“Be the mentor you once needed”: Teach Singapore marks five years of mentoring

“There are anniversaries that look backward with pride, and those that also look forward with responsibility. The Teach Singapore (Teach SG) 5th Anniversary Showcase held on 8 April 2026 at the NUS Education Resource Centre did both. Student mentors, donors, community partners and university leaders gathered to celebrate Teach SG’s growth from a pilot into an ecosystem that has moved beyond tuition and toward the deeper work of relationship-building, role-modelling, and widening possibilities for children and youth. A milestone built on ordinary afternoons Teach SG was piloted in January 2021 to address a gap in access to educational support, sharpened by the high costs of private tuition. It mobilises NUS students to provide sustained mentoring and enrichment for children and youths who may not otherwise have access to such opportunities. In his welcome address, Senior Vice Provost (Undergraduate Education) Professor Bernard Tan situated Teach SG within NUS’ long-standing tradition of service to the community, outlining the University’s earliest days through student-driven efforts like RAG and Flag , to the present-day Communities and Engagement Pillar of General Education. He described mentoring as something deeper than academic help. “Mentoring under Teach SG is about helping youths to envision a future that is possible for them and empowering them to take the next step forward.” That forward motion, he emphasised, is powered by a collective effort of NUS student mentors who commit their time, community partners who anchor the work on the ground, and NUS staff who provide training and support so that mentoring is not just well-intentioned, but consistent and values-driven. “Be the mentor you once needed” If there was a single phrase that threaded through the afternoon, it was one that Senior Parliamentary Secretary Dr Syed Harun Alhabsyi highlighted in his speech – something he had noticed at the Teach SG exhibition at the event. “On one of the panels, it said, ‘ be the mentor you once needed ’”, he recalled, reflecting on how many in the room had benefitted, at some point, from a teacher or mentor who made a difference. He noted that since 2021, Teach SG has deployed more than 4,000 mentors, reached around 9,000 beneficiaries, and worked with more than 120 community partners. Beyond its scale, Dr Syed focused on what scale enables – a consistent presence in a young person’s life, delivered through partnerships that make after-school spaces safer, more enriching, and more hopeful. Addressing student mentors directly, Dr Syed added, “The value of your education … is only realised when you contribute it to others. If you keep it to yourself, then it just stops at your door.” The power of the unplanned As the programme shifted to reflections on mentoring practice, Mr Woody Yee, a course tutor for GEN2050 Teach SG , spoke about the importance of unstructured interactions in building trust. Some of the most meaningful moments, he noted, happen outside planned activities, through casual conversations that may appear trivial but often deepen relationships and create space for genuine openness. That idea echoed in the two mentor presentations that followed, where mentors spoke about breakthrough moments often rooted not in perfectly executed lesson plans but in small, human connections. Finding purpose and meaning For Xavier Lee Yiheng, a Year 2 Information Systems undergraduate, mentoring through Teach SG was an experience of coming full circle. Initially viewing the Communities and Engagement course as “just another graduation requirement”, his perspective shifted after returning to his alma mater, Radin Mas Primary School, as a mentor. “It was an opportunity to finally give back,” he said. Mentoring also reshaped how he understood students’ experiences. Having once navigated school with relative ease, he realised he had been “oblivious” to the fear many students carry – the fear that struggling academically means they are “not good enough”. Zyon Aaronel Wee Zhun Wei, a Year 3 Computer Science student, offered the audience a deeply personal reflection. Formerly a youth-at-risk student, he told the room how his family’s circumstances changed after his mother suffered an injury, forcing both parents to stop running their hawker stall. As a secondary school student back then, he felt pressure to hold things together. Through Teach SG, he not only found a way to give back, but also learned frameworks for engaging and supporting students. His mentoring work at Yishun Primary School centred on building confidence and curiosity among students who, he said, reminded him of himself. What made his story resonate was his empathy for the students and the ability to understand his mentees’ mindset from lived experience. The exhibits, the proof of work The anniversary event also featured a public exhibition that showcased the programme’s milestones, stories from mentors and community partners, and a donor recognition wall. Mentor-led projects―captured through photos, artefacts and reflections―offered tangible evidence of relationships built over time and outcomes of sustained engagement between mentors and mentees. By NUS Office of Student Affairs Find out more about Teach SG at their roving exhibition from now through 30 April 2026 at the Education Resource Centre Courtyard at NUS University Town (above Starbucks). The exhibition continues from 1 May to 12 June 2026 at UTown (Outside Flavours) and from 13 June to 31 October at NUS Yusof Ishak House Level 2.

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