Breaking Barriers Community Leadership Workshop: Empowering Youth Changemakers (Day 1)

The first day of the Breaking Barriers Community Leadership Workshop, held on 12 December 2025 at Republic Polytechnic’s Agora Hall 3, marked the beginning of an inspiring three day journey focused on youth empowerment and community leadership. Organised through a collaboration between the Singapore Silent Heroes Movement, Breaking Barriers and Republic Polytechnic, the workshop gathered around 25 to 30 students who were eager to explore how they could contribute meaningfully to society.

Guided by Dash, Chairman of Breaking Barriers, the programme aimed to help students recognise their own potential as changemakers while equipping them with tools grounded in design thinking and social empathy. The workshop strongly reflects Civilians Association (Singapore)’s vision of nurturing responsible individuals who are committed to uplifting their communities through compassion, leadership and action.

The day began with an inspiring keynote by Dr Jared Ng, who spoke about resilience, self belief and the importance of recognising the influence young people hold in shaping society. His message set a powerful tone for the day, encouraging students to see themselves not merely as observers but as individuals capable of initiating positive change.

Students were then introduced to changemaking through a Community Impact Showcase that highlighted examples of social impact both locally and globally.

Through guided sessions such as Appreciative Inquiry and Recognising the Power Within, participants reflected on influential figures in their lives and began identifying social issues they cared about. These discussions gradually narrowed broad concerns such as discrimination into more focused themes including racial, gender and socio economic challenges.

Applying design thinking principles, students explored empathy through tools like the Iceberg Theory, empathy mapping and persona creation. They also practised root cause analysis using the 5 Whys and crafted problem statements that could lead to real solutions. Ideas were refined using the Lovable, Doable, Valuable framework and introduced to the Lean Canvas model for practical planning.

The day concluded with a Human Library session where students interacted with community changemakers and heard their personal journeys. One message resonated strongly throughout the workshop: “Real change begins when we choose to understand before we choose to judge.”

The reflections shared by students demonstrated the workshop’s impact. Many spoke about gaining deeper empathy, understanding complex social issues and feeling inspired by individuals who started small but created lasting change. Day one laid a strong foundation for the next stages of the programme as participants continue their journey towards purposeful community leadership.