T

he indoor tennis stadium in Senayan, colorful and freshly decorated, looked so different from usual on Saturday morning, when around 4,000 students from schools in Greater Jakarta descended upon it.

They were there to make the most of their English language skills and their artistic know-how at The Jakarta Post’s Youth Speak Fun Day.

As the event kicked off, 1,200 teenagers from 160 senior high, vocational and Islamic boarding schools came rushing onto the floor to dance a frenzied “Gangnam Style” to Psy’s K-pop hit, followed by more dances, electrifying the already vibrant atmosphere inside crowded amphitheater.

Exhilarated, twisting and stomping with the hi-energy beat, the dancers were enjoying every step they made.

There were displays of cheerleading, marching bands and even stand-up comedy. The students performed traditional dances, produced skits and sketches, recited poems, conducted choirs, and generally strutted their stuff.

“Indonesia has abundant talent and high achievers. We are seeing them here and now in Youth Speak Fun Day,” Youth and Sports Minister Roy Suryo said in his opening speech, to the audible delight of the assembled horde.

A series of the Youth Speak Fun Day events have been held in Denpasar (Bali), Balikpapan (East Kalimantan), Pekanbaru (Riau) and Jakarta, with the capital being the last to host.

During the events, around 2,200 students submitted essays, with many more joining in competitions in news reading, a spelling bee, debates, song lyric contests, poster competitions, a scrabble contest, fashion design and photography competitions, and many other games.

Winner of the news reading competition, Girindra Chaska Nimpuno, was buoyant on hearing of his victory. “The competition was so tough. I am so glad I won!” Girindra is a student of state senior high school SMAN 8 in South Jakarta.

Nathaniel Nainggolan, from SMKN 30 in South Jakarta, won the spelling bee contest, beating around 180 other competitors. “It has been great,” he said.

The events are the pinnacle of the one-year Partnership for Education campaign by The Jakarta Post Foundation, Chevron Indonesia and the Education and Culture Ministry, with support from other institutions.

The campaign, launched in January 2012, includes workshops on English for students and teachers in 100 schools in 23 cities in nine provinces, a Youth Leadership Forum, a Young Entrepreneurship Workshop and the Youth Speak Fun Days.

“I am extremely proud seeing so many happy faces on our students and teachers during the competitions and at the Fun Day,” said Yulia Herawati, executive director of the Jakarta Post Foundation. “Indonesia has abundant pool of talent we can nurture to be the country’s future leaders.”

Chevron manager Javier La Rosa said Chevron embraced education as part of its corporate social responsibility program and learning foreign languages was very important for kids’ future.

“Only one language sets you in the same corridor for life. Two languages opens doors along the way. In other words, mastery of one language allows us entry the corridor of life. The mastery of two languages opens up every door in the corridor of life,” La Rosa said, paraphrasing psycholinguistics expert Frank Smith.