All Special Education schools invited for the first time in biggest turnout of over 800 students with special needs 

SINGAPORE, 3 November 2015 – Over 800 students from Special Education (SPED) schools across the island attended a mega carnival in Expo today, put together for them by over 1,000 volunteers from Singtel. 

In its third-year running, the annual event is organised by Singtel staff volunteers for beneficiaries of its Singtel Touching Lives Fund (STLF) and other SPED schools. Singtel has invited all 15 SPED schools in Singapore to the Carnival, promoting a culture of inclusiveness and support for students with special needs.

CEO of MINDS, Mr Keh Eng Song, said, “We are very glad that all SPED schools have been invited to participate in this fun and meaningful carnival this year. This engagement with the community help our students develop their self-confidence and social skills. And of course, give them the equal opportunity to play and enjoy fun, leisure activities like the rest of us.” 

“Additionally, Singtel’s donations have given our students from MINDS Lee Kong Chian Gardens School the chance to participate in more community-based learning activities, learning journeys and excursions both locally and overseas. Our partnership also resulted in Singtel’s Cyber Wellness Toolkit for SPED students, which allow our students to enjoy web-based learning within safe boundaries”, he added. 

Singtel Group CEO, Ms Chua Sock Koong, said, “We wanted a safe day out for the children and the carnival is a place where they can have fun with activities which we often take for granted.” 

She added, “We are given a rare opportunity to see life through others’ perspectives and that reminds us to be empathetic and inclusive - hopefully traits that we bring back to the workplace and also our respective communities.” 

Over 800 special needs children took part in the day long carnival, where Singtel staff volunteers had set up food and game stalls, as well as stage entertainment for their special guests.

Since 2002, the STLF has worked with charities that offer critical and specialised education, as well as supported programmes for children and youth with special needs. To date, it has raised over S$30 million for its beneficiaries. The beneficiaries adopted by the STLF are APSN Chaoyang School, APSN Tanglin School, Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore School, Eden School, MINDS Lee Kong Chian Gardens School and Singapore Cancer Society’s Help the Children and Youth Programme. 

Below are some pictures from today’s carnival.

Singtel Group CEO, Ms Chua Sock Koong, looks on as a beneficiary tries to score a hoop onto a tower

Ms Chua (centre) enjoying the stage performance together with the beneficiaries

Going wild with “Gangnam Style”

Fairy tales come alive for both volunteers and beneficiaries

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