Care, Serve, Learn (CSL) @ NTU

 What about NTU Honours College, LKCMedicine, and NIE Students?

• LKCMedicine and NIE offer service-learning courses through their respective schools instead.
• NTU Honours College, Service-Learning-related courses will be offered through the Tech4Good.

For the pilot run in Semester 2, AY2025/2026, a total of 600 service placements will be offered across two CSL courses, as shown below:

📌 CL0101 - Silver Reach – Youth Outreach to Seniors (400 placements)

📋 In partnership with the Silver Generation Office (SGO) under the Agency for Integrated Care, students will have the opportunity to serve as Silver Generation Ambassadors (SGAs).

 Your role involves reaching out to seniors at their homes in assigned precincts, and it will include:
• Checking in seniors’ wellbeing;
• Connecting seniors to care programmes that suit their needs;
• Guiding them through government policies and support schemes;
• Engaging them to stay active and healthy in and out of the home

Pre-Requisite:

Open to Singapore citizens and Singapore permanent residents (SGPR) only.

 Important Information:

As the service requires a security clearance check, which typically takes about 4 to 6 weeks to complete after registration, students will commence their deployment only upon receiving the necessary clearance

📌CL0102 - Silver Sparks – Youth Advocates for Active Ageing (200 placements)

📋 In partnership with the Silver Generation Office (SGO) under the Agency for Integrated Care, you will have the opportunity to serve as a Silver Guardian (SGD).

Your role involves supporting the Active Ageing Centres (AAC) through:
• Building rapport with seniors in the community;
• Planning and conducting meaningful engagement and/or recreational programmes to support mobility, cognitive, and social connection for healthy ageing;
• Engaging them to stay active and healthy in and out of the home;
• Doing outreach to seniors in their homes to encourage them to participate in AAC activities

📋In partnership with Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), you will have the opportunity to serve as a Silver Guardian (SGD).

Your role involves supporting the Active Ageing Centres (AAC) through:
• Building rapport with seniors in the community;
• Facilitating news-sharing sessions with seniors using SPH curated news content resources
• Engaging them to stay active and healthy in and out of the home

Through this course, students will:

1. Concrete Experience: Students gain experience through engaging with a community of choice.

2.  Reflective Observations: Students reflect on their experiences and the community they are serving.

3.  Abstract Conceptualization: Students draw connections between the service-learning experience and the intended learning outcomes.

4.  Active Experimentation: Students develop ways to enhance engagement and address societal needs.

The CSL course series comprises 3-AU credit-bearing courses graded on a Pass/Fail basis.

The CSL office works closely with various departments to create an inclusive learning environment where all students have equal opportunities to learn, engage, and thrive. We understand that some students may need extra learning support.

If you need any assistance, please contact your CSL tutor as soon as you can, or email us at [email protected]. We will work with you to explore reasonable adjustments, alternative arrangements, or connect you with other university support services.

1) Why is the University introducing service learning?

Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has launched the Care, Serve, Learn (CSL) initiative — a compulsory, 3-AU credit-bearing course series for all undergraduates admitted from AY2025/2026 onwards.

The Care, Serve, Learn (CSL) philosophy embodies the University’s commitment to nurturing students as compassionate, responsible, and engaged members of society. It emphasizes the development of active citizenship, empathetic leadership, and lifelong learning through meaningful service experiences. By participating in purposeful community engagement, students cultivate empathy, humility, and a strong sense of social responsibility. Through these transformative experiences, they are empowered to become changemakers who lead with heart, drive positive societal impact, and contribute to the common good.

Through CSL, students learn how to serve the community and, in the process of serving, learn key skills to make an impact.

2) Who is required to read the CSL course?

This is a graduation requirement for all undergraduate students admitted from AY 2025/2026 onwards, excluding those affiliated with the NTU Honors College, the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine), and the National Institute of Education (NIE). The courses offered by the CSL Office are not open to this group of affiliated students. They are required to take the CSL equivalent courses offered by their respective colleges or schools instead.

What about Honours College, LKCMedicine, and NIE students?

• LKCMedicine and NIE offer service-learning courses through their respective schools instead.
• In NTU Honours College, Service-Learning-related courses will be offered through the Tech4Good.

3) How many AUs would CSL be?

The CSL course will be 3 AU graded Pass/Fail.

4) How many hours am I expected to serve? And why?

The number of hours will be 60-80 hours, including 40-60 hours of direct engagement with the beneficiaries.

We consider this the minimum required for students to learn from pre-service training and be followed with firsthand experience in the social service or community landscape, make a positive impact, and develop sufficient awareness for personal growth. This includes establishing a personal moral compass and refining essential skills for personal effectiveness.

5) How would the CSL Course Structure be like?

There will be a number of CSL course offerings to choose from. Students are only required to select one of these courses. All courses will comprise tutorials, while some courses may include additional training provided by social service agencies. Hours spent on tutorials and external training count towards the 60-80 hours requirement.

6) What are some of the domain areas that I can be expected to contribute to?

There will be three key domain areas: Active Ageing, Children and Teens, and Diverse Abilities.

7) I am already volunteering outside NTU. Can these count towards fulfilling the CSL course?

CSL differs from volunteerism. CSL courses are intentionally designed with specific learning outcomes that students must achieve. They combine structured academic learning with service or project work, encouraging students to reflect more deeply on societal issues while taking meaningful action.

Currently, self-sourced volunteering activities are unable to provide this level of structured academic integration. Only work embedded within such an academic framework, as offered by the CSL course, can be recognized and carry academic credit.

Service learning comprises both learning and service aspects. The University is exploring whether students who volunteer through our student organisations can incorporate learning outcomes into their activities to fulfil the similar requirement of the CSL course series.

8) How am I being assessed?

Students taking CSL courses are assessed based on three broad areas: Learning Outcome (Quality of Reflections), Service (students’ fulfillment of the minimum service obligation), and Competencies (with Supervisor input).

9) In cases where the service component can only be completed at the end of the following semester or up to one year after enrollment. How does this timeline affect my course registration in the next semester?

An ‘IP’ (in-progress) grade will be assigned to courses that extend beyond one semester. The actual grade will be assigned upon completion of the course. This procedure is similar to internships and final-year project work.

What this means for you

• You must ensure your total AU (including the in-progress course) doesn’t exceed your maximum load allowed for the semester.
• The onus is on students to resolve and avoid any timetable clashes with their CSL schedule.
• Students who have to overload are strongly advised to consult their School Academic Counsellors and apply for approval to overload.

Example:

• If your service module carries 3 AU and continues into the next semester, those 3 AU will still count toward your total load of the next semester.
• If your School’s maximum load allowed is 20 AU, you can register for up to 17 AU of new courses.

10) Can the CSL service stretch across the Special Terms?

The course is spanned over two semesters. Depending on the availability of the service offerings, students can continue to clock the hours during the special term and vacations.

11) Can I seek reimbursement for expenses, such as transportation and other service-related expenses, incurred during my service or activities?

Depending on the nature of the service offerings, students enrolled in some CSL courses will be allocated funding to cover service-related expenses. An SGD$100 transportation allowance is provided for students on a bursary.

12) What should I do if I get into disagreement or other issues with my Service Agency Supervisor, other stakeholders, or the people whom I am supporting?

CSL emphasizes that the Service Agency and students are expected to resolve any disagreement and/or grievances arising from service experiences as amicably as possible. Students can also turn to their NTU tutor for support.

13) Will there be any training sessions by the Service Agency partner? Will the training hours be counted towards the service hours?

Depending on the partnering social service agency, some CSL courses may include training sessions from the agency. These sessions are not counted towards the service hours, but towards the 60-80 total hours required by the course.

14) If I am on Leave of Absence (LOA) for the semester after registering for a CSL course?

Students are not allowed to continue attending classes or serve the community once the leave of absence has been granted. Any courses registered for the semester will be dropped except for courses that they have fully completed and assessed prior to the approval of leave.

You are advised to inform your tutor in advance prior to submitting your Semester Leave of Absence for approval.

15) Am I allowed to add/drop the CSL course?

Students are permitted to add/drop the course only during the official add/drop period (Weeks 1 and 2).

16) Can I read a CSL course while concurrently on an internship/GEM Explorer Programme?

No, students are not allowed to take any courses or serve the community during the internship or while on GEM Explorer Programme.

17) I have other questions. Who can I ask?

For any further questions, feedback, or suggestions for improvement, please contact the CSL Office. Please click here.

2025

• Article (May - NTU)
• Article (Oct - The Straits Times)
• Article (Oct - Lianhe Zaobao)