ASCEND

Adopt Sustainability, Communicate Effectively, Navigate Diversity: Leadership in Sustainability

ASCEND at CCSS is our Learning for Life Programme (LLP) that provides students with a unique and meaningful journey in Leadership and Sustainability. Designed to empower students with 21st-century competencies, ASCEND equips Changkateers with the skills to lead, inspire, and make a difference in their communities — especially in advancing Singapore’s green future.

At the heart of ASCEND is the Kouzes and Posner’s Student Leadership Challenge (K&P) and the principles of the Singapore Green Plan 2030. These foundations help students develop strong leadership values and the confidence to advocate for change.

ASCEND is integrated in our Curriculum

Across the four years, every student experiences LLP lessons and applies the five K&P leadership practices in hands-on sustainability projects that grow in scope and impact.

• Secondary 1 students learn about Food Security by cultivating microgreens and other edible plants within the school compound and going on learning journeys to urban farms.

• Secondary 2 students learn about Circular Economy by using recycled materials to design creative teaching resources for preschoolers at My First Skool, and interactive board games for the elderly at Keng Chiu Happy Lodge and attending a sharing session by UglyFood.

• Secondary 3 students learn about Climate Action by organising an Eco-Green Bazaar at Changi-Simei Community Centre to engage the public in sustainability education, and going on a learning journey to understand about carbon footprint.

• Secondary 4 and 5 students learn about Green Citizenry by curating an interactive Eco-Exhibition at Eastpoint Mall to advocate sustainable living to the wider community, and attending a talk by Frasers property on business sustainability practices.

Sprouting Passionate Advocates in Sustainability

The Eco-Champions Programme was born from a student-led passion in urban farming.
Our Eco-Champions step up as ambassadors of green living:

• Leading a biodiversity trail and microgreens workshop for students of Metta School as part of Go Green SG 2025

• Demonstrating stem cutting techniques to residents at the VIASTA! exhibition on sustainable lifestyles.

• Showcasing our school’s green practices during Changkat Primary School’s 60th Anniversary

• Attending training workshops to learn how to cultivate the school rooftop garden and distributing the harvest to the school community

Empowered to Lead, Inspired to Serve

Leadership at Changkat goes beyond titles — it is lived through action. Throughout the year, student leaders attended training, led CCA activities, organised school-wide events, and mentored juniors, gaining invaluable experience in leading teams and navigating differences from external competitions and conferences.

This year, selected student leaders also took part in two unique learning opportunities:

• Changpreneur: In this alumni-supported programme, students explored entrepreneurship and sustainability, developed business ideas, and pitched them to potential investors over a series of eight enriching sessions.

• A dialogue session with the Portuguese Ambassador on Multilateralism and International Cooperation, offering students a rare chance to engage with global issues and diplomacy.

Through ASCEND, our students are not just learning about leadership and sustainability — they are living it. They are stepping forward, speaking up, and making a tangible difference in their school, community, and beyond.