Opening Series 2026, Day 1: Growth through Service, Service through Growth

The Spin Up 2026 iteration officially kicked off on 7 March at *SCAPE with Day 1 of our Opening Series. Held under the theme “Growth through Service, Service through Growth”, the day welcomed our new cohort of Fellows, introduced them to their mentors, and got teams started on their project journeys.

Opening Addresses and Panel Discussion

The morning opened with an introduction to Spin Up, our year-long programme and our mentorship system, followed by a Guest-of-Honour address and a panel discussion. Our speakers shared their own experiences in community service, setting the tone for a year of learning through serving. Fellows then broke into their groups to get to know one another and their mentors.

Workshop I: Project Ideation

Fellows learnt how a service learning project unfolds from start to finish, explored the wide range of beneficiaries they could serve, and practised defining the underlying problem their project will tackle. They also learnt about the different roles within a project team, and worked with floating mentors to lay the foundations of their own project vision, which they developed into a project ideation proposal after the session.

Workshop II: Design and Execution

Next, Fellows looked at the skills needed to carry a project through: design thinking, critical thinking, communication, team management and AI proficiency. They then heard directly from experienced service learning groups, including Project Iridescent, The Resonance Project, Kaia Initiative, Project Lavande and Project Jalan Jalan. After short presentations on their work, each group hosted small tea sessions where Fellows moved freely between tables for candid advice on starting and running their own community projects.

The day wrapped up with team building games at the *SCAPE Loft, giving Fellows a chance to bond with their groups before the work begins.