International Friendship Day Commemoration

Department: CCE

Leaders: Annie Koh

Members: Aloysius, Eliza, Delphine Tan

1.  What was the current need/gap that you were addressing?

Students view International Friendship Day merely as cultural celebration rather than understanding its strategic importance to Singapore's national interests. They fail to grasp how meaningful international relationships are essential for Singapore's survival as a small nation, requiring active diplomacy, cultural diversity embrace, ASEAN crisis assistance, and global collaboration on issues like climate change. Students also lack awareness of how cross-cultural competencies and global outlook directly impact Singapore's economic growth through international trade, talent movement, and idea exchange, while missing the commemoration's deeper purpose of cultivating friendship, cooperation, and respect that underpin substantive diplomatic and economic partnerships crucial for national prosperity and security.

2.  How had it been experimented and enacted?

This year, the theme for International Friendship Day is ‘ Forging Friendships in a Complex World’. In today’s society, bilateral relationships are the core foundation for peace. Collaborative Implementation Through Differentiated Programming. In 2025, the Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) team implemented a comprehensive approach to address identified gaps in students' understanding of International Friendship Day. This initiative was developed through strategic collaboration with the Regional Studies team from the Humanities Department and the Malay Special Programme team, with each partner bringing specialised expertise to achieve targeted educational objectives. The programme was deliberately differentiated across year levels to ensure age-appropriate engagement and meaningful cultural exchange. Secondary 1 students took on hosting responsibilities, welcoming students from Sekolah Darma Yudha in a direct peer-to-peer cultural exchange that fostered immediate cross-cultural connections. Secondary 2 students participated in ABOM1-facilitated lessons that built upon their prior experiential learning from wau painting cultural workshops, creating a bridge between hands-on cultural activities and deeper reflection on international friendship themes. For upper secondary levels, the programme expanded into virtual international exchanges, with Secondary 3 ABOM1 students connecting with peers at Assumption College, whilst Secondary 4 ABOM1 students engaged with students from St. Mark's World College. These virtual platforms enabled broader geographical reach whilst maintaining meaningful dialogue. Additionally, Secondary 4 students benefited from peer learning through sharing sessions led by 2024 Secondary 4 graduates who reflected on their Vietnam Global Citizenship Programme experiences, providing authentic student perspectives on international engagement and cultural understanding. This multi-tiered approach ensured that each year group experienced International Friendship Day commemoration through progressively sophisticated lenses of cultural exchange, from direct hosting to virtual collaboration and reflective peer learning. Students are empowered to champion these initiatives through strategic collaborations between ABOM and Malay Special Programme participants, creating peer-led networks that extend the programme's impact beyond formal classroom settings and foster authentic cross-cultural leadership within the school community.

3.  Which group(s) had benefited?

Students (Entire Cohort)

4.  What was the positive impact?

The differentiated programme successfully achieved its objectives in closing identified gaps, as evidenced by end-of-year CCE survey feedback demonstrating significant improvements in students' cultural understanding and appreciation. Students reported meaningful learning experiences, with one noting that "The International lesson with Indonesia students made me learn more about Indonesian culture and their routine. I have learnt to better appreciate people from different backgrounds and cultures," whilst another reflected that "It taught me about different races and even international friendship." Quantitative data further validated the programme's effectiveness, with 88% of participating students demonstrating increased cultural appreciation, indicating substantial progress in developing the cross-cultural competencies and global outlook essential for Singapore's continued growth as an interconnected society.

5.  What is a future need that this IdEas@work could meet?

This IdEas@work initiative could address the critical need to help students understand the strategic dimensions of international relationships beyond cultural appreciation. While the current programme successfully increased cultural awareness, students still require deeper comprehension of how cross-cultural competencies directly serve Singapore's national interests and economic survival. Future iterations could explicitly connect cultural exchange activities to real-world applications such as Singapore's diplomatic responses to regional crises, international trade negotiations, and collaborative solutions to global challenges like climate change. By bridging the gap between experiential cultural learning and strategic national imperatives, the programme could cultivate students who not only appreciate diversity but also understand their role as future citizens in maintaining Singapore's international standing through meaningful diplomatic, economic, and social partnerships essential for national prosperity and security.