For nearly 30 years, Stairway Foundation’s Youth for Change Camps have empowered young people from all backgrounds to come together for deep learning and meaningful connection. These camps offer a rare chance to step away from daily routines, disconnect from devices, and experience activities that challenge perspectives, build empathy, and inspire understanding.
Through reflection, open dialogue, and shared experiences, participants begin to recognize not only the realities of others but also their own capacity to create positive change. More than just immersive experiences, our Youth for Change Camps are spaces where young people move beyond the familiar and start to see the world—and themselves—in a new light.
YFC brings children and youth together to interact, explore children’s rights, and gain genuine insight into each other’s lives. At the heart of the experience is learning with and from one another—sharing stories, perspectives, and lived realities as equals. Here, understanding is built not through formal instruction, but through authentic connection.
A Partnership That Continues to Grow
We value our strong partnership with Singapore American School; it continues to shape both our communities.
As one SAS teacher shared:
“Ten years ago, I took my first Interim Semester trip to the Stairway Foundation. When I returned home, I told my wife, That was one of the best educational experiences I’ve ever had. Now, having just returned from my 7th trip a decade later, I still feel the same way—the positive impact remains immense!”
The relationship between SAS and Stairway began with the Interim trip and the creation of the Stairway Club at SAS. Now, with over 25 active members and an annual Interim open to everyone, students are deeply engaged in the Stairway community and the YFC program. We see students from different backgrounds become more empathetic and open to the world through these interactions, which have a lasting impact on our community.
A Global Community of Schools
Over the years, Youth for Change has grown into a truly global exchange.
We have welcomed students from the Philippines and abroad, each bringing unique experiences. Our long-standing partnership with Rødkilde Gymnasium in Denmark has inspired other schools, like Skanderborg Gymnasium to support Stairway’s mission.
These partnerships are rooted not only in visits and camps, but in shared values.
In Denmark, many students participate in Operation Day’s Work (Operation Dagsværk)—a nationwide initiative where students dedicate a day of work to raise funds for development projects around the world. This spirit of solidarity and youth-led action aligns closely with what we aim to cultivate through Youth for Change.
Through this connection, Danish students arrive at Stairway already grounded in the idea that young people can take responsibility, act with purpose, and contribute to global change. At Stairway, this awareness deepens through lived experience—through peer interaction, shared activities, and meaningful dialogue with the children and community.
Learning Across Realities
One of the most powerful dimensions of Youth for Change is the interaction between students from more privileged backgrounds and the children and youth in our own programs—particularly those from our Family Home Program.
Our beneficiaries are not passive participants. They are co-creators of the experience. They share their stories, their strengths, and their perspectives. They challenge assumptions and reshape how visiting students understand resilience, identity, and dignity. Visiting students find this the most transformative part, seeing individuals with voice, agency, and strength beyond labels.
At the same time, our children grow in confidence. They discover that their experiences matter, that their voices carry weight, and that they can connect across cultures and backgrounds.
Learning Through Each Other
We believe that young people are powerful sources of learning for each other, and this is at the core of our YFC Camps.
This kind of exchange allows participants to move beyond assumptions and stereotypes. When young people share stories, engage in activities, and reflect together, they begin to understand each other. This new understanding goes beyond what any classroom alone can achieve.
We have seen how this creates safe spaces for openness, where empathy is not just taught but truly experienced.
Over time, participants become more aware, grounded, and connected. These connections extend not just to others, but also to the wider world.
From Experience to Reflection
For many participants, like Ashley from SAS, the YFC experience marks a profound turning point.
“The camp was incredibly meaningful. I had the opportunity to immerse myself in all three of Stairway’s major programs. I witnessed firsthand the remarkable work carried out by Stairway and its members through grassroots service and advocacy in the Philippines.”
We have seen how these peer interactions—through conversations, shared moments, or mutual learning—can leave lasting, transformative impressions.
Ashley deepened her involvement with the Stairway Club at SAS. She took on leadership roles and contributed to initiatives such as fundraising and social media outreach. Her journey reflects something even more significant: it echoes Stairway Foundation’s mission to empower youth for lasting impact.
Carrying the Change Forward
Our work continues even after the camp is over.
We see Youth for Change’s impact as participants carry their experiences into their schools, communities, and future paths. Ashley plans to bring what she learned to university, creating spaces for service and advocacy, and may start a Youth for Change-style initiative elsewhere.
She notes that for international students, it is more important than ever to step outside familiar environments and try new experiences.
This matches our belief that meaningful change starts when we move beyond our own perspectives and connect deeply with others.
A Ripple Effect of Change
Over the years, we have seen how joining Stairway through our Youth for Change Camps and our school partnerships creates a ripple effect that extends far beyond the camp itself.
What starts as learning together quickly becomes a shift in perspective. A simple connection transforms into a sense of responsibility. A shared experience grows into a lifelong commitment to empathy and action.
At Stairway Foundation, we believe that when young people are given the opportunity to learn from one another, they become not only learners but active change-makers—spreading empathy, fostering action, and creating lasting impact within their communities and beyond.
