The Mental Health Advocate is a project that targets to engage patients
and raise awareness of the importance of mental well-being amongst youths.

It is supported by People’s Association Youth Movement Ci Yuan Youth
Group and Silver Ribbon (Singapore).

The project aims to:

1 Combat the stigma associated with mental health illnesses
and emotional instability

2 Encourage early detection and appropriate treatment of poor
mental health

3 Allow people with mental health illnesses to reintegrate
into our society

As a mental health advocate, you will:

- Undergo a 2-day mental health advocate-training workshop to
acquire basic concepts of mental health illnesses and learn to
recognize signs and symptoms of mental health illnesses through
role-plays, team building & group discussion.

- Get to champion this cause via interaction with the youth
and public, such as facilitating in workshops

- Get a chance to interact with patients and bring them out on outings.

Benefits:

Goodie Bag
Free T-shirt
Certificate of Commendation
Interaction with at risk patients
Whole loads of fun, time well spent & make new friends!

For more details, please refer to the attached files.

==> Mental health advocate

==> Mental health advocate sign up form

For general inquires, please email
mentalhealthadvocate.2010 {at} gmail(.)com or call Hui Ling @ +65 98501019.

As the saying goes Mens sana in corpore sano (A sound mind in a sound
body), we really hope to build a world of healthy people healthy minds
healthy bodies. So do join us in this meaningful cause.

Date: 31 October 2009 (Saturday)
Time: 9.45am – 2.00pm
Outing Venue: Singapore Zoo
Initial Meeting Point: Chua Chu Kang MRT Station (NS9)

Register by filling in the form below.

The Mensa Y Outing programme is a collaboration with YMCA of Singapore where volunteers from Mensa Singapore accompany beneficiaries from the Handicaps Welfare Association (http://www.hwa.org.sg) for outings to various places of interests, giving volunteers meaningful opportunities to bond with and care for them. The clients of HWA are physically challenged and most are on wheelchairs.

Volunteers needed for logistics and food preparation.

Date: 29 August 2009 (Saturday)
Time: 4.30pm – 7.00pm
Outing Venue: Labrador Nature Reserve
Initial Meeting Point: Main Entrance, Labrador Nature Reserve

Sign up by completing the form at the end of this page. If you have friends who are interested, please feel free to bring them along.

The Mensa Y Outing programnme is a collaboration with YMCA of Singapore where volunteers from Mensa Singapore accompany beneficiaries from the Handicaps Welfare Association (http://www.hwa.org.sg) for outings to various places of interests, giving volunteers meaningful opportunities to bond with and care for them. The clients of HWA are physically challenged and most are on wheelchairs.

A highlight of Mensa Singapore’s 20th anniversary Gala Dinner is its community outreach programme. Mensa Singapore is working with NorthLight School (NLS) which takes in students who have repeatedly failed their PSLE and prepares them for lifelong learning and employability so the students can make positive contributions to the community.

You have to read this introductory post on NorthLight School by Daniel to know more about the school and its mission.

I have heard heart-warming stories about the teachers and students in this school from several acquaintances. Even Education Minister Ng Eng Hen gushes over this school at an Education forum I attended.

He praised the good leadership of Principal Mrs Chua Yen Ching and her dedicated teachers and staff, and spoke with pride on the long waiting list of teachers wanting to teach in NorthLight School.

NorthLight School needs our support. Without it, I cannot imagine what would happen to the lives of the hundreds of students it is now helping. The students are learning skills which would help them to be independent and be useful citizens to the society.

Underprivileged students formed the bulk of the intake each year. Many students stay far from the school. One student lives in Kota Tinggi and every day, he travels for 4 hours each way to attend school.

Meals and transport costs are the main expenses of these students.

Each needy student needs an average of S$400 per year in assistance.

Contribute to the students’ assistance fund. Your contribution will go into providing the meal coupons, transport allowance and school uniform to the needy students.

Buy an art piece by NLS students or send your donations to :

NorthLight School
2 Dunman Road
Singapore 439188
Tel: 6580 6490

Donors are eligible for a tax-deductible receipt.

MN09/001 - MN09/010 (Poster size, with frame ) - S$200 each

MN09/011 - MN09/020 (A4 size, with frame ) - S$60 each

MN09/021 - MN09/026 (Postcard size, with frame ) - S$25 each

Please contact community {at} mensa.org(.)sg if you would like to be a donor.

The first session was held on 28 April 2009, which consist of the first two lectures. The first lecture was conducted by Ms Vivian Claire Liu, Founding Director of PhilanthropyWorks on the topic “Finding your calling”. This lecture helps the students to be more aware of what they want to do in the future. Henry Kissinger once said “If you do not know where you are going, every road will get you nowhere.” Having a clear vision of the future gives the students a sense of direction and a goal to move towards.

The second lecture was conducted by Mr Samuel Chia, Managing Director of NYDC Café and Restaurant on the topic “Entrepreneurship”. Mr Chia shared his life experience with the students, like the importance of education, how he overcome failure and setbacks by believing in himself. He also stressed importance of continual self improvement, as technical skills alone are not sufficient to make one successful - soft skills are equally important.

Overall it is a very inspiring and motivating session for the students and both lectures complimented each other. One is about knowing where to go and the other is about how to get there. The next session of the Dream & Achieve program will touch more on soft skills.