Guided by a shared commitment to giving back, NUS Cares brings together the NUS community to champion and volunteer in meaningful initiatives that benefit society. In December 2025, this spirit of service saw several staff and students engage with youths of the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF)’s Youth Homes — Singapore Girls’ Home and Singapore Boys’ Home.

At the Singapore Girls’ Home, a lively workshop led by the NUS Centre for Future-ready Graduates (CFG) on 1 December 2025 sparked excitement and self-discovery among youth participants. Youths confidently shared their career aspirations, creating a powerful atmosphere of mutual support as they celebrated each other’s unique strengths. The momentum continued with a dynamic card-sorting game that introduced them to a diverse range of industries and roles. The highlight of the session was the Spaghetti Marshmallow Challenge as teams raced against the clock, collaborating intensely to construct towering structures from spaghetti strands and masking tape within 20 minutes, a test of their collective problem-solving skills. Rounding up the session, guest speaker Genevieve Toh, Chief Marketing Officer and co-founder of FlyORO, shared how she built her professional presence and overcame adversities to forge a path in the sustainable aviation fuel space.

Later in the month on 22 December 2025, NUS Red Cross Youth (RCY) partnered with Singapore Red Cross and the Singapore Boys' Home to deliver a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillator (AED) certification course for 19 youths. Combining hands-on life-saving skills training with activities like Human Bingo and relay challenges, the programme fostered camaraderie between the youths and NUS student volunteers. Practical emergency response training and positive community engagement empowered youths and eased their integration into society.

Student organiser and second-year student from NUS Business School, Yeo Zi Chao, shared, “It was very heartening to see the boys actively participating in the activities. Their enthusiasm reminded us of the importance of our work and why we do what we do. It's a privilege to support their journey back into the community.”

On 23 December 2025, the National University of Singapore Students' Union’s (NUSSU) Alumni Relations and Community Engagement Unit (ARCEU) brought their passion for sports to the Singapore Boys’ Home through a dynamic Sports Day. Leveraging their own athletic backgrounds, ARCEU members initiated a series of fun sporting activities which was warmly received by the sports-loving youths. After lively icebreakers, the sports hall was abuzz with team-based games. Students and youths teamed up, working up a sweat as they passed the ball back and forth in a game of captain’s ball, erupting into jubilant cheers as the occasional lucky lob landed cleanly in a receiver’s hands. The atmosphere grew livelier when the youths spontaneously challenged the students to a friendly dodgeball match. This match was a highlight of the day, bringing much laughter and exhilarating camaraderie that echoed through the sports hall.

Ng Zu Hui, Director of ARCEU and third-year student from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, shared, “Beyond the fun and games, this Sports Day reminded us of the importance of valuing the youths as individuals and building genuine connections through shared experiences. NUSSU is glad to champion this initiative as part of our efforts to give back to the community during the holiday period. We are very thankful to NUS Cares for their support, and grateful to the Singapore Boys’ Home youths and staff, as well as the volunteers, for coming together to make the day meaningful for everyone involved.”

As Singapore’s flagship university, NUS is committed to advancing higher education with purpose, responsibility and long-term impact. As a new year and semester begin, these shared experiences sparked a renewed passion within the NUS community to continue reaching out beyond our campus, harnessing our diverse skills to better support the needs of our local community.