CAPTspark: A Food Donation Drive Project with Pathlight School

Article written by Tan Jean Hann

CAPTspark is an ACE exploratory project that engages students with Autism Spectrum Disorder from Pathlight School and guides them in their project management and leadership skills to create positive impacts in their community. This project was created out of the belief that individuals with special needs can also actively contribute back to society and help others in their own ways and need not always be beneficiaries that receive society’s help.

Over the semester, three engagement sessions were conducted with several student leaders from Pathlight School. The end goal of these sessions was for the students to be able to plan and execute a Food Donation Drive in the school. This is Pathlight School’s first Values-In-Action (VIA) Project that is initiated and largely organized by the students themselves. CAPTains took on the role of mentors and guided them through the process of project ideation to the planning of logistics and publicity. The food donation drive took place end-October 2018 with great receptivity by the school and collected food items were subsequently packed and delivered to The Food Bank Singapore.

Interactions with the students and seeing their heart and potential to serve the community has truly made this a meaningful engagement. We look forward to facilitating more of such opportunities for individuals with special needs.