PROGRAMMES | LUMEN
11
A
Double First SAGE at
By
Dennis Auyang
Pitted against 19 other teams , our Senior School team not only made its debut at the SAGE Singapore Finals but walked off with the honour of representing our nation in Nigeria .
Apioneering team of SJI JC1 students represented Singapore at the SAGE World Cup 2013 held in Nigeria from 7 to 12 August 2013 .
The five-member SJI team comprising Hao Tian , Rachel Oh , Steven Theodorus , Elliott Ong and Chan Yong Chuan , emerged as local champion on its inaugural attempt in the SAGE Singapore National Finals in June 2013 . SAGE , which stands for Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship , is a social business plan competition that spans more than 20 countries to date . Locally , SAGE Singapore is organised by Singapore Management University – Initiatives for Social Enterprise ( SMU-ISE ) and SAGE Global , and has received enthusiastic participation by more than 100 teams from more than 12 Junior Colleges since 2008 .
SAGE Global is an international nonprofit corporation dedicated to teenage entrepreneurs . Its youth entrepreneurship programme bridges two divides – the first is among secondary education , higher education and the private sector , and the second is across countries , one
Most importantly , we learnt how to live up to our school ’ s vision – to be people for others , helping the last , the lost and the least .
Rachel Oh
that prevents international cooperation at a time when such cooperation is crucial . Global challenges such as environmental sustainability , alternative energy and transportation , and problems caused by global climate change , pose common threats . In today ’ s increasingly complex world , cross-cultural cooperation in entrepreneurial ventures can raise standards of living if the right environment is created . One way to create such an environment is to focus on one key stakeholder – teenagers – for it is the youth who have the most at stake .
Besides having the exposure and experience of representing Singapore on an international stage , the Senior School students also benefited from the
interactions and sharing by social entrepreneurs and key political leaders of Nigeria , where they learnt and discussed ideas with other like-minded student-advocates of social entrepreneurship .
Rachel , one of the team members attested to that , “ Undeniably , taking part in SAGE was one of the most rewarding experiences we have had in SJI . Throughout the journey , we picked up essential skills and heard many insights from like-minded students ; all of which has helped to shape our minds to be creative and innovative . Most importantly , we learnt how to live up to our school ’ s vision – to be people for others , helping the last , the lost and the least . The team plans to carry on this business idea and turn our dreams into reality .”
This page ( centre top ): The winning team
This page ( bottom left ): Elliot presenting the Singapore team ’ s initiative
This page ( middle right ): Yong Chuan , Steven and Elliot amidst their Nigerian friends
This page ( bottom right ): Hao Tian and Rachel with their Nigerian female counterparts