ADVA / JA Dengue Slayers Challenge 2026
Junior Achievement Singapore cordially invites your students to participate in our 3rd annual ADVA / JA Dengue Slayers Challenge 2026, a challenge focusing on addressing the challenge of the dengue endemic.
The year 2025 was marked by unprecedented environmental shifts that have directly impacted public health. As one of the warmest years on record globally, the rising temperatures—combined with unpredictable, heavy rainfall patterns—have accelerated the life cycle of the Aedes aegypti mosquito.
These conditions have created a "perfect storm" for the dengue vector. Increased humidity and the proliferation of stagnant water bodies in urban environments have led to a significant surge in breeding sites. In Singapore, we have seen a persistent rise in case numbers as the mosquito population adapts to these warmer urban microclimates. Dengue remains one of the most critical public health challenges in Asia. As of early 2026, the National Environment Agency (NEA) continues to monitor numerous active clusters across the island.
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 3.0: Innovate. Influence. Eliminate Dengue – Innovate to Communicate! in five countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand) with a focus of engaging our youth to experience international exposure first-hand while developing innovative solutions, enabling them to gain a broader understanding of the dengue endemic.
The ADVA / JA Dengue Slayers 3.0: Innovate. Influence. Eliminate Dengue – Innovate to Communicate! 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:
This year’s theme is "Innovate. Influence. Eliminate Dengue." Is to empower students not only to create solutions but also to become influential advocates. The 2026 challenge will place a strong emphasis on short-form video storytelling and social media, equipping the next generation to drive widespread behavioural change and community action.
Challenge Topics (choose 1):
Topic 1: The "Bite-Free" Lifestyle Vlog
• Mission: Teams must innovate a novel, low-cost personal protection habit or product. Document a week of living the "Bite-Free Lifestyle" through engaging, daily vlog-style videos that highlight the ease and benefits of their innovation.
Topic 2: "Dengue Data: See It, Stop It" Citizen Mapping Initiative
• Mission: Teams use an accessible digital tool to create a community-reported potential breeding site map. Your innovation is the mapping system or reporting method. Your social media campaign is a series of videos teaching people how to use the map, announcing "Hotspot of the Week," and showcasing community clean-up events organized using your data.
Topic 3: "Dengue & Climate: The Future is Now" Awareness Campaign
• Mission: Teams research and create a compelling narrative connecting climate change (rainfall, temperature) to increased dengue risk in their region. Your innovation is a creative visualization of this link.
Your social media campaign uses this visual to create urgent, informative, and shareable videos that frame prevention as part of broader climate resilience.
This shift to "Innovate to Communicate" is forward thinking. It empowers students not just to be scientists, but to be influencers, campaigners, and leaders in public health—exactly what the region needs. Let’s GO!!!
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 Singapore
2nd place: Trophy
3rd place: Trophy
Best Presentation: Trophy
Most Innovative Idea: Trophy
Asia Pacific Grand Finals 1st Place: Trophy + iPad
The year 2025 was marked by unprecedented environmental shifts that have directly impacted public health. As one of the warmest years on record globally, the rising temperatures—combined with unpredictable, heavy rainfall patterns—have accelerated the life cycle of the Aedes aegypti mosquito.
These conditions have created a "perfect storm" for the dengue vector. Increased humidity and the proliferation of stagnant water bodies in urban environments have led to a significant surge in breeding sites. In Singapore, we have seen a persistent rise in case numbers as the mosquito population adapts to these warmer urban microclimates. Dengue remains one of the most critical public health challenges in Asia. As of early 2026, the National Environment Agency (NEA) continues to monitor numerous active clusters across the island.
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 3.0: Innovate. Influence. Eliminate Dengue – Innovate to Communicate! in five countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand) with a focus of engaging our youth to experience international exposure first-hand while developing innovative solutions, enabling them to gain a broader understanding of the dengue endemic.
The ADVA / JA Dengue Slayers 3.0: Innovate. Influence. Eliminate Dengue – Innovate to Communicate! 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:
This year’s theme is "Innovate. Influence. Eliminate Dengue." Is to empower students not only to create solutions but also to become influential advocates. The 2026 challenge will place a strong emphasis on short-form video storytelling and social media, equipping the next generation to drive widespread behavioural change and community action.
Challenge Topics (choose 1):
Topic 1: The "Bite-Free" Lifestyle Vlog
• Mission: Teams must innovate a novel, low-cost personal protection habit or product. Document a week of living the "Bite-Free Lifestyle" through engaging, daily vlog-style videos that highlight the ease and benefits of their innovation.
Topic 2: "Dengue Data: See It, Stop It" Citizen Mapping Initiative
• Mission: Teams use an accessible digital tool to create a community-reported potential breeding site map. Your innovation is the mapping system or reporting method. Your social media campaign is a series of videos teaching people how to use the map, announcing "Hotspot of the Week," and showcasing community clean-up events organized using your data.
Topic 3: "Dengue & Climate: The Future is Now" Awareness Campaign
• Mission: Teams research and create a compelling narrative connecting climate change (rainfall, temperature) to increased dengue risk in their region. Your innovation is a creative visualization of this link.
Your social media campaign uses this visual to create urgent, informative, and shareable videos that frame prevention as part of broader climate resilience.
This shift to "Innovate to Communicate" is forward thinking. It empowers students not just to be scientists, but to be influencers, campaigners, and leaders in public health—exactly what the region needs. Let’s GO!!!
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 5 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 3.0 to be held at the 9th Asia Dengue Summit on 15th – 16th June 2026 in Singapore.
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 Singapore
2nd place: Trophy
3rd place: Trophy
Best Presentation: Trophy
Most Innovative Idea: Trophy
Asia Pacific Grand Finals 1st Place: Trophy + iPad
Timeline:
Dates (2026) |
Activities |
Mon 30th March |
Registration Deadline |
Sat 11th Apr, 9am – 4pm |
Dengue 101 and Design Thinking Workshop |
Sat 2nd May, 9am – 12pm |
Pitch & Presentation Workshop |
Sat 16th May, 9am – 6pm |
Singapore Finals |
Monday - Tuesday, 15th – 16th Jun |
ADVA / JA Dengue Slayers Challenge 3.0 Asia Pacific Grand Finals (Singapore) for the Winning Team |
3We believe that the ADVA / JA Dengue Slayers Challenge 3.0 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, 30th 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, 30th 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.