ADVA / JA Dengue Slayers Challenge 2025
Junior Achievement Singapore cordially invites your students to participate in our 2nd annual ADVA / JA Dengue Slayers Challenge 2025, a challenge focusing on addressing the challenge of the dengue endemic.
2024 was one of Singapore’s wettest and warmest years. Total annual rainfall was 8.1 per cent above the long-term average, and the year tied with 2019 and 2016 for the warmest years on record. Unfortunately, our changing climate creates conditions ripe for the reproduction of mosquitoes and transmission of the diseases they carry. For instance, the torrential rain creates more stale water bodies which the dengue vector, the Aedes aegypti mosquito, may breed in. More than 13,600 cases of dengue were recorded in Singapore in 2024 – a jump of over 36 per cent from 2023
Dengue is a risk in many parts of Asia. According to the National Environment Agency (NEA), there were 113 dengue cases reported in the week ending 8 February 2025 with 16 active dengue clusters in Singapore. Of the 3.5 billion people around the world living in dengue endemic countries and at risk of contracting dengue fever, 1.3 billion live in dengue endemic areas in 10 countries of the South East Asia Region. The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified dengue as the most widespread and rapidly increasing vector-borne disease in the world.
A scientific working group that advocates for dengue vaccine introduction strategies in Asia, Asia Dengue Voice and Action Group (ADVA) and Junior Achievement (JA) are organizing ADVA / JA Dengue Slayers 2.0 : Tech Quest to Control (Crush) the Outbreak! in five countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand) with a focus of engaging our youth to experience international collaboration first-hand while developing innovative solutions, enabling them to gain a broader understanding of the dengue endemic.
The ADVA / JA Dengue Slayers 2.0: Tech Quest to Control (Crush) the Outbreak! provides a platform for students to develop ideas to address one of the world’s most critical environmental issues we are facing today – the dengue endemic. Our aim is to inspire and empower future generations, introducing young students to the challenges faced by the dengue endemic and to encourage them to come up with innovative solutions to prevent and control dengue outbreaks for the communities around them. An individual and collective community action to prevent mosquito breeding to reduce the Aedes mosquito population is much needed.
The Challenge:
The challenge is for slayer teams to create / develop innovative and potentially viable solutions to address the dengue endemic challenges. Slayer teams are encouraged to prototype or conceptualize new technologies that address mosquito control or improve health monitoring. They can utilize digital tools to track, educate, and defeat Dengue – without harming the ecosystems.
Students Learning Objectives:
Student Participation Criteria:
1. Age: 16-19 years old
2. Grade level: Sec 4 to JC / ITE / Polytechnic
3. Course of study: Any discipline
4. No of students per team: 3 students per team
Phases of the Competition:
Awards:
All participants will receive a Certificate of Participation. Teams will be competing for the following awards at the Singapore Finals:
1st Place: Trophy & represent Singapore at the Asia Pacific Grand Finals in Manila, Philippines
2nd place: Trophy
3rd place: Trophy
Best Presentation: Trophy
Most Innovative Idea: Trophy
Asia Pacific Grand Finals 1st Place: Trophy + iPad
2024 was one of Singapore’s wettest and warmest years. Total annual rainfall was 8.1 per cent above the long-term average, and the year tied with 2019 and 2016 for the warmest years on record. Unfortunately, our changing climate creates conditions ripe for the reproduction of mosquitoes and transmission of the diseases they carry. For instance, the torrential rain creates more stale water bodies which the dengue vector, the Aedes aegypti mosquito, may breed in. More than 13,600 cases of dengue were recorded in Singapore in 2024 – a jump of over 36 per cent from 2023
Dengue is a risk in many parts of Asia. According to the National Environment Agency (NEA), there were 113 dengue cases reported in the week ending 8 February 2025 with 16 active dengue clusters in Singapore. Of the 3.5 billion people around the world living in dengue endemic countries and at risk of contracting dengue fever, 1.3 billion live in dengue endemic areas in 10 countries of the South East Asia Region. The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified dengue as the most widespread and rapidly increasing vector-borne disease in the world.
A scientific working group that advocates for dengue vaccine introduction strategies in Asia, Asia Dengue Voice and Action Group (ADVA) and Junior Achievement (JA) are organizing ADVA / JA Dengue Slayers 2.0 : Tech Quest to Control (Crush) the Outbreak! in five countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand) with a focus of engaging our youth to experience international collaboration first-hand while developing innovative solutions, enabling them to gain a broader understanding of the dengue endemic.
The ADVA / JA Dengue Slayers 2.0: Tech Quest to Control (Crush) the Outbreak! provides a platform for students to develop ideas to address one of the world’s most critical environmental issues we are facing today – the dengue endemic. Our aim is to inspire and empower future generations, introducing young students to the challenges faced by the dengue endemic and to encourage them to come up with innovative solutions to prevent and control dengue outbreaks for the communities around them. An individual and collective community action to prevent mosquito breeding to reduce the Aedes mosquito population is much needed.
The Challenge:
The challenge is for slayer teams to create / develop innovative and potentially viable solutions to address the dengue endemic challenges. Slayer teams are encouraged to prototype or conceptualize new technologies that address mosquito control or improve health monitoring. They can utilize digital tools to track, educate, and defeat Dengue – without harming the ecosystems.
Students Learning Objectives:
- Enable students to gain a broader understanding of the challenges of the dengue endemic.
- Equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary to be advocates of dengue outreach.
- Further develop idea-generation and teamwork competencies, as well as collaboration techniques.
- Empower students to be problem finders and change makers.
- Provide an opportunity for students to display their innovative ideas and passion while being mentored by ADVA volunteers to complement their learning journeys.
- Encourage students to contribute to dengue awareness education in schools and in the community.
- Inspire students to be involved in expanding the dengue advocacy network
- Inspire students to pursue career in dengue-related fields.
- Develop the skills in areas such as:
- Problem Solving
- Creative Thinking
- Entrepreneurship
- Teamwork
- Communication
- Presentation skills
Student Participation Criteria:
1. Age: 16-19 years old
2. Grade level: Sec 4 to JC / ITE / Polytechnic
3. Course of study: Any discipline
4. No of students per team: 3 students per team
Phases of the Competition:
- Registration – Register your team of 3 students HERE
- Workshops – To enhance the learning experience for the ADVA / JA Dengue Slayers Challenge, 2 workshops (Dengue 101 & Design Thinking, and Pitching & Presentation) will be required for all participants. Teams are assigned their mentors during the first workshop. The workshops will be conducted physically in person. Workshop attendance, workshop feedback, mid-project submissions and introduction videos are all mandatory. These are all part of the final scoring criteria for the competition.
- Singapore Finals - All teams will showcase their innovative ideas at the Singapore Finals. Each team will be given 6 minutes to present and 4 minutes Q&A at the end of the presentation. Top 6 teams will be selected to advance to the final round of the competition to be held in the afternoon.
- Asia Pacific Grand Finals – The 1st Place Team will advance to represent Singapore at the Asia Pacific Grand Finals of the ADVA / JA Dengue Slayers Challenge 2.0 to be held at the 8th Asia Dengue Summit on 16th – 17th June 2025 in Manila, Philippines.
Awards:
All participants will receive a Certificate of Participation. Teams will be competing for the following awards at the Singapore Finals:
1st Place: Trophy & represent Singapore at the Asia Pacific Grand Finals in Manila, Philippines
2nd place: Trophy
3rd place: Trophy
Best Presentation: Trophy
Most Innovative Idea: Trophy
Asia Pacific Grand Finals 1st Place: Trophy + iPad
Timeline:
Dates (2025) |
Activities |
Mon 31st March |
Registration Deadline |
Sat 12th Apr, 9am – 4pm |
Dengue 101 and Design Thinking Workshop |
Sat 3rd May, 9am – 12pm |
Pitch & Presentation Workshop |
Sat 17th May, 9am – 6pm |
Singapore Finals |
Sunday - Tuesday, 15th – 17th Jun |
ADVA / JA Dengue Slayers Challenge 2.0 Asia Pacific Grand Finals (Manila, Philippines) for the Winning Team |
We believe that the ADVA / JA Dengue Slayers Challenge 2.0 will provide students with a unique opportunity to use their knowledge and creativity to shape the future of our world and we hope you will encourage your students to participate.
Registration:
Please register as a team via the LINK by Monday, 31st March 2024.
Questions, please contact:
Ng Hau Yee (Ms.)
Director, JA Singapore
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: 96282704
Marissa Lim (Ms.)
Senior Program Manager
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: 97514026
About Junior Achievement
Junior Achievement (JA) is one of the largest global non-profit organizations dedicated to addressing fundamental social and economic challenges of young people by educating and empowering them to transform their future and own their economic success.
Through the delivery of cutting-edge, experiential learning in financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship, Junior Achievement effectively broadens the canvas of possibility for young people and enriches their ability to both engage in their own economic development as well as contribute to the strength of their families, communities, and economies.
The 123 country JA Worldwide network is powered by over 500,000 volunteers and mentors from all sectors of society, reaching more than 10 million students around the world annually. In partnership with businesses and educators, Junior Achievement brings the real world to students, opening their minds to their potential.
More information about JA is available at www.jaworldwide.org and www.ja.org.sg.
About Asia Dengue Voice and Action Group (ADVA:
The Asia Dengue Voice & Action Group (ADVA) was officially set up in 2013 with a mission to identify opportunities to make practical recommendations in dengue-related areas such as improving surveillance and laboratory capacity for dengue disease confirmation with other relevant dengue initiatives, including V2V (vaccine to vaccination) and the Dengue Vaccine Initiative.
ADVA advocates for a collaborative approach to sharing surveillance data and relevant information to ensure the success of dengue prevention through vaccination across regions. ADVA also reinforces the importance of a united front against dengue, and presents a collaborative model for joint effort in the region to prevent the disease through the introduction and implementation of dengue vaccination.
The group has formulated recommendations with an ultimate aim of translating the science of dengue vaccination into messages for policy makers, general public and health care workers.
For more information, please visit www.adva.asia.
Registration:
Please register as a team via the LINK by Monday, 31st March 2024.
Questions, please contact:
Ng Hau Yee (Ms.)
Director, JA Singapore
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: 96282704
Marissa Lim (Ms.)
Senior Program Manager
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: 97514026
About Junior Achievement
Junior Achievement (JA) is one of the largest global non-profit organizations dedicated to addressing fundamental social and economic challenges of young people by educating and empowering them to transform their future and own their economic success.
Through the delivery of cutting-edge, experiential learning in financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship, Junior Achievement effectively broadens the canvas of possibility for young people and enriches their ability to both engage in their own economic development as well as contribute to the strength of their families, communities, and economies.
The 123 country JA Worldwide network is powered by over 500,000 volunteers and mentors from all sectors of society, reaching more than 10 million students around the world annually. In partnership with businesses and educators, Junior Achievement brings the real world to students, opening their minds to their potential.
More information about JA is available at www.jaworldwide.org and www.ja.org.sg.
About Asia Dengue Voice and Action Group (ADVA:
The Asia Dengue Voice & Action Group (ADVA) was officially set up in 2013 with a mission to identify opportunities to make practical recommendations in dengue-related areas such as improving surveillance and laboratory capacity for dengue disease confirmation with other relevant dengue initiatives, including V2V (vaccine to vaccination) and the Dengue Vaccine Initiative.
ADVA advocates for a collaborative approach to sharing surveillance data and relevant information to ensure the success of dengue prevention through vaccination across regions. ADVA also reinforces the importance of a united front against dengue, and presents a collaborative model for joint effort in the region to prevent the disease through the introduction and implementation of dengue vaccination.
The group has formulated recommendations with an ultimate aim of translating the science of dengue vaccination into messages for policy makers, general public and health care workers.
For more information, please visit www.adva.asia.