friendly match.

[Photo: Mayor Denise Phua, joined by SMU President Prof Arnoud De Meyer, aiming for a great start to the partnership and kicking off the three-year partnership shooting for sustainable activities that benefit students and the community mutually in the long run.]

Mayor of Central Singapore District Denise Phua, said, “The Free Kicks programme aims to bring together persons of different backgrounds, talents and abilities through sports. It is one avenue through which we hope to encourage everyone to do good in the community. We believe that one does not need to wait till one is retired to do good. Doing good is a habit that is best cultivated from young. Central Singapore CDC is heartened to have found a steadfast and passionate partner in SMU to join us in building and developing inclusive communities in the District. A good education should maximise the potential of students not only for their own benefit but also for others, especially those at risk of being left behind in our fast-paced urban society. We want to thank SMU for exemplifying that.”

SMU President Professor Arnoud De Meyer, said, “Being a ‘University in the City, for the City’, SMU believes in transformative education that nurtures students who be their best for the community, and not just for themselves. We are thankful to our strategic community partner Central Singapore District for a platform where SMU students can contribute meaningfully to the community within which we exist, while bridging real-world needs, increasing social awareness and embracing diversity.

“Working together with the Central Singapore Community Development Council, these student-led initiatives make SMU relevant to the city and the community, while adding vibrancy to students’ life and benefitting the needy in the community. It cements our SMU LifeLessons’ objectives – of helping students understand their future life goals and become leaders of themselves, others and the community – which underlies the efforts of the 128 CCAs and the overall student life overseen by SMU’s Office of Student Life. At SMU, our CCAs are given utmost importance and factored into the main curriculum, which sets us apart from others as ‘A Different U’.”

The partnership events include a range of collaborations across various interests, involving SMU student groups and Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs) clubs. Some key highlights include:

• A collaboration between SMU Soccer Club and CS CDC’s Free Kicks programme, where avid soccer players from the university team coach youths for weekly soccer training. The initiative hopes to reach out to these youths through sports, while instilling other values such as teamwork, self-confidence, self-discipline and sportsmanship. SMU Soccer Club also jointly organises the annual Free Kicks Challenge with CS CDC, bringing together some 500 youths and their families for a friendly soccer match.

• A collaboration between SMU and CS CDC where students from SMU Special Interest and Community Service Sodality bring the SMU community together to contribute to its neighbours in the city through the SMU Challenge. The challenge will benefit less privileged communities that CS CDC is supporting through its community programmes.

• Other student-led community initiatives. These will involve performing arts, sports, and special interest student groups from SMU, and communities (children, youth, adults, seniors) and partners from CS CDC.

[Photo: Mayor Denise Phua (centre), SMU President Prof Arnoud De Meyer (left of Ms Phua), FAS President Mr Zainudin Nordin (right of Ms Phua), SMU student leaders, Lions and ex-international players from FAS, and youths and Free Kicks participants from CS CDC, came together for the launch of the collaborations, in celebration of SG50 and SMU15.]

[Featured photo: Mayor Denise Phua (centre) and SMU President Prof Arnoud De Meyer (left of Ms Phua), joined by Guest of Free Kicks Challenge, Adviser to Bishan-Toa Payoh Grassroots Organisations and President of Football Association of Singapore (FAS) Mr Zainudin Nordin (right of Ms Phua), kicked off a three-year partnership of student-led collaborations for the youths and the larger community. SMU's various student groups and CCA clubs, including performing arts, sports, and special interest groups pictured here, will be driving these.]