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!

Transforming Culture & Instilling Resilience

“Bouncing back up from setbacks and seeing the good in every situation”

On a sunny Saturday morning, the 10th of March 2012, which was also the 70th day of the year, an entire school congregated together in anticipation of a record-setting event. The goal? To set a new record in the Singapore Book of Records for the “Largest Formation of a Human Slogan”.

The school – Northland Secondary School – rode the event on the theme of “Resilience” – to instill a sense of resilience, toughness and determination in its students and teachers, in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Fall of Singapore to the Japanese (1942). To conjure the slogan, 705 students and teachers adopted an abdominal planking position for 70 seconds to form the slogan, “SG BE RESILIENT!” while hundreds others cheered them on in their endeavors.

In retrospect, the event does sound like an ordinary occasion – its not a mean feat setting such a simple record isn’t it? Truth is, when you consider the personnel involved who helped shape the whole event and brought it to fruition, its no mediocre achievement at all! The boys who ran the show are part of a Co-Curricular Activity in Northland called the GEMs (General Events Managers). These are the rugged boys of Northland, who underwent training and mentoring  with Kingmaker trainers for over a period of 1 year. The GEMs faced countless difficulties and obstacles such as commitment to the project and the determination to see it through the execution phase.

Throughout the many training sessions and workshops with the GEMs, our trainers also overcame myriad challenges. The boys had to overcome the opinions people had of them, and also lack of trust or belief in their own abilities. It was a thoroughly challenging journey the trainers embarked on in encouraging and motivating the boys  to see through the project to its culmination in the event itself on the 10th of March.

Despite all the challenges and obstacles faced, the success of the record set was symbolic through a particular speech at the tail-end of the entire event. The president of the GEMs CCA himself expressed his appreciation to the school, the teachers who believed in the GEMs members, and others who helped them along the way. It was definitely a heartwarming moment to see the president representing his friends and buddies from his CCA, speaking to nearly 1000 people. The victory speech itself was standing proof that the GEMs could definitely achieve their aspirations through resilience and solid commitment!

“Previously, many of us used to scold vulgarities and misbehave in school. The trainers from Kingmaker have taught us well and we now know how to maintain our image as GEMs in our school, and as students when we wear our school uniform in public, so that others will not have a bad impression of us.” Chew Wei Jun, President of GEMs.

Many walked away from the event with a fresher perspective of the school and the students. With resilience in mind, the teachers and students certainly saw what it meant to persevere in hope of achieving their aspirations, and also empowering one another to do just that.

It was incredibly encouraging to see the GEMs come such a long way, take ownership of their project and prove something to the community: that they could achieve their goals if they set their minds and hearts to the task with the right attitude! They went home with the newfound belief in their abilities, to not be chained down by the burdensome opinions others have of them, and to work diligently together for a common, achievable purpose. It has definitely been a pleasure for the Kingmaker trainers in their journey with the boys from GEMs and we genuinely wish them the best in their future endeavors!

Challenging and Transforming Negative Cyberspace Values

“The bully, the bullied and the bystander – which are you?”

The school hall packed with a thousand students broke out in uninhibited laughter and rapturous applause as a disfigured, doctored picture of teenage pop sensation Justin Bieber appeared onscreen. The young ladies roared out in unappreciative disapproval and dissent at their peers’ reactions; the eager boys merely added to the celebrations of a moral victory over their universal antagonist that is Justin. A familiar scene, another intriguing engagement – all in a day’s work for Kingmaker Training Consultant, Adeline Wee.

Kingmaker collaborated with Yusof Ishak Secondary School to bring the students through a journey of Cyber Bullying in our ever-changing Cyber World today. The youths screamed out in exhilaration and volunteered enthusiastically as questions were asked about famous (also infamous) social media personalities such as Justin Bieber, even locally notorious bloggers like Steven Lim. Amidst all the fun and enjoyment, the point was eventually raised that Cyber Bullying precipitates serious problems.

“I liked the trainer who was very engaging and the way she presented such a solemn and serious topic.” Lai Mun Yee

Along the way, the mood turned solemn when the unthinkable consequences of Cyber Bullying were illustrated through several examples. Now, they were really listening.

“They showed interesting videos of real life examples instead of simply pointing out the boring points of Cyber Bullying.” Xena Ong

After a short hour spent together, the youths learnt practical steps to adopt in order to alleviate the countless problems associated with apathy towards Cyber Bullying today. More than that – as they left the hall, they gained keen awareness that they could either  contribute to the persistent problem, or joining the fight against Cyber Bullying. All were led to consider their roles in advocacy.

“This program was meaningful to students and very helpful.” Fazeera Suhaimi

Each of them has a role to play in our Cyber World today, now they accept it. The question left to be answered: how will “intention to change” translate into actual action?

(That was not to be left to chance as Kingmaker also designed follow-up activities for teachers to conduct during classes. These will reinforce learning and create opportunities for application of values)

Kingmaker Consultancy conducts impactful, high-energy assembly programs to promote Cyber Wellness. Rather than providing mere entertainment, concrete learning outcomes are achieved with varied paedagogy and effective speakers. This assembly program was testament to how a short but impactful session can instill greater awareness and increase empathy among youths today.  Contact us to find out more how this may fit into your school’s plans for cyber wellness!

Grappling with the Multifaceted Dimensions of Cyber Wellness

“Advocating imperative values in the Cyber World”

Within two sessions over a two-week period, Kingmaker worked with Chung Cheng High School (Yishun) to increase awareness and improve Secondary 2 students’ understanding of Cyber Wellness. A handful of stimulating topics were covered, including “Responsible Online Expression, “Mastering Video Gaming”, “Respecting Copyright” and “Online Privacy”.

Under the conscientious supervision and watchful eyes of Kingmaker trainers, Chung Cheng students journeyed through thought-provoking lessons in order to subsequently share their learning outcomes and insights with their peers. All coaching was provided in order to empower and enable the students to conduct Cyber Wellness lessons of the highest quality.

Participants feedback significantly reflected a common appreciation of the trainers’ effective use of visual aids in the forms of creative videos and pictures.

“The videos are really interesting and they help me more efficiently recognize what Cyber Bullying is.” Faith Ye

“It teaches me a lot of things that I did not know before.” Ang Li Ting

The various topics covered also opened the students’ eyes to the urgent need to hold on to values in the cyber world today; values such as respect, responsibility and empathy, which become frequently forgotten upon entry into the Cyber World. Participants were enlightened on how the increasing apathy towards such critical values in the Cyber World must be combated with conscious and persistent efforts to enhance awareness among their peers.

“I learnt a lot to prevent myself from Cyber Bullying, which is commonly seen nowadays.” Bong Ming Min 

“It is amazing, it provides you with important information which I think you cannot miss out on.” Carter Tan

“The workshop can help you learn to manage your gaming problems.” Lee Yan Yi

Kingmaker Consultancy is delighted to partner Chung Chung High School (Yishun) in this groundbreaking Cyber Wellness engagement. Workshops of the highest quality will not merely convince students, but also propel them towards advocacy. Kingmaker joins Chung Cheng High (Yishun) to embrace the stretch goal of getting students to train their peers!

 

Kingmaker Consultancy’s workshops are rigourously designed to ensure effectiveness in creating real change. Our curriculum is scientifically validated for learning outcomes. Mature and skilful trainers top up the whole experience for a truly effective cyber wellness intervention programme.

Cyber Wellness Train-The-Trainer

“Why Can’t Cyber Wellness Training be Effective?”

For two hours, Mr. Poh Yeang Cherng of Kingmaker Consultancy opened up and freely shared the “trade-secrets” of how he engages youths effectively on cyber wellness. From strengthening facilitation skills to designing effective curriculum, it was to be the first ever cyber-wellness train-the-trainer for educators (conducted by a training vendor).

The staff team of Mayflower Secondary School were brought through a roller coaster ride into the world of social media. From “Privacy & Online Reputation” to “Cyber Bullying & Responsible Online Expression”, sixty Mayflower teachers were immersed in the wonders of Social Media – through the eyes of a teenager.

Participants were enlightened on the how business models of social media platforms imposed privacy risks on the unsuspecting youth (and adult). Most were shocked at the extent to which web companies tracked personal information.

Teachers were also brought through multiple case studies of cyber harassment and cyber bullying in the teenage online world. The case studies and resources were specially handpicked for teachers to use in Character & Citizenship Education classes.

“The materials that were used were helpful. I can see how I can use them during my lessons.” Anonymous.

An overwhelming 96.4% of all teachers indicated agreement (and strong agreement) with relevance and usefulness of the content, as well as the quality of delivery. It was also noteworthy that there were no single negative rating for the workshop!

“Really learned a lot about cyber wellness. Excellent workshop” Ms Norhidayah

“The session was crisp and an eye-opener. Positive information that can bring about a change.” Ms Vijaya.

“Very good. Strongly recommended” Anonymous

“Yes do it! It’s an eye-opener.” Ms Parimala

Kingmaker Consultancy is pleased to partner Mayflower Secondary School in this exciting journey for Values Education. This is a significant effort to empower teachers for cyber wellness training. This workshop also complements a separate project to train student leaders to conduct cyber wellness presentations for their peers and juniors (more on that in the next post!).

Kingmaker Consultancy conducts quality train-the-trainer workshops for educators in cyber wellness and media literacy. Mr. Poh Yeang Cherng first conducted a train-the-trainer in 2005 for 26 trainers from 6 authorised training companies through MDA funding. Since then, he has also trained many social workers and counselling professionals. This workshop is significant as the first collaboration between commercial vendor and educators. Contact us to find out more how this may fit into your school’s plans for cyber wellness!

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Values Leadership for the First President’s School

“Values can’t be taught, they must be caught.”

Experiential learning was the focus for 52 Yusof Yishak Secondary School student leaders as they spent time with Kingmaker Consultancy over a fruitful 2.5 days.

They had more than just fun and bonding while creating structured experiences for each other (and their incoming juniors in 2012). They CAUGHT YISS’ school values through both intentional and unexpected “teachable moments” throughout the camp.

Mr Tan Hee Guan demonstrated with real-life incidences how he practised respect towards students and depended on integrity for teambuilding. He put the leaders in the “hot seat” of responsibility and gave students their chance to facilitate learning for their peers. It was to be an enriching and very different experience.

“The camp teaches us values of school – the fun we had (will) make us remember the camp forever and it (will be) very difficult to forget” – Javier Ng

“(I like most) the interesting games that also teach us about leadership and the school values” – Siti Nur Ain Fatini

The student leaders walked away with the invaluable experience of learning FACILITATION skills. Many were surprised (not the Kingmaker staff though) that young men and women were able to draw out life lessons while they themselves are still learning to embracing the very same VALUES.

“I’ll say that this camp is very very good. Because there’s more tips to learn about values and morals. And there’s a lot of games that we never played before.” – Noraishah Sharipudin

“I would say that this camp has helped me a lot to improve my level of confidence and also my attitude. It is also very engaging and also fun. It is awesome! :D” – Natasha

“Go YI Student Leaders! Be the first to make history by pioneering values education even in your youth!”

Cross Cultural Leadership – Flying on SIA

Kingmaker Consultancy supported the initiative of Social Integration by 5 Private Education Institutions (PEIs); JCU, NAFA, PSB, SIM & TMC. Kingmaker’s Cross Culture Consultant, Mr Tan Hee Guan, jump-started the “Inter-PEI Integration Leadership Camp 2011″ on the first day. These student leaders, handpicked by their Institutions, were involved in collaborative learning with the strategic framework crafted by Kingmaker:

• The Structure of a Cross Cultural Campus
• The Integration of Cross Cultural Freshmen
• The Attitude of a Cross Cultural Leader

On the second day, they were involved in self directed learning by defining a particular area of social integration concern. Through intense discussion and brainstorming, each group proposed a strategic and feasible programme that can strengthen the social integration of foreigners in Singapore.

 

 

Kingmaker was impressed by the final day presentations by the cross cultural leaders. With some helpful input from Kingmaker as ‘final project presentation’ judge, these students are ready to begin their journey as cross cultural leaders representing the PEIs.

 

 

The last time Mr Tan heard from a cross cultural leader from this camp was that their proposal was supported by the government. Well done everyone!

Crossing Cultures with your “OAR”

Kingmaker Consultancy promoted “Cross-Cultural Literacy” to 200 foreign freshmen at SIM Global Education in August 2011. They came from countries all over Asia – Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, China, India, South Korea, Mongolia, just to name a few.

“Cross-Cultural Literacy” was to be very different from the regular  “Introducing Singapore” talks. Mr Tan Hee Guan (Kingmaker’s principal consultant) moved beyond mere information abut the island state, and instead focused on promoting an adventurous and accepting attitude toward the new surroundings.

The freshmen evaluated their ‘Cross-Culture Readiness’ through a simple profiling exercise. Those who were struggling in their adaptation were pointed towards many sources of information and were also encouraged to seek help from SIM’s Student Care Department.

The freshmen received a strong challenge from Mr Tan. He recounted many inspiring personal accounts of cross-cultural experiences over the past 20 years. Most of the crowd were captivated and highly engaged as they were transported to China, Indonesia, India and various other places. The students were also given some practical handles and “assignments” over the next 4 weeks as a means to apply what they have learned.

The workshop was exceedingly well received. Kingmaker is pleased and honoured to be training another batch of freshmen in September.

This kind of workshop is very valuable. This is a path to survive in life. Thanks!!! – Shang Siong from Indonesia

Very good and entertaining trainer! He is so funny and the way he teaches is interesting! Hope I could be his student! – anonymous

Look out too for an exciting new “sequel” to this training. It will be a “Cross Cultural Leadership” module to be released in October 2011!

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!

Media Literacy

The recent debate over two controversial advertisements highlighted the need for media literacy training.

While the industry’s self-regulatory group (ASAS) acknowledged indecency and called for it’s removal, it was ironically some man-in-the-street who feel otherwise.

Studies show that only 8% of advertising messages are processed by our brains, with the remainder influencing us in ways we do not even begin to realise.

That means that 92% of advertising messaging influence us without our awareness!

Women take in unrealistic ideals of beauty and slimness; body parts (especially of women) are objectified and influence attitudes towards sex and violence. Our expectations, attitudes towards ourselves, others and relationships are but some of the domains affected.

An advertisement like the ones in question uses sex to sell – the message has little relevance to the product/brand.

Media literacy is especially important in this era where we are bombarded with media messages. We need to learn how to access, analyze, evaluate and create media messages.

Kingmaker conducts quality programmes to teach media literacy.

• 670 MOE International scholars learned how to interpret different and sometimes conflicting news messages of the same subject.
• 270 Guangyang Secondary students learned the subtle effects of “sexy media” and how computer games are more than mere entertainment.

All these involve the ability to ask right questions about the source and intent of the messages. Kingmaker teaches a framework for interpretation and uses relevant case studies to educate media-savvy youths.

Contact us at info@kingmaker-consultancy.com for more information!