Alicia, a teaching assistant from Shanghai American School, interviewed three young participants at the camp: Daniel, a rising senior at Singapore American School, as well as Scarlett and Leo, both rising sophomores from Shanghai American School. When talking about their genuine takeaways from the programme, the three teenagers offered distinct yet equally inspiring insights.
For Daniel, the biggest growth came from learning to live with fear. He used to struggle with intense anxiety before public presentations. Through the programme, he gradually learned to embrace nervousness and accept that feeling anxious is perfectly normal. He truly felt the power of this mindset shift when he delivered his speech the day before.
What resonated most with Scarlett was working alongside her teammates to solve real‑world problems within just five days. Participants needed to identify social issues from daily life and work out feasible solutions in a tight timeframe. The journey was far from easy, yet brainstorming and supporting one another with teammates proved incredibly rewarding. She gained plenty of perspectives that cannot be learned from textbooks.
To Leo, this experience taught him to become a risk‑taker. At his previous school, innovation projects were spread across an entire academic year with monthly meetings. By contrast, NextGen required participants to develop complete solutions in merely five days. Under pressure, his communication and teamwork skills were fully put to the test. He also discovered that teams of around eight members generated far more diverse ideas, leading to stronger, more creative projects.
When asked about their favourite parts of the camp, all three highlighted people and local culture. They cherished the chance to work with passionate, like‑minded peers on causes they cared about. They also valued field trips to Hong Kong’s cultural sites, which allowed them to immerse themselves in local heritage beyond classroom walls.
Though short, the five‑day camp helped these young people accept nervousness, practise collaboration and embrace bold exploration. This is exactly what NextGen aims to bring to youth: grow courage and competence to change the world, alongside like‑minded peers amid real‑life challenges.
