ASCEND

ASCEND is Changkat Secondary School's programme that builds leadership and sustainability skills through hands-on projects. Find out how students take real action for a greener Singapore.

Last updated 11 June 2026

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.

Educational framework diagram showing PERMAH values, DNECSA tiers, and three-tier structured school programmes.

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.

Circular diagram showing SG Green Plan surrounded by five colored icons: Model the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act, Encourage the Heart.

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.

A young boy in school uniform smells a bunch of fresh green bok choy held in his hands outdoors.

Students in yellow and white uniforms pose with peace signs beside raised garden beds under a shade structure.

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.

Two uniformed students smile and assist elderly people playing a cardboard board game at a community center.

A group of school students in uniforms pose indoors holding colorful cardboard project models and displays.

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.

Crowd of people browsing tables filled with bags and accessories at an outdoor community market near shops.

Four teenage boys stand outdoors near a trolley loaded with boxes and bags, with trees and a van behind them.

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.

Students in white uniforms interact with shoppers outside a FairPrice supermarket, one holding a purple clipboard.

Students in white uniforms present a Chong Kao Changi project display to an elderly man in a shopping mall.

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

A group of students and teachers pose with thumbs up at an outdoor sustainability booth with potted plants and posters.

Several school students examine a green leafy plant up close indoors, with one girl wearing blue gloves handling it.

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.

A group of students in school uniforms gather near a gymnasium entrance while one student stands elevated above the group.

Two uniformed students sit at a table with a sign reading "Team/25 Power Bloc! Worlds We Govern: Drafting the Decades."

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.

Five students in school uniforms lean over a large paper on a table, writing ideas during a group activity.

A group of students in white uniforms gather around a blue table covered with picture cards during a classroom activity.

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.