Charity reaches out to socially reclusive teens using Minecraft

Youth will meet in a virtual world for a series of activities in pilot programme

- Shermaine Ang

Teenagers who are socially reclusive can soon play team games and take their first steps in six months to speak to their peers – all without leaving their rooms.

Each week, they will meet in a virtual world in the game Minecraft - which allows players to explore worlds, collect resources and build whatever they want - for a series of activities.

Impart, a charity group that helps youth with problems, has designed games such as a railroad adventure and a parkour activity to teach youth about topics such as healthy living, self-esteem and relationships. The games aim to progressively gear them up with skills to face challenges.

The content is adapted from an intervention programme devised by Dr Cecilia Essau, a developmental psychopathology professor in London. Called Super Skills For Life, it helps young people cope with emotional difficulties such as anxiety and depression.

Around 12 young people aged 13 to 18 in Singapore will be joining the 12-week pilot programme, which is slated to start on Oct 28.

This new initiative to reach out to reclusive youth is the latest of Impart's programmes to support young people facing adversities. They include those who are not in education, employment or training, also known as Neet youth.

“We wanted to meet the youth where they are,” said Impart’s co-founder Joshua Tay, 30.

Around 17,000 young people aged 15 to 24 in Singapore were not in school, work or training in 2023. This represents 4.1 per cent of youth in the country, according to the Ministry of Manpower’s 2024 Labour Force Survey.

Mr Tay first met his co-founder Narasimman Tivasiha Mani, 40, in 2015.