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15 November 2010

The drummers have a fan!

From Ms Joanna Seam, Section Head of Lifeskills, School of Business and Services, ITE College West:

I'm highly impressed by the performers on their discipline, focus and concentration during their drum session performance at the RP Experiential Learning Forum. The good teamwork and spirit portrayed are indeed commendable, let alone the teachers' efforts and guidance in nurturing the performers.

Thank you, Joanna! Your positive words serve as a further source of encouragement to motivate the boys to keep working hard.

05 November 2010

What a performance!

It gave us great pleasure and satisfaction to see and hear the Bukit Batok Boys' Hostel (BBH) boys perform on 3 November 2010 at the Experiential Learning Forum 2010, held at Republic Polytechnic. Together with forum delegates, the drummers struck a rousing mix of samba, African and even Malay joget! We would like to thank the forum organisers for giving the boys this great opportunity to showcase their talent.
[1st panel, 2nd from left] Mr Seto Lok Yin, RP's Deputy Principal (Industry Services) gamely joined in [Click to enlarge]
In October 2010, Explora assisted PERTAPIS in starting the BBH Drumming Community. The desired outcomes are to teach the boys to become a team of drummers. They are taught to read music scores and to use the different types of drums, and expose them to freestyle drumming. In playing together, the key is for one drummer to listen to others and sync his personal beat into an overall orchestrated rhythm.

The ELF marks the boys' third public performance. Previously, they performed with senior officers from SAFTI and senior citizens living in Boon Keng as part of a community outreach effort.

We are proud to announce that the drummers have been invited to perform in next year's International Chingay Parade. We could not have asked for a better validation of the boys' talent, dedication and effort.

27 October 2010

Therapeutical Adventure training for Social Workers

We just completed six days of kayaking, abseiling, orienteering, outdoor cooking, facilitation and basic outdoor education with youth workers and social workers from a boys' hostel. However, mostly we spoke in metaphors, converting the activities into practical lessons of life coping skills the boys can pick up through our facilitation efforts.

Along the way, they picked up Singapore Canoe Federation (SCF) Kayak Star 1 Award and Singapore National Abseiling Standards (SNAC) Abseiling Level 1 Certification.

[Click to enlarge]

The staff learned to do story-telling while walking with the boys through the tracks of Ubin, in the process engaging them with meaningful conversations for the developmental benefit of the boys.

[Click to enlarge]

We did drumming too...even as we beat our own rhythm, we learn to listen to others until we drum out the piece as one and in sync.

We hope that, while we are the adults, we still can learn just as much... We believe the boys will too.

14 October 2010

We are honoured...

...to have been invited to participate in S'pore General Hospital's iFiesta 2010 which took place on 22 Sep 2010.

This event is the annual learning festival organised for SGH staff, and Explora presented a short workshop on Charles Albano's Adaptive Leadership model.

We were told to prepare for about 25 participants, but in the end more than 30 showed up - that was very gratifying indeed.

We hope we will be invited to next year's learning festival!

Only 45 mins! How to cover all the points..?

We had our audience rapt with attention...we hope...

Time for the written test to see if they paid attention...

07 July 2010

Outdoor cooking...


What's cooking..mmm!
...using the good 'ole brazier that our grandparents used to. For Explora, outdoor cooking gives us that 'kampong' feel again. Last week, our participants skinned, cut and cleaned four whole chickens and 'massaged' them nicely. Another group of 'kitchen helpers' prepared the noodles, plucked the roots off the bean sprouts, and added some cut and ground chilli padi into a bowl of sweet dark soya sauce...

In an Indian pot, the smell of fried garlic, onions, clove and spices filled the air. Two boys constantly tended the fire, delicately fanning and adding precious charcoal and kindling. Occasionally someone would choke from the smoke (funny!..they don't cough when they smoke!) and left the outdoor kitchen. A couple of brave lads stirred the gravy 'with love'...

we stayed away from instant noodles, canned food and processed sausages - instead we welcomed Chicken Mee Soto, Nonya Laksa and Fish Ball Noodles...

Why not?...happy food makes happy campers!

02 July 2010

Leadership Workshop for Temasek Polytechnic student leaders

We conducted a workshop based on Dr Charles Albano's model of Adaptive Leadership on 10 June 2010. This was for about 120 student leaders of Temasek Polytechnic. Lasting about two hours, the students learned about the attributes of an Adaptive Leader. We also conducted simple interactive activities that allowed them to practice their leadership skills. The workshop ended with the students completing a self-evaluation sheet and action planning that will make them more effective as student leaders.

Thanks to Temasek Polytechnic's Student Development Office for giving us this opportunity to conduct the workshop!

Our very first programme...

...was conducted in May 2010 for a group of very dedicated and professional officers from the Home Team. They have asked us not to disclose the specifics, and we are happy to oblige. The learning objectives for this three-day programme were mainly teambuilding and leadership development. We were also asked to introduce some stress into the programme and this meant not revealing too much about what was to come when the participants arrived at Changi Point Ferry Terminal on the morning of Day One. The destination? Pulau Ubin, of course.

We are glad to say that it was overall a successful programme, and more importantly, the officers didn't throw us into the prison to get their revenge...