Young people from 13 Asian countries forged bonds over a one-week social, culture, and education immersion retreat. 

From plain white cloth to beautiful batik prints – the transformation was remarkable as more than 150 students worked in teams to paint different sections of a large swath of fabric. For two hours, the youths huddled over the cloth, carefully painting batik artwork with design references from the Asian countries where they hail from.

Over seven days, they learnt about other countries through various activities centred on the camp’s theme: "Spirited. Youth. Cultural."

Besides batik painting, they also bonded over outdoor challenges. The "trust fall", where participants took turns to fall backwards from a raised platform onto a canvas sheet held by their teammates, was particularly memorable.

Yashashree Uchil, a student at St. Xavier's College in Mumbai, India, said the experience pulled her group of 10 closer together. "After the trust fall, when we were doing another task together, the coordination and the cooperation we had was something that we didn't have earlier,” she recalled. “When you entrust your life to someone else, it just creates a different bond altogether."

The youths were participating in an annual cross-cultural retreat called the STEP Sunburst Youth Camp, organised by Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) and Temasek Foundation.

The groups also visited Chinatown, Kampong Glam and Little India via a format based on the "Amazing Race" reality television show. Tasks included finding landmarks and discovering heritage within the architecture, people, and souvenirs in these ethnic enclaves as fast as possible. But not everyone was fixated on winning.

Nadratul Huda Binti Ahmad, a Malaysian studying in the science stream of Pahang Matriculation College in Pahang, said: "We didn't go for being the fastest ... Instead, we went for the enjoyment. We took pictures of the buildings with murals and also hunted for food like ice-cream."

As the camp wound down, the students prepared a makeshift exhibition and gave presentations on the unique aspects of their countries. They also performed traditional songs and dances as part of the closing ceremony.

The latest edition was held in Singapore in December 2019, and drew participants aged 17 to 21, nominated based on their leadership qualities and passion in cultural art, dance and music.

For Zane Li Xian Zhang, a Singaporean studying at the Millennia Institute, the experience has been a humbling one.

For starters, he was struck by how little he knew about Singapore. During the "Amazing Race" challenge, there were several times he was unsure about some facts related to cultural places the group visited.

As he was expected to be the guide and ambassador for his teammates from other countries, he said: “It is a little bit embarrassing, but it is a process of us learning together.”

While he learnt more about Singapore during the programme, Zane also realised the significance of being a global citizen. It means disregarding "preconceived notion(s)" and learning to build trust. "Through this camp, I have realised how important it is to have friends from other countries," he added.

Just as how their batik artwork was created by various people using distinct colours, the teens learnt that differences need not be divisive. Instead, they produce beautiful results when embraced.