Triple C Programme
Triple C Programme
RGS has a legacy of valuing community engagement. For students, they do this through advocacy and community problem solving projects. Similarly, many of our teachers collaborate, share and learn professional practices with members of the educational fraternity.
The Triple C Programme, which stands for Care, Collaboration and Community, symbolises our deep desire to continue with this legacy of community engagement and partnership. The objectives of the programme are to:
- Nurture a sense of connectedness to societal issues
- Develop leadership and interpersonal skills
- Facilitate student outreach
Triple C Partners
Launched in 2019 at our Big Move event at our current Braddell school campus, the Triple C Programme is a tripartite collaboration between RGS, three primary schools and two Social Service Agencies (SSAs) in the Braddell-Toa Payoh vicinity. The primary schools are Kheng Cheng School, First Toa Payoh Primary School and Marymount Convent, while the SSAs are Xin Yuan Community Care and Good Shepard Student Care. To kick-start the three-year programme, about 30 RGS students partnered with a similar number of primary school students in a mentoring relationship as they engage in service-learning projects with the SSAs. Subsequently, 30 new pairs of students will participate in this programme each year. Over time, we hope to grow the Triple C Programme to involve more schools and SSAs.
Student Selection
RGS Year 2 students are invited to apply for the programme using a self-evaluation rubric. Form teachers provide their inputs using a similar rubric, after which, the shortlisted students are then paired with Primary 4 students who are nominated by their respective schools. The pairing is based on common interests like co-curricular activities.
Co-Planning and Co-Learning
Student pairs customise their service-learning projects to the needs of their assigned organisation. For example, at Xin Yuan Community Care, they support and organise activities like floral arrangement, art and craft, sing-along sessions and excursions for the elderly, while at Good Shepherd Student Care, the student pairs organise activities like Drama Theatre and Sports for the lower primary students as well as jointly organise a block party for the elderly in Toa Payoh.
Skills Development
The Triple C Programme provides a rich platform for the students to develop and apply diverse skills. For instance, our students, who learn project management skills through their Values-in-Action projects, are able to hone and role-model those skills as they jointly plan and review their projects with their mentees. The personnel at the SSAs also further guide the students’ learning in the preparatory and post-visit reflection sessions.
In addition, students jointly learn the skills of engaging with the elderly through a workshop by Hospice Care Association and are also guided and mentored in leadership skills by their respective teacher-mentors and counsellors through thoughtful conversations. To round off their experience, the student pairs also participate in the annual RGS Community Fair to jointly share their learning experience.
The Triple C Programme creates a common space for interactions regardless of socio-economic background, age or ability. At its heart, this programme is about connectedness. As participants collaborate and share ideas together to support the community, relationships are formed. The powerful ingredient in this collaboration is undoubtedly, community-centredness.