Kelvin Tan is the co-founder of Project ID, a social enterprise that designs experiences to teach students about leadership, career-building, and mental and emotional health
Kelvin Tan didn't intend to be an educator or a social entrepreneur. After completing his studies, he aspired to join the advertising industry, but his trajectory changed after he volunteered to be a teacher under the independent non-governmental organisation, Teach for Malaysia, in 2012. During his time there, he started a programme to help his students realise their full potential and broaden their career aspirations.
The programme grew to be a success, and Tan eventually established it as a social enterprise called Project ID, with the goal of empowering students from underserved communities with skills in the areas of leadership, mental and emotional health, and value building.
Tan shares more, in his own words, about how Project ID has evolved since it started, the time he had to deal with his co-founders leaving, and what he thinks of the future of education in Malaysia.
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Being a teacher was both exciting and scary because we didn't know what to expect. We all have ideas on what education should be, but things are different when you go out into the real world and experience the challenges. When I told my parents that I was going to be a teacher, they initially freaked out. It wasn't easy convincing them at first that teaching was what I wanted to do in life, but they eventually understood and supported me.
Students from disadvantaged backgrounds face many challenges. Most lack exposure to the world and don't know about the broad spectrum of careers available. They also often lack access to quality training in soft skills, such as critical thinking, problem-solving and public speaking.