10-year-old, Nathan Eo (Yang Mingxuan), a student from Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore School (CPASS) suffers from Cerebral Palsy (CP) with Epilepsy and Microcephaly. This lifelong, non-curable condition limits his mobility and posture. Despite this, Nathan and more than 20 of his schoolmates from CPASS, successfully completed a six-day outdoor programme to Melbourne, Australia in September. The programme aimed to empower Nathan and his peers as active learners in the community by building their confidence and resilience through outdoor activities.
The six-day outdoor programme included visits to Melbourne's famous Royal Botanic Gardens, Bundoora Park Farm, and Ross All Abilities Playground. It culminated in a physically and mentally challenging three days, two nights of inclusive outdoor experiential learning activities at the YMCA Camp Manyung.
One daunting activity that the students faced, was the Flying Fox. Nathan was initially hesitant to try it, but with encouragement from his friends and facilitators, he stepped up to take his turn. Although he was screaming and crying the whole way down, he stopped crying the moment his feet touched the ground.
RP student Suriya Kumar S/O Thayalan accompanying his buddy, CPASS student Nathan Eo (Yang MingXuan) during the tree rolling activity.
Marking a significant milestone on this trip, was the involvement of 20 students from the Diploma in Outdoor Education at Republic Polytechnic (RP), who served as buddies to the students.
Tan Yi Kai, a Diploma in Outdoor & Adventure Learning (now known as the Diploma in Outdoor Education) student, shared: “I’ve grown wiser in these six days. I’m more than just a volunteer—I feel like their ‘big brother,’ looking out for them so they don’t feel neglected. I would take part in this event again in a heartbeat.”
Students and teachers from Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore School (CPASS) and volunteers from Republic Polytechnic (RP) in Australia.
“We are heartened by such opportunities for our students to build their confidence, push their limits and allow them to look beyond their disabilities” shared Ms. Latha Kutty, Executive Director, Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore.
-- This is a special story feature launched as part of CPAS’ World Cerebral Palsy Month, raising awareness of Cerebral Palsy.
RP is a strong supporter of inclusive initiatives for persons with disabilities. For instance, the RP Xperiential Learning Centre (XLC) allows participants with limited mobility, such as persons with cerebral palsy, to join in the activities thanks to a winch system in place on many of the facilities. Find out more here: https://www.rp.edu.sg/ssh/beyond-the-classroom/experiential-learning/xperiential-learning-centre
The six-day outdoor programme included visits to Melbourne's famous Royal Botanic Gardens, Bundoora Park Farm, and Ross All Abilities Playground. It culminated in a physically and mentally challenging three days, two nights of inclusive outdoor experiential learning activities at the YMCA Camp Manyung.
One daunting activity that the students faced, was the Flying Fox. Nathan was initially hesitant to try it, but with encouragement from his friends and facilitators, he stepped up to take his turn. Although he was screaming and crying the whole way down, he stopped crying the moment his feet touched the ground.
RP student Suriya Kumar S/O Thayalan accompanying his buddy, CPASS student Nathan Eo (Yang MingXuan) during the tree rolling activity.
Marking a significant milestone on this trip, was the involvement of 20 students from the Diploma in Outdoor Education at Republic Polytechnic (RP), who served as buddies to the students.
Tan Yi Kai, a Diploma in Outdoor & Adventure Learning (now known as the Diploma in Outdoor Education) student, shared: “I’ve grown wiser in these six days. I’m more than just a volunteer—I feel like their ‘big brother,’ looking out for them so they don’t feel neglected. I would take part in this event again in a heartbeat.”
Students and teachers from Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore School (CPASS) and volunteers from Republic Polytechnic (RP) in Australia.
“We are heartened by such opportunities for our students to build their confidence, push their limits and allow them to look beyond their disabilities” shared Ms. Latha Kutty, Executive Director, Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore.
-- This is a special story feature launched as part of CPAS’ World Cerebral Palsy Month, raising awareness of Cerebral Palsy.
RP is a strong supporter of inclusive initiatives for persons with disabilities. For instance, the RP Xperiential Learning Centre (XLC) allows participants with limited mobility, such as persons with cerebral palsy, to join in the activities thanks to a winch system in place on many of the facilities. Find out more here: https://www.rp.edu.sg/ssh/beyond-the-classroom/experiential-learning/xperiential-learning-centre