Beyond the Flush: A Year with NEA’s YES Leaders Programme

It’s strange how a year can feel both like a lifetime and the blink of an eye. As I stood at Funan IT Mall, surrounded by the buzz of our project exhibition, I saw the anxious but proud faces of fellow NEA YES Leaders graduates, all busy making final touches to their booths in preparation for the Guest-of-Honour’s arrival. Amidst this “chaos,” I found myself reflecting on the journey that brought us here - graduating from the National Environment Agency (NEA)’s YOUth for Environmental Sustainability (YES) Leaders Programme.

The Journey Begins

My teammates, Su Ying Da, Ma Shun Hang William, and I started this journey with the NEA YES Leaders Programme a year ago. Our project, named “Beyond the Flush!”, began as a simple question:

How can we make public toilet hygiene in Singapore better? 

Also, equally as important was the question:

“How do we come up with a solution that is simple, practical and affordable?”

Redesigning urinals that is splash-proof would require reinstallation across hundreds if not thousands of urinals. This would incur heavy implementation cost, making it not scalable. Even if funding was somehow available, replacing all the existing working urinals would be a giant waste of resources - contradicting the original intent to be environmentally friendly. 

What followed was a whirlwind of focus group discussions, sticky notes, wild ideas (some of which, thankfully, never saw the light of day), some dabbling in augmented reality, and a crash course in project management. There were stretches when we almost faltered - everyone was busy with other commitments, or we faced difficulties with the prototype and collecting data. But we stayed the course and eventually achieved a breakthrough. The solution was so absurdly simple, a standalone piece of recyclable plastic that can work with ANY existing urinal. This standalone device would be kept under $3.50 per piece and would likely last a long time, making it an affordable solution for public toilets. There would be no incentive to steal such a device but also no deterrence against using it. The floors would likely be cleaner, meaning that the cleaners have less effort to clean and also use presumably less water in the process. This “Shields” the floors of male toilet from users who causes splashes/ spillage when urinating (yes, I am guilty) keeping it dryer. Hence, I named our solution as “SHIELD”, Safe, Hygienic, Independent, Eliminate (spillage), Low (maintenance) and Dry (floors). Fast forward a few months, and our working prototype was completed! 

Looking back, I realise how much of this journey was made possible by the skills and lessons I picked up at Singapore Polytechnic (SP). Design Thinking, which I first encountered during LEX in March 2024, taught me to empathise and ideate. Research and data analytics (Feb 2025) gave me the tools to make sense of feedback and spot trends. The Tinkerlab module (Mar 2025) introduced me to AR modelling - a skill that would be implemented late in our project - to give our publicity booth a more interactive experience. Transdisciplinary Collaboration, which I experienced first-hand at YMAC (Apr 2025) taught me how to leverage on diverse talents of different team members and mentors. In addition, NEA’s Learning Journeys over the past year also gave me insights into what other sustainability projects were implemented in Singapore thus far. Each module, each “pitstop,” was like collecting a new tool for my toolkit.

Lessons in Collaboration

Given the resource and time constraints, it’s impossible for anyone to learn all the interesting tools out there. That’s where the beauty of collaboration comes in. No 3D printing experience? No problem - activate my teammate William to help create the prototypes. Need advice on stakeholder management? Ms Christina Sho was always available to guide us. Our industry mentor, Ms Samantha Thian, as well as our NEA sponsors, Mr Wen Hwee Liew, Ms Daphne Chan, Ms Abigail Tan and Ms Cindy Chua, also supported us throughout this journey.

I’m grateful for this collaborative and nurturing environment provided by the programme. It’s cool to be part of a group of like-minded individuals coming together, united by a shared goal and a genuine desire to make a difference.

The Big Day

Fast forward to our graduation event. The air at Funan was electric, charged with anticipation and pride. Our Guest-of-Honour, Minister Grace Fu, highlighted to the audience the importance of sustainability and reminded us that in an ever-increasingly volatile world, Singaporeans must step up, be resilient, and persevere through challenges to keep Singapore's sustainability movement going forward. Her words struck a chord with me. In that moment, I felt a deep sense of responsibility - not just as a participant in this programme, but as a Singaporean passionate about building a cleaner, greener future.

Wefie with a Minister

It was a surreal feeling to be speaking with Minister Ms Grace Fu and SMS Ms Hanyan Goh at our project’s publicity booth. Although I had rehearsed many times with Ying Da, I expected myself to still be nervous when they finally arrived. However, both Ms Grace Fu and Ms Hanyan Goh were so friendly and unassuming that it felt like having a natural conversation. They asked questions about the project and how it was rolled out in school. I explained how we conducted a focus group with SP students and cleaners and got very positive results, albeit in a very short pilot under controlled settings. I had planned to request for a wefie prior, but Ms Grace Fu initiated to have one first! So cool. Bucket list checked. 

Media Coverage

I was surprised at how fast the SPH media team responded. Within that same evening, I would see myself on CNA LIVE, and friends would inform me that our NEA graduation event also appeared on Suria & Channel 8 news. To cap things off, my grandma sent me a picture of her LianHe Zao Bao newspaper showing my wefie with Ms Grace Fu.

Looking Forward

This project may have reached its official end, but for me, it feels more like a beginning. I’m eager to dive into new sustainability projects, to keep learning, and to connect with others who share this passion. If you’re reading this and feel even a flicker of interest in sustainability, I encourage you to check out NEA’s YES Leaders Programme. You never know where one “Yes” might take you.

Gratitude

Before I sign off, I want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who made this journey enjoyable - my teammates, mentors, and the NEA team. Your support, patience, and belief in our vision made all the difference.

Here’s to new beginnings, to collaboration, and to making every flush count.

P.S. If you’re passionate about sustainability or curious about the YES Leaders Programme, drop me a message via LinkedIn, and let’s connect! The clean and green movement needs all of us.

#YESFestSG2025 #YESLeadersProgramme #NEASingapore #Sustainability #DesignThinking #Transdisciplinary #Tinkerlab #SingaporePolytechnic #BeyondTheFlush #Gratitude #SGGreenPlan2030

Chia Howie

22 June 2025

TLDR

Graduated from NEA's YES Leader programme, applied various skills, and collaborated with mentors and peers. Showcased my project (to a minister!) and reinforced my passion for sustainability.