Hwa Chong Institution Founders' Day 2025: A Celebration of Service and Giving Back to the Community!

On 14 Mar 2025, the college section celebrated our annual Founders’ Day with a series of meaningful activities.

The day started off with the spring cleaning of the classrooms, where both C1 and C2 classes worked together to clean up their respective classrooms.

Embodying the spirit of 饮水思源, all C1 and C2 students also participated in our yearly Founders’ Day Food Drive! Here, students bought daily necessities for low-income families, which were then given out by our Faculty Committees in collaboration with the Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC).

Moreover, the C1 students also attended our inaugural Founders’ Day Learning Festival. The festival consisted of booths organised by C2 students, and comprised of exhibitions by Project Work groups, our various Overseas Community Involvement Programme (OCIP) and Service Learning (SL) Projects. This gave C1 students a glimpse into the opportunities awaiting them in their Hwa Chong journey and a valuable chance to seek advice from their seniors.

Meanwhile, on 27 Mar 2025, Hwa Chong Institution commemorated Founders' Day with a school-wide Values-in-Action (VIA) programme, reinforcing our commitment to service, leadership, and social responsibility. This annual tradition serves as a reminder of our duty to give back to the community while honouring the legacy of our founders.

Our students stepped beyond the classroom to make an impact in the following areas:

Beach & Park Clean-Up
Our youngest students took action for the environment by cleaning up parks and beaches, including Jurong Central Park, East Coast Park, Pasir Ris Park, Gardens by the Bay, amongst others. Through this initiative, the Secondary Ones learned the importance of environmental stewardship and taking responsibility for shared public spaces.

Games & Courtesy Ambassadors at MRT Stations
Spreading the spirit of kindness and graciousness, a number of our Secondary 2 students engaged commuters at 14 Downtown Line MRT stations through interactive games and messages about gracious commuting. By promoting thoughtful interactions, they encouraged a more harmonious and socially-aware public transport culture.

Intergenerational Bonding at NTUC Health Active Ageing Centres & Volunteer Work at the National Library
Our Secondary 3 students had two meaningful community engagement opportunities. Some visited NTUC Health Active Ageing Centres, where they spent time with seniors through conversations, games, and activities, fostering intergenerational understanding. Meanwhile, others volunteered at the National Library, assisting with craft activities, kidsREAD materials, and shelving books—helping to create a more enriching space for young readers and the wider public.

Reduce@NW Sustainability Project
As advocates for a more sustainable future, our Secondary 4 students, alongside some of their Secondary 2 juniors, students took part in a programme by North West CDC, Reduce@NW, which focuses on waste reduction, recycling, and sustainable living habits. By learning about and applying eco-friendly practices, they reinforced the importance of reducing consumption and protecting the environment for future generations.

School-Wide Food Drive
Beyond individual projects, our entire Hwa Chong family came together for a Food Drive, collecting essential food items for families in need. The overwhelming support from students, staff, and parents demonstrated the power of collective action in tackling food insecurity and supporting the less fortunate.

Through these initiatives, our students exemplified the Hwa Chong spirit of service, leadership, and empathy. Their dedication to making a difference—whether through environmental action, promoting kindness, connecting with seniors, or championing sustainability—truly reflects the values we uphold as a school.

A heartfelt thank you to all our students, teachers, and community partners (NParks, SBS Transit, NTUC Health, NLB, North West CDC, CDAC, Thye Hua Kwan Home for Disabled Adults, Pertapis, Sree Narayana Mission)  for making this year's Founders' Day VIA Programme a meaningful and impactful experience. Let’s continue to serve, lead, and inspire!

Written by: Kaelyn Hong Yan Ning (24A10) & High School VIA Council