DISC & Service Learning Workshop for CHIJ KC (Day 1)

Here are some of the photos during the 1st day at CHIJ KC Secondary School.

"A picture is worth a thousand words" - Unknown

Check out photos here...

Volunteer at Swiss Cottage Sec YCDI! Programme

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I went to Swiss Cottage Secondary School to volunteer for "You Can Do It" programme.
However, it was very new to me and very fresh too. Because it was a different approach and specifications of the programme that made everything different.
And the audience were different too. but it was really enjoyable once again for me, and all of us felt that five hours passed real quick.

The videos and life stories were very motivating. And it really went down to the student's minds and soul after they heard those stories of successful people that are world icons. And the videos further led them into their personal thinking space of how they could really try their very best in the things that they do and the things that they want to achieve. Something sad that i felt was that the lack of sharing times, because when the thoughts are being voiced out, or any other forms of putting those mental thoughts to physical thoughts, these thoughts actually drills into the brain and we remember them. And it becomes more organized and specific as we go about editing and readjusting those thoughts. So perhaps i felt i could have done better in that area to lead the students to their utmost thinking and encouragement. but I guess I'm still new. so I got lots to learn. So as usual, i brought back with me learning points as well. I wrote a few sentences down, in my notebook. and I don't feel good to share them here. but i really dun mind sharing with the people who are interested, like face to face.

And i was thinking and thinking. when i ask a successful person's story of him/her being successful. and his journey before being successful.
is the person going to share just all his success during his journey. or is he going to share his difficulties and failures? i believe the answer is quite clear. one will never learn, if he doesn't make mistakes. we learn from our mistakes, and that's where we keep growing and growing. its a never-ending process.. so its not wrong to make mistakes. but we cannot make this as an excuse for us to make mistakes.

this will be intentional mistakes and they are not good. i really believe and firmly believe that everyone in the world, can achieve what they want, if they really put their heart, soul, mind and thoughts in it. cause nothing is impossible.

if its something that sounds out of the world to us now. and you feel like giving up after others say that your idea is totally absurd. then why am i typing into this blog? why am i still able to see so clearly at such late nights? these things do not come just overnight or a flick of the wand. at these inventors' time, their idea were crazy too. but they firmly believe in themselves. and they left a legacy. so all of us, will leave a legacy. but, are we going to leave a vague legacy? or are we going to leave an impactful legacy? or is our legacy something that even decades down the road, our legacy is still known?

For me Trybe is here to enhance, to encourage and act as a engine and all the upgrades to the machine. and if our lives were each a machine. and we are the key to the machine(our lives), if we do not want to ignite the machine. no matter how well equipped the machine is, its useless. cause if you personally do not want to move on, no one can force you to move on. I really hope that all the readers of my blog. will try your very best in whatever you do. choose your battles. do not fight all battles. choose, and fight, and win. declare victory. and move on. if you fight, and you fail. ask yourself, what went wrong. and learn from there, and we go higher and higher. we do not have to be GREAT to be BEST. but as long as we are at our BEST, we are GREAT.

Okay, I shall end it here. RAFFY!!! is this long enough?! But on a serious note. really hope all youths out there will bring back something with them, after reading this blog entry. If there is anything topic that your will like me to touch on, can either email me the question, or topic. or tag at the board.
be specific. before i end, wish to tell your that, by my answering your question,

i m not greater than you. i just want to share my thoughts with others.
- and i will not disclose who ask me the questions. so yups.
- hope we all grow and learn from our mistakes.

cheers!

"For everything that you do, TRY YOUR VERY BEST. you will never know how far you can push yourself, till its your best shot!"

Posted on behalf of Dave

(One of our amazing young volunteers, from Chua Chu Kang Sec)

Trybe is back at Chung Cheng High Sch (Main)

This is our fifth year back at Chung Cheng High Sch (Main)! Our strong team of 50 volunteers came early morning, ready to take on the exciting YCDI programme to the Secondary One students of CCHS! The students came to the hall in high spirits and during the programme, they were spontaneous and enthusiatic! Here's some beautiful moments captured during the programme:

Trybe's first session at Yishun Sec School

We had a privilege to have our first “You can do it!” session with sec 3E10 of Yishun Secondary school. Thanks goes to our old friend Stanley Ang who was one of our first few groups of trained volunteer and now a teacher in Yishun Secondary School who believe in our message and invite to have the session with his form class. This is what he said after the programme:

"Dear friends, Would like to specially thank you for making time & resources to do this run for my form class. The response from my students were tremendous (far more than what i ask or imagine). All of them felt very affirmed and encouraged by the session - and many wanted more facilitators to be around and more such workshops :D YCDI has helped me won the trust of the class to a great extent. Many students who were 'previously switched off' or 'close to giving up' are now more responsive and receptive to me. Thanks for doing such a wonderful job with my class free of charge! Hope this will really open up more doors for you in the future.”
- Stanley Ang (3E10 Class Form Teacher)

Also, below is the video of our brave friend, Jack, to sing a song for the class despite all the teasing words from your friends! Well done Jack and I am encouraged by your bravery!


Jacks’ Video


Once again thank you my dear friend at 3E10 of Yishun Sec! You guys are special and all the best for your coming exams and remember you guys are special! :)

Posted on behalf of Bee Lian & Dy

More Photos....

I can do It! challenge at Yusof Ishak Secondary

Three straight days of early rise and shine for Hua Yi Secondary School and Yusof Ishak Secondary School was quite draining for someone who by nature was introverted and well not a high I. This experience presented me with a challenge and as Sam put it “I survived!”

At my final day at Yusof Ishak I was suddenly given the challenge to lead the ice breaker games by my lead facilitator Jaime. [Pause, with a tiny bit of apprehension] Ok, I was up for the challenge. Unfortunately, the combined class of 2E1 & 2E2 consisted of international students from China, Korea, Thailand, etc. A game of Tarzan,Jane & Gorilla started with inertia when the students seemed puzzled over my instructions due to the language/cultural barrier. They wondered why "Jane" in the game was a girly-act-cute portrayal when in reality; Jane was their popular male korean classmate who went around giving his friends hi-fives.

Unaware of the reason behind their shyness and standing there with mic in hand, I was thinking to myself "What in the world did I get myself into?” But of course, this being the “You Can Do It!” programme, I couldn’t stand in front thinking “I’m not cut up for this…” and try to encourage students to have the right attitude and achieve their dreams they have set for themselves right? One had to lead by example and eventually with a combined effort of the team of facilitators the game was complete. [Breathes a sigh of relieve] I persevered and went on to finish talking the students through the administration for the DISC profiling for which I am thankful that they responded well [Breathes a sigh of relieve…again].

The diamond in the rough for these three days of courses, was seeing the students respond to the program as they exclaim "Oh ya! That's me!! Haha" Or listening to them as they open up and share the problems they have in school, ask me fashion tips or simply wave goodbye at the end of the day.

I think the important lesson for both the students and the volunteers is being aware of why we respond the way we do. For example, I could have been discouraged when the students did not respond well to the game but understanding why they responded in that manner helped me to improve the way I gave instructions and tailor the approach to the personality/dynamics of the class. In the same way, the students now understand why their friends or parents react differently from them and not feel discouraged as easily when the response is not what they were expecting.

They say nothing in life is failure, You’d win some and You’ll loose.

-Adapted from song

This is a fact of life, one can’t always “win”. But being able to understand the context helps one to learn and improve.

YOU CAN DO IT,

Posted on behalf of Nicole Then

Jeremy podcast You Can Do It! @ Victoria School

This is the first podcast made for Trybe by Jeremy during the You Can Do It!Programme at Victoria School. In this podcast Jaime explains what is Trybe and the You Can Do It!Programme is all about. This show includes a short interview with some of the students who attended the programme.

- Check out their group website at www.ctpod.net for more details about his podcasting. Enjoy listening!

Ethan shares Reflections on You Can Do It! @ VS

Nostalgic. To say the least. In 2005, Nic Lee set foot into 2C'05's classroom in typical Thumb's Up attire. I was 14 at the time and in need of a lot of help.

Now, in 2008, it is a perfectly reconstructed situation. Only I'm at the front of the class heading the workshop and Nic is sitting down with the students. We were even in the same classroom!

The connection was very much different being alumni of the school. The lingo was understood, the Victorian Spirit could be felt and the inside jokes hit home.

It was an experience unlike any other. Having been in their shoes before made it so much easier to anticipate how they would react and what made them tick. Kind of like a sixth sense to that which would violate Trybe's PG rating.

It felt good to go back. I got to conduct the workshop which began the change in my life, I got to see my old classroom and teachers again, I got to eat the $2.50 chciken spaghetti and even collect my O level certificate.

Thank you,Trybe for allowing me to make a difference at one of the places that matter to me the most. I expect we'll see our fair share of success stories from these Victorians in years to come. Or a chalet invitation at the very least. :)

Every Youth A Success Story
Nil Sine Labore

Posted on behalf of Ethan

Old and new volunteers at Bukit View Sec School

We had a super session in school on Monday. It was a normal “You Can Do It” programme, though it was held in the afternoon, after a whole day’s worth of school…. Anyways, I had a great time! The class was extremely energetic and participative.. Super! Everything we said, they did – all the activities, games and when any of the facilitators spoke, all of the students listened intently. It was just awesome!

It was good to see Dalston too. Here he is, sharing a part of the programme... If you know, Dalston has been a volunteer since 2002/2003, when we visited his secondary school – Dunman Secondary. He has always been a keen supporter of our programmes and an active volunteer with us. It was really nice to have our seasoned facilitators, like him, come to show the newer lead and co-lead facilitators how to handle certain aspects of the programme.

More importantly, it is good for me to know that our volunteers, and now our friends, are doing well in their own lives – progressing from secondary school, to post-secondary, to serving their national service liabilities, to furthering their studies or work! Each one a success story in the making! Strong!

Posted on behalf of nic

You Can Do It @ FMPS – 18 & 23 Jan08

FMPS You Are The Best! Wow… the 2 days of YCDI sessions at Fairfield Methodist Primary School for the primary 5 students are most enjoyable… =P So glad that I have took time off my exam schedule for this two sessions. Though it was pretty tiring but I have to admit that it was so much fun (plus all the stickers all over). I totally enjoyed the session especially at the last part where there was this skit (I guess it was called “the rainbow skit”). It was the first time I saw this skit and felt that it was very motivating.

This young and energetic bunch of students is destined to have a bright future ahead of them. Check out some of the pictures…

Posted on behalf of Vege

Extraordinary Monday at Henderson

A very extraordinary monday for Trybe volunteers and staff being at Henderson Secondary School conducted the You Can Do It! Workshop for 4 classes of Sec 1 students. It was two days of fun and learning with the fresh students of HSS and there's nothing more enjoyable than to spend busy monday with like-minded people of Trybe and happening bunch of students from Henderson Secondary School. You guys are destined for greatness!!

Check out the photos...

Trybe's New 'You Can Do It!' at Pasir Ris Sec!

Thank you Pasir Ris Sec for having us last Wednesday and Thursday at your school. Trybe hopes that every seed of encouragement we have planted in the Secondary One students will bear fruit, because we truly believe in the potential of every student.

This is also the inaugural run of our Revised 'You Can Do It' programme! It is definitely even more interactive and engaging for the students. To find out why Trybe staff or volunteers are cutting apples in the middle of the classrooms, join us at our new YCDI runs!

Friends from Boonlay Secondary School!

We had a great time at Boonlay Secondary School! The students in our classes are amazing and very engaged. The feedback from our volunteers says "you guys rock!" I am really glad to visit again this school and met up new and old friends from Boonlay! Again we say Go for it guys Dream Big, you guys are the BEST!!




Posted on behalf of Dy

Whose Dream Job is Acting?

If you love Jay Chou this man is way much better when it comes to acting. Did you know? Dy's dream job is to be an Actor. And he sure learned alot from his wife (Ky) who is soon to be a mom. But this friend is really a man of many of talents which is why we believe he will do great in whatever he does.

Hwa Chong Institution (You Can Do It!)

73 students from Hwa Chong Institution experienced You Can Do It session with us on 4th Sept 2007. I believe that many of them have enjoyable time with us in the session. For me it was a great experience with the boys and not to mention the famous squirrel game that we played almost half and hour!! You know, I have got sore throat after that!! Well, i really have a great time and remember, whatever dream that you have, go for it! I am sure you will come out great not just for yourself but for the nation as well. I believe in you! :)

You Can Do It! For Volunteers

We had our volunteer training on Saturday, 11 Aug 07. It was great to see a mix of new and more experienced volunteers at this training. It was also a good opportunity to have these volunteers from diverse backgrounds come to share about their own volunteering experiences.

 

It was meaningful to have a young volunteer, Bing Rong, share the “two dollar story”. To hear it from him was refreshing. We are glad that they came for the session. For those of you who have not been through the basic training, watch out for the new dates to be published by Raffy, our Volunteer Manager.

 

Posted on Behalf of Nic

Yuan Ching Sec Sch - You're the Best!

To my young friends in Yuan Ching Sec – I walked out of our session, encouraged and inspired as I witnessed such greatness in each of you.

Thank you for welcoming us to your school, our time there has been the most enjoyable.
I look forward to see all of you again very soon!



Posted on Behalf of Jaime

You Can Do It! at Chung Cheng High (Main) yet again!

It’s our fourth year in Chung Cheng High School (Main)! This is my first time taking on such a big project managing role, managing 12 classes of Sec 1s and one class of Trybe for Parents! To be honest, I was feeling excited yet nervous.

With the strong support of my colleagues, we were able to gather a strong poll of 53 volunteers. Our spirits were kept high throughout the whole day, cheering our host, Joel, when he addressed the group in the morning! The whole cohort turned out to be very spontaneous and participative. I have personally enjoyed the session with the students in the classroom. I believed the other twelve classes have been enjoyable too! Thank you Chung Cheng High for having us again this year.

Run the Race with Perseverance

Last December as a personal challenge i took part in the Standard Chartered Half-Marathon (21km) - my very first! To a person who dislikes running and did not enjoy my 2.4km runs in school, i felt almost like i paid $30++ for registration, just to push myself into a pit . But hey, the more i was not comfortable in doing it, the more i wanted to take up the challenge to push myself beyond my limits.

These were my take-aways from the race:

^Pain in the joints between the legs and the torso

^Bruised toenails (Ouch! They dropped off after that!)

^Bad headache

^Over-exerted strain on the stomach (i forgot to eat breakfast! gosh)

Now you must be thinking "Mirabel you siaoz ah!".

But i had NO REGRETS! I AM A WINNER! I conquered myself!

Yes the temporary conditions above tried to discourage me from finishing the race. I felt like my body was breaking into two pieces. But in mental strength, i saw my finishing line right from the start, and crossed it in the end!

And guess what, i was healed from these right after the race. My toe nails are nice now. Ha.

Do not be mistaken that i was one of the top runners to finish the 21km. I didn't care how fast the others ran. I was running my own race, and the most important thing was that i finished it.

I want to use this little experience to epitomise my whole life - to finish the race of life well and strong, even with bloody knees after falling!

How are you running your race (of life) today?

Are you too busy comparing your speed with others that you don't push yourself the maximum?

Do you keep looking backwards, wondering how you had done in the past? Remember you cannot change the past, but you CAN determine how your future will be.

Have the end in mind, run the race with perseverance, look AHEAD and stay focused!

April Coughlin, of New Paltz, celebrates as she crosses the finish line at the 2001 Utica Boilermaker Road Race, Sunday, July 8, 2001. She was the second female to finish in the wheelchair race.

Posted by Mirabel.

Club Ilya "You Can Do It!"

Trybe partnered the Health Promotion Board for a “You Can Do It!” session for a group of youths and volunteers from Club Ilya last Saturday. The session focused on heightening the self-awareness of the youth and encouraging them to overcome their previous offences to excel in their life. During that session, we heard an inspirational personal testimony by one of our friends. Thank you guys for giving us your time and attention that afternoon. We have been truly touched by your lives and energy. We hope that our programme has benefited you to know that you are all unique individuals with great potential! We believe in each of you!

First Timer at Bowen Secondary

This is my first time going to a session at Bowen Secondary School. I got all excited when people ("you know who am I referring to") keep telling me about the military band and it does not help me at all when the night before I went to Mcdonalds and there I saw flying message on the TV saying that “I love Bowen Military Band! They Rock!” Well, we didn’t go to the session with the military band but with the SL Club. The group of students are very obedient and an excellent bunch! I really enjoyed being there. Thank you for having us! And of course thanks to my superb volunteers. And I realized that I have a group of high “I” volunteers together. I had such a great time and many blessing to all of you!

P.S.: Try to spot their pictures ya?

Posted on behalf of Dy