wavy line banner

YOUTH

picture of poon yu hui, lydia lim yong yee, betty chum, nur ashikin bte rahim, lim pei shan, joyce than jia yi, and laurina tay kai yee

International Women’s Forum Singapore: Empowering young women for a better future

They may come from disadvantaged families, juggling work with school, but that has not stopped them from pursuing their dreams or even helping others. For this, ten young women were presented with the 2016 International Women’s Forum (IWF)’s Education Grants on 30 September.Managed by the Community Foundation of Singapore, the IWF Education Grants support young women who are currently pursuing a diploma or degree in local polytechnics or universities but face challenges in continuing their studies due to financial difficulties. Many come from low income families and need to work to pay school fees or supplement their household income.

picture of sr nathan with 4 students

The Straits Times: Legacy of giving lives on

In his final year as president, Mr S R Nathan – together with a few of his close friends – started discussing with me the idea of starting a philanthropic fund to help “uplift” children from poor families.Coinciding with the launch of Mr Nathan’s memoir An Unexpected Journey: Path To The Presidency in 2011, the S R Nathan Education Upliftment Fund was established to provide financial support to disadvantaged young people by helping them complete their education.

picture of sr nathan with 4 students

S R Nathan Education Upliftment Fund – Providing students with the needed leg-up

Growing up in a poor family, the late former President of Singapore Mr S R Nathan knew what it was like to struggle with school and making ends meet.In his teens, he dropped out of school, ran away from home and tried to eke out a living amidst troubled times. While working, he continued his education and was eventually awarded a bursary that enabled him to graduate with a Diploma in Social Studies from then University of Malaya.

2015 winner, cellist Theophilus Tan

Cellist wins Goh Soon Tioe Award

Theophilus Tan is the first cellist to clinch the Centenary Award since it was established in 2011. Cellist Theophilus Tan started piano lessons at the age of seven but was never very enthusiastic about classical music. But through a combination of emotional support from his secondary school teacher mother, strict discipline from his pastor father and from listening to his father’s collection of CDs by Russian violinist Jascha Heifetz, he fell in love with classical music. Read more.

A group of musicians passionately performing on stage, captivating the audience with their melodious tunes.

Celebrating the journey home through music

In celebration of Singapore’s Golden Jubilee, the Community Foundation of Singapore, in collaboration with donor Kris Tan of the Kris Foundation, brought five young Singaporean musicians together in a concert that explores what it means to belong. The concert, which was staged on 26 July 2015 at the Victoria Concert Hall, featured a new work by local composer Phang Kok Jun, specially commissioned for SG50. It also played a selection of compositions by Samuel Barber, Tan Dun and Antonín Dvorák.

Goh Soon Tioe "One Great Symphony"

Goh Soon Tioe Centenary Fund – Nurturing future generations of musicians

Goh Soon Tioe (1911–1982) is remembered as one of Singapore’s greatest musical pioneers. Besides being an accomplished violinist, conductor and teacher, he brought hundreds of international performers to the Singapore stage. He also took the Singapore Youth Symphony Orchestra on successful tours around the world.In 2011, in celebration of his birth centenary year, his family established an endowment fund with the Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS) to support talented young classical musicians who wish to build a career in music.

Children dressed in bright costumes holding props while performing on stage

UBS Diversity in Abilities Concert – Celebrating the talents of children with special needs

A joint initiative by UBS AG and the Community Foundation of Singapore, Diversity in Abilities is a stage production and art exhibition showcase to bring performing and visual arts lessons to special education schools in Singapore.The aim was to motivate and inspire children with special needs to learn new skills and inculcate new hobbies through the arts. With the help of trained artists, students took a 16-week journey of learning and discovery of talents and achievements in film, music, dance, drama and visual arts.

Scroll to Top