A Stronghold of Values

“Cementing crucial principles for the forerunners of tomorrow”

In an age of fast-changing cultures and media-oriented communities, one can never overlook the (sadly) deteriorating importance of old-school values and principles. It definitely is an arduous but fulfilling task to pass on these values to the next generation – and that was what a couple of Kingmaker trainers sought to do over 2 days with over 20 student leaders from the Nanyang Girls’ Boarding School.

Highlighting familiar principles such as “Perseverance”, “Responsibility”, “Teamwork” and “Confidence”, the girls were put through many intellectually, and also physically challenging activities to test their diligence and resilience. In addition, the dynamic and difficult circumstances also put them in a situation to work with each other, out of their comfort zones. Building on the relationships already forged through their daily  interaction in boarding school, the girls were encouraged to deepen their bonds and friendships on top of instilling helpful values.

“It is a very unique experience that will enable you to learn more about others, and also about yourself.” Lee Pei Yi

The girls were also challenged to step outside the comfort zone of their own social circles and interact with strangers and foreigners who they had never previously known. It was certainly a ‘culture shock’ if you will, to encourage spontaneity and enthusiasm in sharing about their own lives and cultures from the various countries they hail from.

“I really enjoyed the task where we had to approach tourists and tell thema bout the cultures and stuff. Through this I was able to bond with my partner (who is from another country) and know more about her culture too.” Kylie Lee

“I liked this activity because it made me more confident to approach strangers and start off a conversation. It will be very useful for me to face new boarders/junior boarders.” Theivanai Subramanian

It was certainly an adventurous time for the girls to challenge their incumbent paradigms, having originate from many different countries. The camp was also a platform for them to figure out how they could overcome their many differences, beliefs and ideologies, to paint a holistic and wonderful environment, and culture in their boarding school.

Above all, these girls were carefully grilled to be influential and spirited leaders in their respective walks of life – they were empowered to further empower others and explore countless possibilities in value-adding to their tight-knit community. Coming from illustrious schools and respectable backgrounds, its important these youths learnt that strong, but humble leaderships is sorely needed in their different schools and social circles. Being a leader isn’t always necessarily confined to the classroom or the training courts – the greater endeavor is transcending these avenues to live out leadership in all aspects of their lives.

“The training programme not only taught me how to lead others well, but also the values that ought to be instilled in a leader and as an individual too.” Koe Jia Yee

Kingmaker is excited and pleased to have partnered Nanyang Girls’ Boarding School in this significant and thrilling camp. We hope that the girls will go on to shape our society and impact lives as they grow in their teenage years!

Kingmaker Consultancy conducts vibrant, dynamic camps to cultivate teamwork, leadership and cross-cultural adaptation. We believe that all students can be trained and nurtured as leaders and shapers of their communities around them. The means by which we achieve these will always be challenging, but they should never impede us from striving to build up a generation of resilient and determined youths, who are convicted and convinced about real, priceless life principles! Contact us to find out more how this may fit into your school’s plans for leadership development and team building!

Media Sense & Sensibility

“For the sake of our children & their generation”

Sitting through a video depicting a handful of kids dancing along to their favorite dinosaur, Barney, belting out his theme song  “I Love You”, many smiled and laughed at the innocence of the carefree children. The amusement was substituted with astonishment as the subsequent scenes jolted most of the participants. A room full of animated children began simulating their on-screen Power Rangers heroes, jostling with each other in imitation of the exhilarating fighting scenes and grappling violently with one another out of spirited mischief. Could teenage violence have originated at such early stages?

Learning about negative exposure must have been all in a day’s work for a parent, so it seemed… Until it was realized that many years down the road, kids like the ones mentioned above would have been fed with hundreds of thousands of violent images and media illustrations portraying savage behavior. In retrospect, nurturing the acquiescent, subservient Singaporean child didn’t seem such a straightforward game anymore as external players i.e. video games and social media enter the fray.
Well, that was part of several reasons why more than a hundred parents, educators, students and teachers shared their Saturday morning with Kingmaker Consultancy in a seminar to delve extensively into “Children, Media Usage & Cyber Wellness”.

Led by Kingmaker Director, Poh Yeang Cherng, participants were invited into the fascinating world of Social Media and Facebook. They were  then escorted on a journey of surprising, intriguing insights from different angles and perspectives, both from the consumers and also the producers.

This was complemented with Dr. Douglas Gentile’s expertise in his pet subject, media effects on children and adolescents, as Dr. Gentile shepherded the discussion into the perennially problematic issues of video-games and addiction. Having matured in the age of technological enlightenment and progressively enthralling video-game development, it was clear that many of the participants identified with the problems from experience, both with children, youth and even their peers. These discussions definitely brought regenerated views and unraveled fresh facts for the parents and teachers. Safe to say, these groups of educators have augmented their arsenal in the perpetual warfare against media-reliance and gaming-addiction.

Media Sense & Sensibility was a timely and momentous platform for passionate parents and educators to step into the hot debate about children media usage. More importantly, public awareness and interpretation of media/cyber literacy were pronouncedly amplified through a short handful of hours spent with Kingmaker.

Kingmaker would like to thank all who joined us in the seminar, it has been a pleasure working with you to create greater understanding and advocacy for Cyber Wellness and Media Literacy!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Young Leaders of Tomorrow

“He who has never learned to obey cannot be a good commander.” Aristotle

Who would have thought that spending quality hours with inquisitive, invigorated 12-year old boys could be so refreshing and exciting? Kingmaker trainers rolled back the years as they spent a good two days with just over 40 Maris Stella High School (Primary) prefects for a training camp.

Riding on the belief that leaders can and should be trained well from a young age, the trainers guided the prefects through many challenging activities and games. Instead of stagnating in their ideas and beliefs, the prefects were thoroughly encouraged to learn how to listen acutely, reform their school of thought, and refine problem-solving processes. In this day and age of prevalent, accessible information sources, the prefects were taught not to rely on established solutions and answers that were already tested and proven.

Our young leaders were instigated not to “follow where the path may lead” but to “go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” (Harold R. Mcalindon). Cliche as that may sound, the trainers were able to prove to the prefects that a major weakness in our youth generation today lies in their inability, even unwillingness, to challenge convention and exercise creativity.

Throughout many failed attempts in the various activities, the student leaders realized that critical thinking alone was not always sufficient in problem solving – they had to put their creative juices together and work cohesively to generate fresh, plausible solutions. It definitely was learning through the hard way for them!

No one said leadership has to be individualistic – and that was why the prefects spent great amounts of time in vigorous activities that facilitated them to rely on each other, cultivate teamwork and camaraderie. Culture changing in Maris Stella had to being with the school leaders, which was also why the prefects dived deep into the meaning of their school values: the importance of diligence, discipline, loyalty & dedication and courage.

“The training is interesting and teaches us new values which are important for us as prefects.” Justin Kee

“It is very fun and engaging. It helps you to learn more about your values.” Ryan Teh

When the prefects are convinced and motivated to live out these core values in their very own school, they will most certainly be exemplary role models to both their juniors and peers. Listening to their thoughts and reflections, the trainers were heartened to know that the many of the boys intended to apply the lessons learnt from the camp to the areas of their prefectorial duties and personal life. This was as precious and compelling a learning experience to the boys as it was to the trainers!

Kingmaker Consultancy conducts dynamic, high-energy camps to cultivate teamwork and leadership. We believe that the nurture of 21st century leaders is imperative and paramount today – valuable and extensive learning outcomes can be achieved with  a heterogenous pedagogy and competent training. Contact us to find out more how this may fit into your school’s plans for leadership development and team building!

An Intern’s Experience with Kingmaker Consultancy

Lim Ray Wen interned at Kingmaker Consultancy in 2011. He recounts his experience.

I grew and developed in many ways during the short stint with Kingmaker. The increased confidence in public speaking was especially invaluable.

I was exposed to training young audiences in classroom settings, and it was highly challenging to continually engage their quick-shifting attention. However, Kingmaker provided first-hand coaching & modeling through the principal consultants. This was helped by meticulous pre-preparation of all materials, and a pervasive culture of excellence.

I grew to appreciate the problems of boundless autonomy in the Internet age, particularly with Internet games. The content and cyber wellness values I taught to the young minds were also very applicable for me.

Most of all, I made new good friends at work. My colleagues are very friendly and helpful and we engage beyond work matters. Chatting and chilling together is one aspect that draws me in. Although there is strong leadership, it comes with notable absence of hierarchy and protocols. I feel more than comfortable talking to my bosses and asking them for help.

I personally feel that this internship is a good way to give back to the society. It is a change from the usual things I do for personal gains. Through this internship, I played a role to inspire and educate the future pillars of Singapore. I feel satisfied that I was able to influence my students positively after each class,

Thank you Kingmaker Consultancy for this wonderful experience. I look forward to the possibility of future engagements with you!

Ray Wen is currently pursuing undergraduate studies in an overseas university under a prestigious scholarship. We wish you the best in your future career!