Student Leadership
Discover how Nan Hua High School nurtures values-driven student leaders through the A.C.E. framework, equipping them with skills to serve and improve their communities.
STUDENT LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT IN NHHS
With the vision of developing values-centric leaders who bring positive changes to the community by serving others through their innovation and thoughtfulness, the Student Leadership Committee has adopted the essence of both Innovation Leadership and Servant Leadership models in their student leadership training programme. This is to ensure that student leaders are equipped with the skills and mindset to use innovative platforms to serve the community and address its needs.
The student leadership development approaches centre on 3 aspects, forming the acronym A.C.E.:
All Inclusivity
All students are given the opportunities to develop his / her leadership capabilities.
Customised Trainings
Customised training programmes are put in place to cater to the different developmental needs of different groups of student leaders.
Experiential Learning
All student leaders are given opportunities to lead through the various platforms available within and beyond school.
A variety of leadership roles are made available to students, to encourage them to pursue their own leadership development goals and to fulfil the school’s direction of having every student taking up leadership roles in school. An adventure camp is organised for Secondary 3 students at the start of the year as part of this programme. Students are also engaged in student-initiated Values-In-Action (VIA) activities, where students have to propose, plan, organise and execute the VIA activities as a class. These programmes serve as platforms for them to embark on the National Youth Achievement Award (Silver), which serves as the yardstick of one’s self-leadership journey.
Student leaders are also given the autonomy to select the various leadership modules they need to complement their leadership role in the school. The various modules allow student leaders to not just enhance their performance competencies, but also their moral competencies when handling their groups. The modules range from peer-mediation to facilitation skills.
Furthermore, budding student leaders in the Lower Secondary level are hand-picked to attend the Secondary 2 Leaders’ Camp. Secondary 3 students are invited to attend an Overseas Service-Learning Trip to further emphasise on the need for leaders to serve and improve the lives of those beyond Singapore. All student leaders also work together during Project SERVE (SustainablE and Resourceful Volunteering Effort), whereby student leaders are given seed funding from the school to kick-start Service-Learning projects in the respective groups / clusters they are taking charge of, so as to better address and solve the needs of the community within and beyond school.
Student Leadership in Action: Istana Open House Heritage Engagement
Nan Hua High School's student leaders took centre stage at this year's Istana Open House, confidently facilitating their self-designed heritage-themed card game for members of the public. Welcoming visitors of all ages, they guided participants through meaningful conversations sparked by heritage-related questions, drawing out personal stories and fond memories from seniors whilst engaging younger visitors in old school games like pick-up sticks.
The highlight of the day came when President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Mrs Tharman visited the booth, where our students had the privilege of sharing their initiative with them personally. Our student leaders enthusiastically walked the President and Mrs Tharman through the activity, inviting them to draw cards and share their own reflections. It was a moment our students had looked forward to deeply, having hoped to share more about their project since the previous Istana Open House.
Beyond running the activity, our students passionately shared the story behind their initiative, including how it had been featured in the schoolbag article for MOE.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DRB_SJRlq_c/ (opens in new tab)
Demonstrating the leadership, communication skills, and love for Singapore's heritage that define the Nan Hua experience, our student leaders left a lasting impression on all who visited the booth at the Istana.
HDB Engagement
During the HDB Engagement, our Student Leaders took the initiative to reach out to residents in the community, sharing a student-designed mindfulness journal as a meaningful tool to promote well-being. Through this activity, they practised their communication and interpersonal skills as they engaged residents of different ages and backgrounds, demonstrating empathy and care in every interaction. This experience allowed them to translate their learning into genuine acts of service, embodying the spirit of putting others before self (先人后己).
