SINGAPORE — The skills he picked up from design and technology classes in school came in handy when Mr Raghav Bhardwaj led a day trip to a Bintan fishing village in 2015 to help villagers to diversify their food sources.

The villagers were facing declining fish stocks and to encourage them to grow their own vegetables, Mr Bhardwaj and fellow students from the United World College of South East Asia’s (UWCSEA) East Campus helped fix damaged fishing boats and converted them into edible gardens by filling them with compost and soil to grow potatoes and carrots.

Mr Bhardwaj, now 19 and doing his National Service, has also raised funds and collected Lego toys for children in Cambodia, and teamed up with the Singapore Botanic Gardens by planting endangered saplings native to Southeast Asia at his former school.

One of 180 youths who received the National Youth Achievement Award (NYAA) Gold Award on Friday (Nov 3) at ITE College East, Mr Bhardwaj credited the international culture at UWCSEA as well as his parents for inculcating a desire to give back to society.

His parents, for instance, gave him the freedom to explore and taught him that “life is not just all about exams.”

Mr Bhardwaj, who will be studying computer engineering in university, is now looking to use his programming skills to help young children or inexperienced users to create 3D models for 3D printing through an app he developed.

President Halimah Yacob presented the awards at the event attended by about 700 guests including ambassadors and Members of Parliament.

Mr Heng Swee Keat, Minister for Finance and chairman of the NYAA Advisory Board, said the NYAA programme – in its 25th year – provides “invaluable exposure beyond classroom walls”.

The NYAA could develop programmes to build skills and awareness in new areas such as environmental protection and security, added Mr Heng.

The NYAA spans five areas: Adventurous journeys, service, skills, physical recreation and residential projects, which benefit the community.

Another Gold Award recipient was 22-year-old Sandy Kee, who was diagnosed with profound hearing loss at age four. Her speech and hearing impairment have not stopped her from challenging herself and contributing to the community.

While studying at ITE College West, Ms Kee kayaked around Pulau Ubin for seven hours as part of the Outward Bound Singapore camp. She had to do without her hearing aids, which were not waterproof, and scribbled on cards to communicate with her groupmates.

On a community service project to Cambodia, she helped villagers to harvest maize and build a wooden watchtower.

“I’ve become more independent,” said Ms Kee, now a first-year Ngee Ann Polytechnic infocomm technology student who also enjoys photography.

Her father, Mr Kee Tiong Thye, 53, who gave up his job 13 years ago to take care of her full-time, said the NYAA has given her a platform to “try new things, regardless of the results”.