Teach Singapore

In line with NUS 115 years of history in levelling up the society through education and shaping the future, Teach Singapore (Teach SG) is a university-wide initiative aimed to involve NUS students to provide academic coaching and mentoring to children and youth from lower-income families.

Teach SG seeks to empower and equip NUS students who want to make a difference in the lives of these disadvantaged children and youth.

You will have access to useful resources, funding and volunteer support throughout this initiative to enable you to do more.

All students may apply to this initiative:

Student groups with existing community partners conducting academic coaching or mentoring outreach projects;
Student groups looking for community partners to conduct their mentoring outreach projects;
Individuals looking to volunteer

Join us in this meaningful initiative and together, we can make a difference in these young lives.

1. FUNDING DETAILS

Successful student projects will receive a grant of up to $3,000 each.

Qualifying Items	Non-Qualifying Items
Transport cost to location where sessions are conducted.	Direct cash donations or gifts to beneficiaries and/or community partners.
Stationeries including photocopying of materials necessary for the conduct of the sessions.	Purchase of stationeries such as pencil, ruler etc. for beneficiaries. Exception is given if stationeries are used as prizes during bonding sessions.
Materials & logistics needed for bonding session (e.g. Entry tickets to places of interest, chartering of buses etc.)	Any items for private and personal consumption. Exception is given for refreshments if activity is held over meal times.
	Items, goods or services where approved individual or team members have a direct stake or interest in.

*Only items that are essential to the project will qualify for funding. OSA reserves the right to reject expenditures as deemed fit. Applicants are encouraged to seek clarification prior to spending, if uncertain.

Funding is based on:
1. Approved budget submitted at the start of the project, and
2. Statement of accounts submitted before end-term disbursement.

How to prepare a budget proposal:
Download Budget Guide (.pdf)

2. ELIGIBILITY

Teach SG is open to all NUS students currently involved or interested in academic coaching and mentoring projects to children or youths from disadvantaged backgrounds.

New or Existing Student Groups:

All members of the project team must be full time NUS students with at least one semester left before graduation.
Minimum of five members per team.
Projects or contact time with beneficiaries should span a minimum of 12 weeks with at least one session (approx. 1.5 hours) per week.

All beneficiaries must be from low-income families and can range from Primary to Secondary schooling levels.

Individuals:

Applicant must be a full time NUS student with at least one semester left before graduation
Applicant should be able to commit to an engagement period of at least 12 weeks (approx. 1.5 hours) per week.

Students with records of serious disciplinary offence may not be eligible to participate in Teach SG.

Students should be fully vaccinated to be eligible to participate in Teach SG.

3. EVALUATION CRITERIA

All projects will be evaluated by a panel as accorded to points in the following areas:

Impact to community
Impact to self

4. PROJECT OUTCOMES

The intended project outcomes include:

Increase access to programmes by children and youth
Increase sense of self-confidence and broaden world view of children and youth
Enhance NUS student volunteers’ abilities

5.1 APPLICATION PROCESS (FOR INDIVIDUALS OR STUDENT GROUPS* LOOKING FOR COMMUNITY PARTNERS)

Recruitment cycles: January and August

STEPS TO APPLY:

1. Login to NUS TalentConnect

2. To view the available mentoring opportunities,
a. Click on ‘Jobs’
b. Under ‘Position Type’, select ‘Office of Student Affairs - Teach Singapore (TeachSG)’

3. Apply for your preferred mentoring project

4. You will be notified via email once you have been offered a position by the community partner
a. Log in to TalentConnect to accept the offer

*All members from the same student group should apply for the same project

Apply

5.2 APPLICATION PROCESS (FOR STUDENT GROUPS WITH EXISTING COMMUNITY PARTNERS)

Recruitment cycles: January and August

STEPS TO APPLY:

1. Nominate a group leader to sign up on behalf of the project group

2. Fill in the form here with your project’s details

Apply

6. DIGITAL BADGE

The Teach SG digital badge, awarded through Accredible, is issued to volunteers who have completed* your project. Once you’ve acquired your credential, you can add your badge to LinkedIn so that prospective employers can see it. The digital badge is a testament you have actively participated in the mentoring sessions, and have acquired mentoring skills as a Teach SG mentor.

*Volunteer should complete at least 80% of the mentoring sessions required to be considered.

7. VOLUNTEER TOOLKIT

A volunteer toolkit is also available for your download. The toolkit comprises Volunteer Dos and Don'ts, Activity Resource, and Surveys for mentees.
NOTE: Students reading the GEN2050X/Y should refer to the module's Canvas page.

Download toolkit

8. CONTACT

Should you have any questions regarding this programme, please email to teachsg@nus.edu.sg.
Join our Telegram channel https://t.me/nusteachsg

8. FAQ

A. Eligibility

1. Can I still apply if my current project is funded by other grants?

Yes. The project should ensure that the items funded by Teach SG are not funded by the other grants.

2. Can I have non-NUS students in my project group?

No. Teach SG is only open to projects by NUS students.

3. Can I apply to Teach SG if I am an international student?

Yes. You can apply to Teach SG if you are an international student.

4.What if I have less than 5 members in my project group?

Consideration will be given on case-by-case basis. Do enquire via email to teachsg@nus.edu.sg.

5. Can I qualify for Teach SG if my project group is engaged in other activities with the beneficiaries beyond academic coaching?

Yes. However, academic coaching should form the core of your activities during your engagement with the beneficiaries.

6. May I apply for Teach SG if I am graduating this semester, and continue the 12-week engagement post-graduation?

No. Teach SG is currently only open to existing NUS undergraduates.

B. Community Partners

1. I have not identified a Community Partner for my project, can I still apply to Teach SG?

Yes, you can. You will be able to select your preferred community partner during your application, based on your availability and interests.

2. Who are Teach SG's community partners?

We have a wide range of community partners, from MOE primary and secondary schools to student care centres, family service centres and social services offices.

3. If my Community Partner decides to withdraw mid-way through the programme, will I still be able to continue engaging with beneficiaries?

You will be able to continue mentoring but with a different group of beneficiaries. You can email us and we can re-match you to another Community Partner that requires volunteers.

C. Applying as a Student Group

1. Can my student group retain our branding, project name and existing volunteering programmes after we join Teach SG?

Yes, you can. All existing student projects who are eligible for Teach SG may retain their branding and group identity after it is successfully accepted as part of Teach SG initiative. Teach SG will provide additional support for the ongoing mentoring projects.

D. Applying as an Individual

1. Will I be matched to other student volunteers to form a group when I apply as an individual?

Yes, you will be grouped together with other student volunteers who also applied for the same mentoring project as you.

2. As an individual, am I required to have a proposed project to apply to Teach SG?

No, individual volunteers are not required to have a proposed mentoring project prior to application. You will be able to apply for your preferred mentoring project via TalentConnect.

3. Is there a possibility that my application will be unsuccessful?

Yes, as all the mentoring projects have limited vacancies. However, you can still try to apply to other mentoring projects after an unsuccessful application.

E. Volunteering Commitment

1. Will I be able to choose a volunteering slot that is convenient for me?

Yes, you will be able to view the schedule of all the available mentoring projects and apply for the one that fits your schedule.

2. May I still apply for the current round of application if I am only able to commit in the next semester?

No, the mentoring projects on TalentConnect are only projects that are available for the current semester. You would have to wait until the next application cycle to see the projects available for the next semester.

3. When will the 12-week duration of volunteering span across?

It will typically span across one NUS academic semester. However, this differs from one mentoring project to another.

4. Can I use Teach SG to fulfil other programme requirements?

Yes. You should ensure that your project meets the requirements of the other programme as well. Do also ensure that the items funded by Teach SG are not funded by the other grants.

F. Digital Badge

1. Will I get a digital badge at the end of my project?

Yes, a digital badge will be awarded when you have completed at least 80% of the mentoring sessions required.

2. When will I be awarded with the digital badge?

We will be issuing them by the end of each academic semester. Do enquire via email to teachsg@nus.edu.sg if you have yet to receive your digital badge despite fulfilling the above requirements.

G. GEN2050 Module

1. Will I be able to fulfill the module’s requirements by signing up for Teach SG?

No, projects eligible for GEN2050 are different from the Teach SG projects listed on TalentConnect. The list of eligible projects is available on the module's wikipage. You can register for the module during modreg round 2 or 3 (only Year 2s and above can view the module).

2. Where can I find more information about this module?

You can check out the module’s website here, or email the module coordinators:
Ms Sim Qin Ying, pvosqy@nus.edu.sg
Ms Raiza Rifaaie, pvofrar@nus.edu.sg