GRANTWith Kita
ECCA’s partnership with Kita began with Hatch, when we embarked on a three-year journey to understand what it truly means to nurture spaces an networks of care for youths to pursue and achieve their aspirations. Together, we found deep resonance in the values of co-design and co-creation, and committed to building an organization from the ground up – with the young people themselves at the helm. Through our ongoing capacity development partnership, ECCA and Kita are reimagining youth development by centering young people as experts of their own lives and strengthening ecosystems of support through community building and cross-sector collaboration.
Challenge
Youths from under-resourced backgrounds face systemic barriers: limited access to education, career guidance, and the kind of supportive networks that many take for granted. These constraints narrow aspirations and opportunities — leaving many at risk of being left behind in an increasingly complex world. In Singapore, one in every 1,000 secondary school students drops out, deepening inequality and reducing their potential to contribute to the broader community.
Approach
Kita’s work comes to life through scaffolds that translate life aspirations into manageable, self-directed steps – protecting every young person’s ownership over their choices across three program modalities:
- Kita Space — A community of belonging and mutual support, created and sustained together with the youths.
- Kita Labs — An experimental platform where youths explore diverse projects and possibilities in work and life.
- Kita Studios — A career program offering industry skills training, portfolio development, and placement support for meaningful careers.
