DBS Foundation & Face The Future Launch Inaugural Crackerjack Convention To Empower Digitally Savvy Generation Z To Hone Interpersonal Skills

With today’s tech-driven world becoming even more digital, the DBS Foundation and Singapore-based education-tech (edtech) company, Face the Future, are jointly launching the inaugural Crackerjack Convention to empower the next generation of youths to build ‘human skills’, or soft skills, to better prepare them for their future.

Unlike other generations, Generation Z (aged 10 to 25) are born into a world of technological innovations such as smart phones and social media, giving them fewer opportunities to develop essential soft skills such as social awareness and relationship management capabilities, as well as interpersonal and negotiation skills.

Said the co-founders of Face The Future, Faeza Sirajudin and Sunita Venkataraman, “Earlier this year, we held a board games tournament, the Crackerjack Championship. From the success of our first Crackerjack Championship, we saw how young people are desperate for human interaction and opportunities to showcase their human skills. So we decided to go bigger!”

The Crackerjack Convention, a four-day event catered to students between ages 14 and 18, will be held at the NUS Shaw Foundation Alumni House from 14-17 December 2022. At the convention, participants from all around the world will take part in a series of different interactive events, including the second Crackerjack Championship and a Crackerjack Challenge, designed to help them develop and showcase their human skills.

To provide equal opportunity in education and prepare communities who may be more at risk of being displaced by tech progression and economic disruptions, DBS Foundation will be sponsoring SGD60,000 towards the Crackerjack Convention to support 60 local and overseas youths from less privileged backgrounds.

Monica Datta, Head of Community Impact Chapter, DBS Foundation, said: “Over the years, we have been reaping the benefits of technological advancements, but it is increasingly crucial that we support future generations to develop as well-rounded individuals, and empower them to harness the infinite potential of digital into creating positive impact. Supporting the communities with essential skills for a more sustainable future is something that our foundation’s new community impact chapter^[1] has been very much focused on, and we are pleased to work with Face The Future to be part of this exciting and meaningful journey among today’s youth.”

The young participants will get to activate and hone their human skills in a board game tournament and a live-action simulation challenge centered on a zombie apocalypse situation, both of which are designed by the team at Face The Future, including co-founder and long-time educator, Faeza Sirajudin. Together with her team, Ms Sirajudin aims to help participants unlock the skills needed to navigate and succeed in complex and unpredictable situations.

For example, participants will be asked to consider things like how to best manage limited resources, food and funds, and how to negotiate and collaborate with other participants who might have different goals and agendas. They will also be called upon to activate their abilities to problem-solve, interact with others, deepen their understanding of the world, be resilient and create positive impact.

During the convention, participants will also get to showcase and share their passion projects with other participants and invited guests. To further drive self-development of human skills outside of the convention, they will each receive an evaluation on what they did well and improvement areas.

Dr Ong Say How, psychiatry lead at Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, and senior consultant psychiatrist and chief of adolescent psychiatry at the Institute of Mental Health is supportive of innovative platforms such as the Crackerjack Convention to better engage tech-savvy youths.

Said Dr Ong, “Young people today really face quite a lot of uncertainty and stress. They need opportunities to work on their resilience and coping skills. They also need more opportunities to build bonds and have fun. Learning can be made more effective through game forms that allow students to develop skills which they can use to properly understand and process knowledge rather than just blindly memorising. These skills can also be used, and are perhaps more important, in life outside the classroom as well.”

More details about Crackerjack Convention can be found at www.crackerjack.today/convention

^[1] In early 2022, the bank committed an additional SGD100 million to deepen its ability to create impact beyond banking, which includes supporting the DBS Foundation’s expanded scope and its new Community Impact Chapter, as well as the bank’s various philanthropic and crisis relief measures. DBS Foundation’s new Community Impact chapter is focused on supporting communities by equipping them with essential skills for a better future, specifically financial and digital literacy skills. It also aims to tackle climate change with a focus on food waste reduction.