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IMPORTANT

• Course duration. This is a year-long service-learning course offered in both Semesters 1 and 2 of the Academic Year. GEN2060Y is offered in Semester 2 of the Academic Year; it runs till the end of Semester 1 of the following Academic Year, when grades are awarded. GEN2060X is offered in Semester 1 of the Academic Year; it runs till the end of Special Term 2 of that Academic Year, when grades are awarded.

• Befriending period. Over the course of twelve calendar months, you will be journeying with your assigned befriendee(s), often elderlies living by themselves. The befriending period for GEN2060Y is from February of the enrolling semester to February of the following year; for GEN2060X, from September of the enrolling semester to September of the following year.

• Befriending commitment. The summer semester break (May‒July) forms part of a ‘hard’ commitment which you should fulfil. However, the last two months (Month 11 and 12 i.e. January and February for GEN2060Y; August and September for GEN2060X) constitute a ‘soft’ commitment, which you do not have to fulfil if you are unable to, e.g. if you have graduated, are on Leave of Absence (LoA) or have other commitments, such as Student Exchange Programme (SEP). In such cases, please do a smooth exit from your befriending journey.

• During the ‘hard’ commitment phase, you may be away for up to one month at a time, for overseas travel, whether work, studies, or vacation. Thus, you can still enrol in this course, even if you plan to do short overseas exchanges. However, if you think you may likely be away for more than a month at a time, whether due to semester-long or summer SEP, overseas internship, LoA, etc, you SHOULD NOT enrol in this course. You would not be able to adequately fulfil your responsibility to the befriendee(s).

• Service work requirement. Singapore Citizen or Singapore Permanent Resident. For more details, refer to ‘Service Work’ tab.

• Note to graduating students. If you intend to graduate at the end of AY2024/25 and wish to read GEN2060, the latest you can enrol is Semester 1 of that Academic Year, in GEN2060X. Grades are awarded at the end of Special Term 2, which means your degree will be conferred in end-Aug, and you will join the Commencement ceremony in the following year.

Befriending Prerequisites

• Singapore Citizen, or Singapore Permanent Resident

• Able to speak basic Malay, Tamil, Mandarin or Chinese dialects

• Able to provide an active handphone number for tele-befriending and correspondence with field supervisor or AAC staff

Commitment

60‒80 h of service work spread over one year. You will provide companionship, support and care for your befriendee(s) through regular contact. Together with your befriending partner, you should conduct home visits twice a month, except when you are overseas. In most cases, you are encouraged to make weekly contact alternating between home visits and phone calls.

Training will be provided by AIC and NUS to equip you with befriending microskills and knowledge on volunteerism, ethics and the social landscape. You are free to arrange your befriending schedule in coordination with your befriendee(s), befriending partner, and in some cases, your field supervisor.

Your tutor will specify a target direct service hours to your befriendee(s) typically of 40‒60 h. This forms your minimum service obligation. To meet this obligation, you have to log your direct contact hours on the Fieldwork Management System (FMS). In most cases, your total service hours will likely be less than 80 h.

You should not worry if you cannot meet the minimum service obligation if the contributing factors are outside your control, e.g. you have not been assigned enough befriendee(s), or your befriendee(s) withdraws from the programme or is unable to meet. You will not be penalized for such extenuating circumstances, provided you have documented them in FMS, and made effort to engage.

Roles and Responsibilities

Students are responsible to:

·       Keep seniors well. Build rapport with the assigned seniors. Conduct regular check-ins via home visits and phone calls; perform simple activities to help sustain socio-emotional, cognitive and physical well-being of assigned seniors, e.g. by eating together, playing games, shopping, going on walks, attending activities organized by Active Ageing Centres (AAC)

·       Keep seniors safe. Look out for signs of self-neglect, mental and/or physical deterioration, and risks of self-harm, and report concerns, anomalies or doubts to your field supervisor or partner organization for follow-up and early intervention

Service Work Locations (Updated To be updated for AY23AY24/24 25 Semester 2)

Students may book their preferred service work locations from a list of AIC community care partner organisations. Booking will be granted on a first come, first served basis. See here for the The list of locations will be available in due course.