Changi Airport Group reaches out to youths with the launch of the Changi Foundation

Changi Airport Group (CAG) has launched the Changi Foundation as part of its corporate social responsibility efforts to enhance the communities in which it serves. Through the Foundation, CAG hopes to help youths-at-risk in their journey of transformation from adolescence to adulthood by nurturing and developing them to become active contributors to society.

The Changi Foundation, established with an initial capital of S$1 million, will benefit youths from CAG’s partner organisations currently Assumption Pathway School, Children-At-Risk Empowerment Association (CARE) Singapore, NorthLight School and Students Care Service. The funds will be used to support youth community efforts through three key thrusts: Education, Skills Development and Community Service.

Through the programmes and projects to be funded by the Changi Foundation, CAG aims to assist and support the needs and challenges that these youths face, such as academic failure, lack of family support and often, financial difficulties. Book prizes and bursaries will be given out to motivate youths to improve and to recognise the academic efforts they make.

The Foundation will also cater beyond the school years, when the youths enter the second phase of their life journey into the working society. In this aspect, the Changi Foundation seeks to equip them with the skill sets that would help them in future employment. In this thrust of skills development, the Changi Foundation has established two key initiatives to support our youths – through the “Youth Passport Programme” and “Be a Service Star”.

The Youth Passport Programme (YPP) provides youths with an opportunity to experience first-hand the environment and operations of a major airport. Through the activities organised which include a tour of the airport, youths can pick up life skills, hear unique life experiences and learn the virtue of hard work and the value of teamwork through CAG’s staff volunteers. For instance, today about 50 students of Assumption Pathway School visited the Changi Airport Fire Station 1 and received a rare opportunity of a close-up look into the work of a fire fighter at Changi Airport.

Changi Airport is renowned for its first-class customer service. To impart this set of techniques and skills set to the youths, the 2-day programme, “Be a Service Star”, is an initiative that is customised for them to participate in so that they could gain confidence and pick-up service skills which they can readily use in their work in the future.

The final thrust of the Changi Foundation - “Community Involvement” - encourages youths to give back to society through community service projects. This initiative gives youths an opportunity to learn through service and provides them with a greater sense of purpose and understanding of life and human kinship.

Mr Lee Seow Hiang, Chief Executive Officer, CAG, said, “CAG believes that human potential is unlimited in scope. In our business and in our community efforts, we seek to enhance lives – from the youngest child to the largest corporation. Through the Changi Foundation which provides a holistic range of programmes and activities, we are privileged that CAG is able to make a difference in the lives of the youths to help them achieve their potential and be active contributors and leaders of tomorrow.”

The Changi Foundation is administered by the Community Foundation of Singapore, an independent non-profit organisation set up to inspire giving in Singapore through bridging donors with innovative grant-making on community causes.