Frequently Asked Questions
What is Syinconnect?
Syinconnect is a conference/experience that brings together like-minded young people to learn about social issues, and what they can do about it. It’s a space where you can pick up handy tools and skills to become a better, more effective agent of change, as well as meet awesome people who could be potential collaborators, partners, funders (who knows!) - or just fellow members of a Syincommunity of support.
What is Syinc?
Syinc is a youth group in Singapore that brings together people to seek innovative solutions for social change. We work to enable young people as the change agents in our community. We do this in two ways:
- Connecting like-minded people and building networks of support;
- Equipping them with the resources, tools and opportunities to make it happen.
We’re not about youth issues per se; we’re about issues that the world is facing – we just think young people can do something about it.
For more info, check out our homepage.
Where will Syinconnect be held, and how do I get there?
Venue: Singapore Polytechnic. They’re over at 500 Dover Road.
SP is super convenient to get to. It has its own MRT station - Dover Station.
Specific room and building details will be included in your confirmation emails.
What's the difference between Syinconnect ‘08 and this year’s?
Syinconnect ‘08 focused on breadth where participants had the options to gain exposure to a wide variety of social issues, and learn from the NGO practitioners working on these issues on the gound in Singapore. It was targeted to students who were interested, but not necessarily experienced, in social change work - to show some of the possibilities of becoming more engaged in this sector.
However, Syinconnect ‘10 is essentially an intense two-day learning+doing workshop, using tools and principles from the design industry, and tackling social issues with them. Rather than breadth, we’re going with depth and participants will focus on a single social issue with one NGO.
Also, a big difference between Syinconnect 2010 and any other conference in Singapore is that we’re getting our participants - beyond learning - to act as junior “consultants” and researchers as they work over the two days to develop solutions for our NGO client.
Why $150?
There’s the usual stuff all event organisers will tell you - food, transportation, materials, training resources, etc. It costs a lot to put on an event like this, so you're actually getting a great value.
But beyond hard event costs, it’s that this conference is providing something to all participants who get selected. It’s the unique experience we have designed specifically to help transform you. And to us, this is the value we’re talking about.
Psst...apply for the scholarship (lah)! Don't let cost keep you from attending!
Why is application selective?
Our programme design this year is very unique, and we’ve placed a great premium on the conference experience for all participants. Because we’re tailoring the experience so carefully, and creating a different quality of interaction, who our participants are is a huge factor in the outcome.
TED is amazing for many reasons, but one of them is the quality of attendees. We are applying the same strategy.
What kind of participant are you looking for (or what’s your criteria)?
Passionate. Empathetic. Open-minded. Unassuming. Curious.
We want to see what you’ve been up to before (some people say “track record”), but we’re also interested in what ideas you have for social change and our collective future. We want to see how you think.
Thus, our selection criteria is broadly in two areas: your previous experience in social/community projects and your ideas for social change (and how you see yourself acting to bring about that future).
Our target demographic is university- and polytechnic- aged students. Precocious youth and the young-at-heart are also encouraged to apply!
(Finally, a sense of humour always helps!)
When will I know if I’m selected?
We will process applications as they come in and notify you about selection via e-mail by 10 October. So yes, it helps to get your application in early!
I want to sign up, but I don't seem to fit your target profile. Should I still apply?
Application is selective, but hey - if you think your presence will add something to the conference, why not apply and see if we think so too. Our selection criteria is as above, and all applicants will be equally and fairly assessed based on the same criteria.
What should I bring?
You don’t need to bring anything - just yourself and your open mind. For conference materials, we've got your back.
But, if you like, you can bring your favourite stationery to take down notes, ideas and inspiration. You’re also welcome to bring along an interesting item that tells people something about you, your thoughts, or your life. ;)
What is the purpose of the field trips?
The field trips are a deliberate element of the conference to give you a space to better understand a social problem. Because of the ethnography that is (generally) part of the design thinking process, going down in the flesh allows for observations - and insights - that can’t be extracted from reading a textbook, or watching videos.
Who will conduct the sessions?
We’ve roped in a unique group of design thinkers in Singapore, who apply design thinking to problem-solve in their professional work (or even outside of it). They’re also great facilitators.
What if none of the four tracks available are relevant to my personal causes / career?
Well - you are the boss of you. We think the programme we’ve put together is pretty kick-ass, but you only get out of it what you put into it (and want to). There’s only one way to find out.
What is the purpose of “Think & Drink”?
We’ve been told - and also know from many of our own conference experiences - that oftentimes it’s the informal interactions that are the best part of a conference. So we’re picking up on that, and providing a cool space, outside of official conference programme, to chillax with fellow participants - in an environment that is informal, natural, and might just spark some interesting ideas!
Participation is optional, but we should mention that drinks (and entertainment) are on the house ;)
What will happen after Syinconnect?
After Syinconnect, you become part of the awesome Syincommunity. This means you get access to some handy networks, support, and ideas - as you go along in your social change journey. We’ll be organising meet-ups to keep the connections alive, and you can also poke us directly if you have something to share, or get help on.
Participants whose ideas have been selected by the NGO client will get a chance to continue working with them to develop those ideas and make them happen. For these guys, to support you in making your project a reality, we are providing project consultancy, mentorship, and access to our network of contacts.
Finally, keep an eye out for Spark Plug, a training programme that provides tools to identify opportunities for innovation, and the skills for implementing them. (We’ve started a pilot on this, and if you’re interested to have your school/class/CCA/YEC/company/department/NGO do a run, let us know.)
