Day it Opened
Written by Yoek and Yeng, the OG co-founders of Bold At Work
Block 319
I recall when we first came to Blk 319 for the site recce in the middle of 2016, when NYC first sought a youth operator for the space. The space had been left vacant for a while; I still remember the colourful walls and coming upon a little mouse skeleton right where the beanbag room now is!
It takes no small leap of imagination to unsee what is, and instead, envision in our mind’s eye, what it could be- but thanks to our architect OWMF, we had someone who somehow got on board with our vision of what the space could be, a space that would hold and incubate the creative imagination of many.
When we started out, we had no template. We were not a student care centre; neither were we a youth drop-in centre. All we knew was we wanted to rally young people to come together to give word to, and create their own visions for the future. The brief given to us was simply to prepare youths for the future of work, but we first wanted to hear- what was the future the youths themselves envisaged and hoped for?
So we too had to get into into the act of creating ourselves- “Never Not Trying” became our mantra- we tried everything- none of which necessarily made sense or even succeeded on the first try,
We had a unique set of giftings that propelled this stage of Bold forward. We had Yoek with her big ideas and deep thoughts on the future of education in authentic learning and learner-led; and fortunately, we had Yeng who translated these into attempts and experimentation, clumsy as they seemed. I recall one day I was simply floating the idea of a maker studio and the next thing I knew, Yeng with her Activator strengths had placed an order for a 3D printer with a 5-digit price tag.
Good Communities that started growing at 319
In retrospect, these early attempts became the foundation for what Bold would build and become known for in the years that followed. With our very first batch of interns, we created the first Innovation Studio Lab, with each intern doing a deep dive into a topic of their choosing, whether it was documenting a personal journey with reducing food waste, or creating a prototype for mini gardens in the community. They presented their outputs at the Bold Open House in June 2017.
This later evolved into our “Good Communities” pillar- which sees us partnering DesignSingapore Council in their Learning By Design initiative to lead Design Thinking for community innovation in schools and co-design platforms to address community issues. The idea of having a Real World Campus for youths to prototype their ideas and engage the community, led to Bold At Work hosting the first heartland version of the international movement “Parking Day” in 2019. This was to become a well-loved annual mainstay on the Bold Community Calendar, expanding to 5 different locations in 2024 and growing to a takeover of over 30 parking lots in 2025.
The Good Work that started at 319
The seeds of our pillar in Good Work were laid in this same season of sowing. We did not know what it would look like to support young people in creating the future of work. It was not about more tuition or enrichment classes, but what was it?
One day, not content to simply wait to figure it out, Yeng picked up a book on Designing Your Life and tried it out with a small group of youths. From there, it’s since evolved into our 3As methodology, now the base for all of our work. We have since journeyed alongside more than 15,000 young people to design their lives and careers, with the latest iteration being designed and led by K, from our very first batch of interns and prototype sessions!
A Look Back
Yoek: The struggles we ourselves faced at the start were very much authentic to the same philosophies we hoped would anchor youths as they confront the future. We had to learn to embrace and lean into our various strengths, and importantly, we had to have the trust to work with each other’s strengths even when we did not fully understand. Most of all, we experimented and prototyped (aka stumbled) our way forward. We created things and put them out in the world, and we waited to see what it would tell us in return.
Nearly 10 years on, we are grateful to have this opportunity to look back, and be reminded of the force of imagination and collective support that’s brought us from nothing more than a seed of possibility to the good we are a part of today. When you are taking tentative steps forward into a world of uncertainty, there is nothing you need more than someone who is rooting for you. To all who’ve been a part of this journey, from the early believers, our friendly supporters in the neighbourhood, and to every bold intern and staff and partner, we appreciate your trust in us and every act of faith that’s seen us through till today and more. THANK YOU!
Yeng: When I look back, what stays with me most is not just the programmes or milestones, but the people and the many small moments that slowly became a community. Bold was built much like how we hoped young people would approach life — not by waiting for certainty, but by taking courageous steps forward, learning through trying, stumbling, and growing along the way.
One of the greatest privileges of this journey has been watching young people grow into co-creators of the community — returning later as leaders, facilitators, and mentors shaping the next batch after them. It reminds me that Bold was always about people discovering agency, possibility, and confidence in themselves.
Personally, Bold shaped me as much as I shaped it. It taught me that meaningful work often begins before clarity arrives, and that communities are built through repeated acts of showing up, believing in people, and trying again together. I remain deeply grateful to Yoek, whose vision constantly stretched what we thought was possible; to every staff, intern, partner, neighbour, and youth who entrusted us with their stories; and to the wider Bold community who helped turn an empty unit at Block 319 into a place with imagination, growth, and hope. What began as an experiment became a shared journey, and I believe that is the real work of Bold.
