Sparks
"Sparks" is a community innovation movement - by the community, for the community. It reflects PA’s refreshed mission to spark and nurture community participation. In line with our refreshed mission, we will activate more community club spaces to drive community participation and foster community ownership. Residents can look forward to use CC spaces to work together on community projects – to discuss, engage community stakeholders, plan initiatives, and rally the community. As Singapore's communities become increasingly diverse and complex, necessitating a more dynamic and inclusive approach to community building, the initiative provides platforms that empower stakeholders to take collective action in addressing local issues and shaping meaningful solutions.
“Sparks” also aims to enhance the traditional role of the Community Clubs (CCs) and grassroots organisations, moving beyond service provision to becoming catalysts for community-led innovation and problem-solving.
At its core, “Sparks” is driven by several key factors:
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Empowering Active Citizenship: There is a growing desire among Singaporeans to move beyond giving feedback to becoming active contributors in shaping their communities. “Sparks” provides structured platforms and resources to channel this energy into tangible community improvements.
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Harnessing Local Expertise: Communities hold a wealth of experience, skills, and passion that often go untapped. “Sparks” recognises this potential, providing avenues to harness local expertise for the common good.
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Addressing Diverse Needs: As Singapore's population becomes more diverse, community needs are increasingly varied and complex. “Sparks” responds to this by fostering innovative and localised solutions that are tailored to the unique contexts of different neighbourhoods and demographic groups.
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Strengthening Social Cohesion: By creating shared experiences of problem-solving and collaboration, “Sparks” aims to foster stronger bonds within communities. This helps to build trust, understanding, and a sense of shared purpose among residents from different backgrounds.
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Reimagining Community Spaces: By transforming CCs into hubs of innovation and civic engagement, this ensures that they remain relevant and vital in the lives of residents, serving as nexus points for community interaction and co-creation.
To achieve these objectives, PA has introduced three interconnected components under the “Sparks” umbrella:
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Community Innovation Spaces (CIS): Ten pilot CCs have been selected to redesign part of their spaces to enable residents, volunteers, community and corporate partners to come together to brainstorm ideas, share insights and test out innovative solutions to address community concerns and bring collective aspirations to fruition.
The 10 pilot Sparks @ CC are:
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Central Singapore District: Geylang West CC, Pek Kio CC
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North East District: Buangkok CC, Pasir Ris East CC
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North West District: Nee Soon South CC, Zhenghua CC
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South East District: Mountbatten CC, Kampong Chai Chee CC
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South West District: Boon Lay CC, Tengah CC
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Community Innovation Taskforces (CIT): Each of the Sparks @ CC has formed a taskforce, comprising three to eight Grassroots Leaders and partners who will be the driving force behind the community innovation journey to foster a culture of innovation, drive community participation, and spearhead ideation sessions and activities within the CIS.
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Sparks x BFG Community Hackathon: A collaboration between the PA and Open Government Products (OGP), combining PA's deep community connections with OGP's technological expertise and past experience running the Build for Good (BFG) hackathon. The Community Hackathon aims to rally the community to identify pressing local issues and develop innovative tech solutions that address community challenges and aspirations. Participants will receive support from CITs, experienced tech mentors, and hands-on workshops to refine their ideas into prototypes, which will be showcased at the hackathon grand finale.
Registration for the Community Hackathon starts from 22 March 2025 and will close on 6 April 2025. Interested participants can find out more and register for the hackathon here.
Join the Sparks community innovation movement!
Ready to spark change? Join us in this community innovation movement and be a catalyst for positive change and impact. Whether you have innovative ideas, a passion for community building, or simply want to lend a helping hand, we invite you to connect with us!
Email PA_Partnership@pa.gov.sg and let's ignite change, innovate together, and create lasting impact for the community!
