Draft — pending YCESS approval. This text is a working draft and is not yet in effect.
YAI Singapore 2026/27
Rules & Participation Agreement
Draft · version 1.0 to be confirmed
Plain-language summary
By registering, you (and, if you're under 21, your parent or guardian) agree that: you're eligible; your team will make its own project during the season and disclose all help and AI use; you'll follow the Code of Conduct; fees follow the Refunds policy; event photos and video may be used to show and promote YAI; your project stays yours, and YCESS may show and promote it for YAI; finalists are chosen through an online screening, so registering doesn't guarantee a place in the live finals; optional features (Player Card, YAI Ambassador, Community Choice) never affect judging; the optional Reach Bonus adds at most 5 points to a team's screening score, under its published rules, and never affects Finals Day; and YAI makes no promises about awards, admissions or certification.
1. Organiser
Youth and Children Education Society (Singapore), UEN T19SS0173D ("YCESS"). Contact: support@ycess.com; data contact: admin@ycess.com.
2. Eligibility
Aged 7–24 on Sat 16 Jan 2027 and studying full-time in Singapore, up to first-degree level; for ages 18–24, also those who finished school, JC, IB, polytechnic or ITE in Singapore in 2026, those with a place at a Singapore institution starting in 2027, and NSFs. Not eligible: working adults who aren't studying, university graduates, part-time students, master's and PhD students, and people who can see unpublished challenges or scores (YAI staff, interns and volunteers, judges and screening reviewers); their relatives may take part if they declare it, and that person steps aside. University division members send proof of eligibility with their project, with ID numbers covered; it is deleted within 30 days of being checked. Proof of age on request.
3. Teams and tracks
1–4 members; a team plays in the division of its oldest member and may play up one division, never down (into University only if every member is 16 or over on Sat 16 Jan 2027, except family teams as on the Rules page); teams with both under-18s and adults only as on the Rules page; one division change and one track change allowed until Sat 2 Jan 2027, 23:59 SGT; one team per student; one project per team; member changes as on the Rules page.
4. Places, fees and payment
Registration has no cap; S$68 per student; payment within 3 days, or by Sat 2 Jan 2027, 23:59 SGT, if earlier; places are confirmed on payment and all confirmations (a parent or guardian for each member under 21, and each member aged 21 or over for themselves), and the full challenge is then sent; unpaid registrations lapse and may be submitted again before registration closes; fee-waiver places, open to every division, as on the Register page.
5. Event conditions
The event goes ahead only if conditions are met on Fri 4 Dec 2026, including at least 60 confirmed, paid students; otherwise it is postponed or cancelled, and registered families keep their work.
6. Refunds
See the Refund policy.
7. Help, AI use and originality
Adults may teach tools, explain knowledge and help troubleshoot; ideas, decisions and presentation are the students'; all help and AI use are disclosed; work is made between Mon 19 Oct 2026 and Sat 9 Jan 2027, 23:59 SGT; coursework counts only if made in that window, declared in the project intro and allowed by the course to be entered in an outside competition; work for an employer or paying client, or owned by a supervisor, lab or employer, doesn't count; sources are named. Teams follow each tool's own age and use terms; no adult may use their own account on a 13+ or 18+ tool to do AI work for an under-13, and adult members never let an under-18 teammate use their account on an 18+ tool; parents decide whether to give any permission a tool requires.
8. Photos and video
Event photos and video, including presentations and Q&A, may be used by YCESS to show and promote YAI on YAI's and YCESS's own channels. We won't publish full birthdays, contact details, ID, payment or health information. We'll prioritise group and wide shots where possible, and you can contact admin@ycess.com with concerns or to ask for a photo to be taken down.
9. Your project
Students and their team own their project. They grant YCESS a non-exclusive licence to show and promote it for YAI. YCESS will not sub-license it to partners for commercial products or AI training. Third-party material stays under its own licence.
10. Screening, finals, awards and appeals
Finalists (3–5 per track in each division) are chosen through an online screening by at least two independent reviewers; registering doesn't guarantee a place in the finals; awards are decided among finalists on Finals Day and presented on Showcase & Awards Day. The optional Reach Bonus adds up to 5 points to a team's screening score as published on the Judging page; screening reviewers don't see it, and it never carries into Finals Day. Otherwise as on the Judging page; decisions are final except for appeals on eligibility, scoring errors, conflicts of interest or rule application.
11. Prizes
Paid per team within 30 days of the event; a parent receives for a minor, and in a team with under-18s and adults, a parent of an under-18 member receives; payment details collected from winners only after the event.
12. Optional features
The Player Card, the YAI Ambassador Programme and the Community Choice Award are optional, follow their own published rules, have no cash value and never affect judging, finalist selection or the judged awards. Player Cards and share pages are deleted on 30 Apr 2027; voting data 30 days after the event.
13. Conduct and safety
Everyone follows the Code of Conduct, including its rules for adult participants; participants aged 12 or under attend with their lead adult or a parent; pick-up only by authorised adults; one accompanying adult per student; everyone attending RSVPs by the published date.
14. Breaches
We check facts and let the team explain before deciding on a fix, deduction or disqualification.
15. Personal data
See the Privacy notice.
16. No promises
YAI does not promise awards, admissions outcomes, official certification or entry to any other competition.
17. Changes; governing law
Changes to these rules or the challenge brief are posted with a date and emailed to registered teams; Singapore law applies.
Parent or guardian confirmation
I am the parent or legal guardian of [child]. I have read and agree to the Rules & Participation Agreement, Privacy notice, Code of Conduct and Refund policy for YAI Singapore 2026/27, including the use of event photos and video described in section 8. I understand my child will follow each AI tool's age and use terms, and that I decide whether to give any permission a tool requires.
If the team includes adult members
My child's team includes adult members: [display names and ages]. I agree to my child teaming up with them.
Participant confirmation
I am aged 21 or over. I have read and agree to the Rules & Participation Agreement, Privacy notice, Code of Conduct (including the rules for adult participants) and Refund policy for YAI Singapore 2026/27, including the use of event photos and video described in section 8. I agree to my display name and age being shown to my teammates' parents.