About National Youth Upcycling Movement (NYUM)

About NYUM

1. Categories for the Challenge

There are 2 categories for participation for Primary Schools / Secondary / Post-Secondary Institutions:

• Enrichment Module
• Advocacy Module

2. Theme for the 2023 Challenge

The theme for NYUM 2023 is ‘Trash To Treasure’.

In a ‘By Youths, For All’ student-centric approach, the NYUM provides an opportunity for students to design and create upcycled household items using waste materials, with guidance from experts and consultants in the industry.

NYUM also seeks to develop student voice and agency. Teams are tasked to plan and execute their advocacy plans, not only to reach out to, but also to engage as many members of the public as possible, through various team-proposed outreach events and activities, to promote the culture of environmental sustainability through upcycling of waste materials.

3. Phases in the Enrichment Module

Preparation Stage

• Schools are to plan for a one-hour time slot to go through the package in their own school (e.g. as a Post-Midyear/Year-end Exam Activity).
  
• Schools will access the lesson package on an online platform will be made available from 12 May 2023 to 3 November 2023 and go through the lesson package beforehand. There will be materials to be prepared by the students based on school’s choice of upcycled product. Teachers will need to remind the students to bring the materials on the day of activity chosen by the schools. The list of materials will be stated in the lesson package.
  

Conduct of Lesson Package

• The lesson package will be shared via SLS and the link will be made available to registered schools on 12 May 2023. Schools can conduct the lesson package any time from 12 May 2023 to 3 November 2023.
  
• The teacher will access SLS to duplicate a copy of the lesson package and conduct the one-hour lesson package in a pre-determined format by the school.
  
• Tentative sequence of NYUM activities, using the lesson package:
  

Submission of Evidence

• Participating schools should submit photographic evidence and a MS Excel file containing the list of names (in full) of the student participants by 3 November 2023.
  
• All participants will be issued an e-Certificate upon verification of the submission.
  

4. Phases in the Advocacy Module

NYUM Symposium & Training Session

• Teams are strongly encouraged to send all members to attend the Symposium. Should there be overwhelming response for the event, the organiser reserves the right to adjust the number of members attending the Symposium from each team.
  
• During the Symposium, teams will attend a seminar featuring pertinent environmental issues and content presented by experts and consultants in the environmental conservation field.
  
• A briefing cum Q&A session on the Movement will be included.
  
• The Symposium will be followed on the same day by training sessions to equip teams with the knowledge and skills pertaining to the design of upcycled products and strategies to develop an advocacy plan on how to engage peers and the public effectively.
  
• There will be materials that need to be prepared by individual schools. This list of materials will be provided during the confirmation of registration.
  

Presentation-cum-Consultation on Advocacy Toolkit & Outreach Project Pla

• After attending the NYUM Online Symposium, all teams will be required to start working on the following deliverables for the Movement:
  • Design of upcycled products
  • Advocacy outreach plans
• All teams will be required to record the amount of different food packaging (e.g. styrofoam boxes, plastic bottles, etc) conserved by the team in their Final Report.
  
• Each team will be scheduled for an online Presentation-cum-Consultation session to meet the experts and consultants in the field for feedback and comments on their upcycled products and advocacy plans, for further refinements to be made by the teams. Teams will be notified about their allocated slots for the session via email in due course.
  
• All teams must prepare at least one upcycled product for the Presentation-cum-Consultation session. Five pictures from multiple angles of the upcycled prototype would be needed for presentation at the session.
  
• Subsequent consultations and clarifications with the experts and consultants will be conducted via email.
  

Advocacy and Outreach

• From June to August 2023, all participating teams will be required to mass produce their upcycled products as well as well to execute their advocacy plans to reach out to as many members of the public as possible.
  
• Should fund-raising events be carried out, the funds raised can be donated to any environmental/ green initiatives nominated by the school.
  
• Teams that carry out fund-raising events will be required to record the amount of funds raised in their Final Report.
  
• Likewise, teams that make donations to any environmental/ green initiatives nominated by the school will be required to record the amount of donations as well as the beneficiaries in their Final Report.
  

Submission of Final Report

• Teams will be required to submit their Final Report by 5.00pm on 1 September 2023.
  
• Judges will grade each team based on how well they have designed their upcycled product prototypes as well as advocacy efforts.
  
• In addition, teams will be required to submit the following record tracking forms (to be given in due course), together with their Final Report:
  
  • Amount of plastic conserved
    
  • Amount of funds raised
    
  • Amount of donations made and beneficiaries
    
• Collated data and figures from these forms submitted by participating teams may be used as publicity materials in future.
  

Final Tally and Prize Presentation

• Judging will take place from September to November 2023.
  
• Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards will be awarded to the qualifying teams from each category based on the scores in the following areas: