SINGAPORE YOUTH ENVIRONMENTAL SUMMIT (YES) 2015
Day 1, 21 January 2015
Ms Susi was very
excited because it was her first time overseas! Ms Karla was nervous for
having the shared responsibility of looking after 10 students, overseas!!!
24hrs a day for 5 days!! Maite was scared … of being on the flight and everyone
else was very excited and could sense freedom!!
Not long after we had arrived at our accommodation in Singapore, we were off to visit the NEWater
Plant, which recycles used water for sustainable living. There we also learned
about the other three sources of Singapore’s water, including imported water,
desalinated water and storm water reservoirs. We also learned about the river
cleanup projects. It was a really cool place! 
There was an installation on water conservation tips. There, we watched a 3D presentation projected with LED lighting. Then we participated in interactive projected city clean up games (which Ashanti and Tenma aced!) and a 'floating in the barrage' simulation. We learned about water filtration, water sewerage and drainage deep tunnel systems, how storm water is collected, filtered and distributed as well as how river cleanup programs were implemented.
We then went back to our accommodation and participated in team building activities. At first, the Sunrise students were not very interested but then they got into all the activities. We tried to figure out how to get untangled after everyone was holding hands, but it was too hard. Then, we were all given sticks and had to pass them around very quickly. It was tricky but fun. Iluh won!
Dinner time came around in no time. The fruit was so delicious! But then….. the lines for showering were soooo long as there were about 100 students sharing the accommodation facilities.
It was then that we realized that there were about 280 students
attending the YES Conference. Then…. because everyone was sooo excited, no one
wanted to go to sleep. Layla was ecstatic and liked the sleeping arrangements
to a slumber party … finally, Ms Karla said that if they didn’t go to sleep, visiting the 7/11 (convenience store) privileges would vanish! And then…. there was sleep ;)
Day 2, 22 January 2015
After an early start and a quick
breakfast, we went to Willing Hearts Community Center to participate in
community service. All the students rotated in different groups to partake in
gardening, vegetable chopping and preparing hundreds of meals in the huge
kitchen. The kitchen provides thousands of meals a day for the elderly, the
sick and the poor. 
The Sunrise girls were lucky enough to join the volunteers and deliver meals to a residence. They were shocked and a little scared because the residence block was dirty and run down. The people were starving and very eager to receive the food. All in all, it was an experience they won’t forget.
While the girls were delivering meals, the boys (with teachers) took a quick
train ride to Bugis Street for a quick explore. We found a pie shop!!! Ms Susi
was happy to find the Bugis Markets.
Our lunch for the day was at the
Willing Hearts Community Centre. It was an interesting experience where
students had a taste of the food served at soup kitchens.
After lunch, we
attended the opening ceremony at Biopolis Matrix Auditorium, which is part of
the Ministry of Education Complex. The presentations were very inspiring, as
they were about hands-on projects in the community. Nicholas Ng talked about
the food bank project he set up. Dr Serina Rahman talked about the Kelab Alami.
That afternoon, we went
to the Marina Barrage, a state of the art dam. It is “built across the mouth of
the Marina Channel, the Marina Barrage creates Singapore's 15th reservoir, and the
first in the heart of the city. With a catchment area of 10,000 hectares, or
one-sixth the size of Singapore, the Marina catchment is the island's largest
and most urbanised catchment” (pub.gov.sg). There, we learned of the massive
technological advancements which enable functional urban water conservation and
flood control possibilities.
When all
groups had eaten, we were placed into large groups. Up until this point, we had
been in school groups and now we had the chance to mingle with students from
other schools and ASEAN countries! We participated
in some team building activities and there were lots of smiles and giggles.
After
we had all warmed up, we walked to Gardens by the Bay for a tour of the
botanical beauties within as well as the astonishing laser light performance.
Iluh was very impressed!
After
we had all warmed up, we walked to Gardens by the Bay for a tour of the
botanical beauties within as well as the astonishing laser light performance.
Iluh was very impressed!
Day 3, 23 January 2015
On the morning of
day 3, we headed off to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.
There, we participated in
a whole lot of team building activities. They were really fun. Then we went to
the learning centre there which had a clay model of the area, interactive
screens as well as specimens of flora and fauna found in the area. Finally, we
went off to the mangroves and walked through the giant wooden pods. It was a
beautiful walk and we could see the cars and buildings of Malaysia, across the
water! Jade was enthusiastically adventurous!
There, we participated in
a whole lot of team building activities. They were really fun. Then we went to
the learning centre there which had a clay model of the area, interactive
screens as well as specimens of flora and fauna found in the area. Finally, we
went off to the mangroves and walked through the giant wooden pods. It was a
beautiful walk and we could see the cars and buildings of Malaysia, across the
water! Jade was enthusiastically adventurous! 
Our next stop for
the day was the National University of Singapore where we watched an inspiring
presentation by 2008 CNN Hero Phymean Noun, about her life journey and helping
children from a Cambodian rubbish dump. Mr. Stengert and Mr. Das delivered a
cool presentation about WWF’s annual climate change Earth hour 60+. Once
presentations were over, students were divided into groups and guided through a
presentation preparation activity.
Day 4, 24 January 2015
Day 4 was jammed packed
with a variety of themes!
We started the day with tour of Singapore City
Gallery(Singapore Urban Redevelopment Authority). There, we were able to explore 3D models of Singapore and its urban development, observe a photographic timeline of Singapore’s development through the century, develop an understanding of Singapore’s expansion through land reclamation, evaluate the possibilities of underground land use through observing interactive simulations, as well as compare and contrast the various possibilities of expanding urban development. Ms Karla was blown away by the wood planks made out of newspaper! Awesome stuff!!
We then went to a
conference room at the National University of Singapore’s accommodation sector.
The students prepped further for their eco ideas presentations about developing
eco awareness in their local communities and helping to solve the environmental
problems. Even though the Sunrise students were shy about presenting, the
students did a wonderful job at illustrating all the wonderful eco activities
and projects they are involved in at school.
After the closing ceremony, it
was party time. At first the Sunrise students were a bit confused because it
wasn’t quite what they were expecting. But after a few schools had performed
and the music was cranked up, everyone was up on the stage dancing and having a
great time. Rocco was really getting into the dancing and showing is amazing
talent. Then, students came down of the stage, swing all the giant flags
around. Java was sliding across the wooden floor and Lachlan was one of our
photo celebrities! 
Day 5, 25 January 2015
On the morning of our last day,
we all packed and said goodbyes to our new friends as groups left the
accommodation. We then traveled to Vivo City for a few hours of eating,
roaming, exploring, playing and shopping. At 4 30 pm, we made our way to the
MRT, switched trains until we got to Changi and then we took the sky train to
the terminal.
All in all, students and teachers
alike had a wonderful and eventful time in Singapore. We all enjoyed being
together and representing our school. We learned so much and enjoyed so many
new and exciting experiences, some we will remember forever and some we will
truly appreciate in time, such as the moments of.. “I remember seeing a water
filtration system like this on our school trip top Singapore!” We are very
blessed, thankful and hope that these overseas trips continue to be experienced
by even more Sunrise students over the coming years.
Until the next YES, keep safe and stay green ;)
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