The NYAA Programme was officially launched by the President of the Republic of Singapore in May 1992. The aim of the programme is to groom and maximise the potential of our young people and to prepare them for service to both the community as well as to our nation.
All secondary schools, junior colleges, Institutes of Technical Education (ITEs), polytechnics, universities, national uniformed organisations, youth and community clubs are Operating Partners of the NYAA Programme.
Running in parallel with the NYAA Programme are various youth-related activities and leadership capacity building programmes, which help to prepare our young people for leadership and service to the community. The NYAA Council works in partnership and collaboration with government ministeries, statutory boards, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) as well as various international agencies to provide opportunities and platforms to develop the next generation and prepare them for community leadership both locally and globally.
The NYAA Programme is managed by the NYAA Council, and its day-to-day operations are run by a Secretariat headed by Mr James Soh, who is the Executive Director of the NYAA Council. The NYAA Council is chaired by Mr Eugene Seah Hsiu-Min, Managing Director, Surbana Technologies Pte Ltd and NYAA Gold Award holder ( 1995 Cohort) and advised by an Advisory Board chaired by Mr Heng Swee Keat, Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies. The NYAA Board of Trustees is chaired by Mr Guy Harvey-Samuel, Independent Director, JTC Corporation,Surbana Jurong Pte Ltd, Wing Tai Holdings Ltd, Mapletree Industrial Management Ltd and M1 Limited.
The NYAA Council is a nonprofit organisation and an Institution of Public Character (IPC).