Students and teachers from four HK schools – Carmel Pak U Secondary School; Po Leung Kuk Laws Foundation College; True Light Middle School of Hong Kong; and Po Leung Kuk Yao Ling Sun College – took part in a one-of-a-kind CareerXplorer event hosted by Hang Seng Bank in July, 2023.
CareerXplorer
The event provided a comprehensive understanding of digital banking and its diverse career opportunities to enthusiastic CareerXplorers! The ‘crash course’ in digital banking was made possible through the dedicated efforts of Ms. Diana Cesar, Executive Director and Chief Executive of Hang Seng Bank, and Ms. Kim Lay, Head of Digital Banking. During the discussions, Hang Seng Bank professionals shared their insights on working in digital banking, discussing emerging trends, challenges, and the skills required for a successful career in the field.
Throughout the day, students actively engaged in various activities and discussions, and said they felt inspired to explore different career paths within finance!
The HKSTP x JYCGIF IdeaGO Ideathon 2023 (the ‘Ideathon’), jointly organised by the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (‘HKSTP’) and Jennifer Yu Cheng Girls Impact Foundation (‘JYCGIF’), will be held from 11 July to 4 Nov 2023. Under the guidance of industry professionals, participants representing secondary schools or NGOs will learn and adopt design thinking and Innovation and Technology (‘I&T’) to formulate solutions and mockups/prototypes to address health and wellbeing, sustainability (low carbon & green living) and challenges faced by women in society. Participants will compete in teams to propose innovative end-to-end solutions in this pilot Ideathon. We hope teen girls come away from the experience with a deeper understanding of and interest in I&T, new industrialisation and entrepreneurship.
Through the Ideathon, participants will:
Master the design thinking process, propose end-to-end solutions involving planning, ideation, and mockups/prototypes to address specific challenges.
Gain an in-depth understanding of a challenge stemming from i) Health and wellbeing; ii) Sustainability (Low carbon & green living) or iii) Issues specific to women in society, all under the guidance of industry professionals.
Learn how I&T can be applied to different situations in real life.
Develop competencies including but not limited to creativity, innovation, collaboration, problem solving, confidence, resilience, and public speaking.
Pursue their full potential and contribute to society.
Target: Form 3 to Form 5/Grade 9-11 (academic year 2023/24) teen girls studying in Hong Kong.
Requirements:
3 – 4 participants per team, plus an adult facilitator, responsible for contact and facilitation (teacher/authorized representative of a school/NGO).
Each participant can join just one team, and each school/NGO can send up to two teams maximum.
Competition Themes (Select 1):
Health and wellbeing
Sustainability (Low carbon & green living)
Challenges faced by women in society
Important Dates:
Reschedule Notice:
[Day 2] Meeting with industry professionals, originally scheduled for July 17, 2023, has been rescheduled to July 31, 2023.
This decision was made due to the issuance of Typhoon Signal no. 8, which has made it necessary for us to prioritize the safety and well-being of our participants and staff. For details, please contact your facilitator. Thank you for your attention.
Award:
Teams will compete for Champion, First Runner-Up and Second Runner-Up awards in the Ideathon. The winning teams will have the opportunity to exchange and demonstrate their product at Greater Bay Area exchanges.
Individual and team merit awards will also be allocated.
Each shortlisted contestant will receive a certificate. Certificate of Participation will be issued to participants who fulfill the requirements; (1) at least 70% attendance; and/or (2) active participation in the activities.
How to apply?
Applications for the IdeaGO Ideathon are no longer being accepted. Please stay tuned for updates about the competition’s shortlisted teams!
Remarks: Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation and Jennifer Yu Cheng Girls Impact Foundation Limited reserve the right to elaborate, change, or modify any of the above details.
Our 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗫𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗿 participants – students from Po Leung Kuk Tong Nai Kan Junior Secondary College – spent a full day in the world of NGOs, led by @playright_playscope!
The event featured a captivating tour of Playscope, where participants had the opportunity to delve into the NGO sector. This immersive experience provided valuable insights into impactful NGO work, inspiring participants and shedding light on the diverse career opportunities within this field.
Through hands-on activities and collaborative exercises, participants honed their creativity, leadership, problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills. They were encouraged to think outside the box and envision themselves as playground architects, applying design thinking principles to create innovative and inclusive play spaces. This workshop not only fostered their creative thinking abilities but also equipped them with practical skills that are highly sought after in today’s workplaces.
At JYCGIF 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗫𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗿, teen girls are experiencing their first foray into a wide variety of industries – helping them map out their educational and career goals for the future!
Thanks to Bloomberg HK, students from Holy Trinty College, Pui Ching Middle School, Po Leung Kuk Laws Foundation College enjoyed an inside look at finance and financial technology. 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗫𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗿 participants heard directly from the experts, enjoying tips on interviewing, resume writing, and the unique aspects of working in finance. Our participants left feeling inspired and ready to lay the groundwork for their future careers!
There is so much more to come! Stay tuned! Get inspired!
Partnership Focused on Developing Female Talent Pipeline for Hong Kong’s I&T Ecosystems
Summer “Ideathon” between HKSTP and JYCGIF targets female secondary school students.
Participants will compete in groups to propose innovative I&T end-to-end solutions, under the guidance of leading entrepreneurs.
A MoU was also signed between the two organizations that aims to organize other such I&T related activities in the future to help draw female secondary school students to the I&T field.
Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (“HKSTP”) and Jennifer Yu Cheng Girls Impact Foundation (“JYCGIF”) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (“MoU”) that aims to draw female secondary school students to the field of Innovation and Technology (“I&T”), promote gender diversity in the industry and empower women as influential figures promoting Hong Kong as an international I&T hub.
The partnership will involve organising and conducting various I&T-related activities to allow female secondary school students to experience first-hand the opportunities made available by Hong Kong’s I&T ecosystem. The hope is such exposure spurs more young women opting for I&T-related tertiary courses and a career in these industries.
One of the collaboration highlights is the “Ideathon”, a programme scheduled to launch in the summer through November 2023. Under the guidance of leading entrepreneurs, female secondary school participants will compete in groups to propose innovative end-to-end solutions involving planning, prototype production and marketing to address specific challenges in society. The programme aims to nurture greater understanding and interest in I&T, new industrialisation, and grow entrepreneurship among female students.
Dr Sunny Chai, Chairman of HKSTP, said, “We have entered a golden era of innovation and technology in Hong Kong, providing a platform for young people to realise their full potential. Within HKSTP’s thriving I&T ecosystem, many of the founders or senior management of Park companies are women, demonstrating exemplary contributions made by women in the industry. I sincerely hope that this collaboration with JYCGIF will enable more female students to experience what Hong Kong’s I&T sector has to offer to attract them to become advocates for the city’s innovation scene, and thereby contribute to Hong Kong becoming an international I&T hub.”
Mrs Jennifer Yu Cheng, Founder of JYCGIF, said, “Hong Kong is poised to develop into an international I&T hub. Considering the opportunities ahead in the changing landscape of the future world of work, there is an urgency to level the playing field for women across industries and sectors, particularly in I&T fields. Through our new partnership with HKSTP, we hope to help teen girls map out their educational and extracurricular goals leading to future careers, particularly in I&T. By empowering teen girls today, we are working together build a strong pipeline of future women talents motivated to drive the development of Hong Kong as a world-class I&T hub.”
Archireef Co-founder and CEO, Vriko Yu, shared her insights along her journey in innovation and technology during a panel discussion: “Many people have stereotypes about women in the workplace in which they would perceive women to be mostly work in nursing and teaching. However, by sharing my experience, I hope we can see that young women can also become CEOs of I&T companies. Furthermore, I wish for female students to be able to discover and develop their strengths through the innovation experience, as well as to explore the limitless possibilities.”
Mr Chu Ka Tim, Vice-principal of Hong Kong True Light College (left), said the school observed markedly increased enthusiasm about STEM among its students after their participation in JYCGIF’s programmes. Among the programmes’ avid participants was Ms Chan Oi Yiu (right) of Hong Kong True Light College. She said that CareerXplorer and other programmes inspired her to contemplate the close link between empathy and design thinking, which is driving her to pursue opportunities in the I&T field.
Ms Fanny Wong, Head of Talents & Human Resources of HKSTP(left), and Ms Cecilia Hon, Executive Director of JYCGIF(right), highlighted the essence of their collaboration programme. The two organisations plan to hold an “Ideathon” from summer to November, to allow female students to deepen their understanding and interest in I&T, new industrialisation, and entrepreneurship through group competitions under the guidance of entrepreneurs.
Ideathon Details:
Campaign period: July to November, 2023 (Finale: November)
Target: Girls from secondary three to secondary five in 2023/24 academic year in Hong Kong
Requirements: A team of four, with school teachers/youth organisation representatives as advisors and liaison
“JYCGIF CareerXplorer” is set to engage, inspire, and activate teen girls through immersive, real-world work experiences
Jobs in the digital age, and the skills and competencies required to fill them, are transforming at an unprecedented rate. Students who leave school with industry-valued experiences are more likely to pursue higher education and successfully navigate their career journeys, finds a recent study by researchers at Victoria University. Knowing that teen girls require exposure to career possibilities early on, and to empower them to tap into their talents and pursue their unique interests, Jennifer Yu Cheng Girls Impact Foundation (“JYCGIF”) recently launched the “JYCGIF CareerXplorer Programme(“JYCGIF CareerXplorer”) as part of its flagship 10,000 Girls4Girls Coding+ initiative. Through projects and activities designed in collaboration with leading corporate partners in the region, including Hang Seng Bank, HKSTP, Intuitive Fosun, Smart Farming, and more, JYCGIF CareerXplorer will offer more than 500 teen girls immediate relevance to the real world – helping them map out educational and extracurricular goals leading to their future careers. The JYCGIF CareerXplorer’s real world immersive work experiences, aimed at activating, engaging, and inspiring them, will offer teen girls a head start on achieving their career goals. Inspiring teen girls to map out their goals to become future ready leadersJYCGIF CareerXplorer will provide hands-on opportunities for real world learning through interactive exposure to workplaces in high tech, ESG, tourism, retail, finance, entertainment, medicine, and other industries. In its first two events, on 25 March and 1 April 2023, JYCGIF CareerXplorer invited teen girls into the world of MedTech and Smart Agriculture through workshops led by Intuitive Fosun, on the evolution of surgery, and Smart Farming, on smart technology’s role in helping to solve food shortages around the world. Moving forward, we will collaborate with supporting organisations on a series of JYC CareerXplorer workshops aimed at giving students an inside track to the real world of work. “Our future world will be fueled by today’s talents,” said Jennifer Yu Cheng, Founder of JYCGIF. “We are working to provide the teen girls in our programmes every opportunity to discover their intrinsic talents as well as the resources they need to cultivate them and pursue them in school, university, careers, and beyond.”
Through JYCGIF CareerXplorer, teen girls will engage with professionals from diverse sectors and industries and try their hand at different positions. They will leave with work experience, a taste of entrepreneurship, and industry credentials – but mostly, they will feel inspired and motivated to dream BIG and pursue their greatest ambitions. JYCGIF’s “10,000 Girls4Girls Coding+” programme aims to empower 10,000 teen girls by 2025 by equipping them with digital skills “plus” leadership experiences, university and pre-career preparation, and networking opportunities to lead in a world of innovation. Looking forward, JYCGIF will continue to work closely with international and local stakeholders to empower teen girls with the education access, tech skills and mindset, and inspiration and confidence to lead in a future world and workplace.
On Saturday, March 25, 16 teen girls aged 15 – 16 from five HK schools got a head start on their educational and career goals through our first CareerXplorer event led by Intuitive Fosun Hong Kong – Da Vinci Xi!
In their first glimpse into the evolution of surgery, participants heard from Intuitive Fosum engineers about the Da Vinci surgical platforms, which over the last two decades has pioneered new capabilities in the OR – transforming the field of surgery.
After the stimulating career talk, students enjoyed the opportunity to wield the Surgical Console and experience Lap Surgery Teamwork Tasks for themselves!
“I immensely enjoyed the part where we got to learn more about different operative equipment. Joining this workshop literally widened my horizons and helped solidify my decision to pursue my career in medicine,” said Shuen from Jasmine Baptist Lui Ming Choi Secondary School.
At our highly anticipated Future Ready Leaders Development Day, held last week (28/29 Dec) at the @hksciencepark, 93 students from 14 different schools enjoyed university and pre-career preparation, engaged with female changemakers, and got the inside track to the future world of work and beyond!
At Development Day:
· University graduates shared firsthand experiences with students. · HKSTP’s Talent Acquisition, Engagement and Career Advisory highlighted the skills and qualifications today’s employers seek. · Women leaders from across sectors and industries shared their personal, education and career journeys. · Students toured the Experience Centre and InnoCell, a smart living and co-creation space showcasing Hong Kong’s world-class innovation and growing I&T ecosystem.
Students left empowered with new information and ideas about themselves and what they seek for their futures! We look forward to working with HKSTP again soon to empower teen girls to reimagine their futures!
At two Digital Art Workshops held at SHOUT Contemporary [26 November and 3 December] together with the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups, teen girls from 10 different schools in Hong Kong dove headlong into the exciting world of contemporary art!
The Form 2-6 students enjoyed a guided tour of SHOUT Contemporary’s “Half The Sky, The Sky Is The Limit” exhibit of 12 artists on women’s interlacing roles at home and in society. A portion of the exhibition sales proceeds will be donated to the Foundation. They also explored the connection between art and technology through a crash course in Sketchbook and Procreate digital art programmes led by local artists #Offgod and #winki.cho.
Digital technology today forms an important part of the creative process for many artists, and we encourage students to try their hand at it – and enjoy discovering where it takes them!
Thank you to the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups for its support, and to our amazing instructors – young artists, some teen girls themselves – for inspiring our students to use traditional and cutting-edge art forms to express themselves and their perspectives on the world!
Hong Kong’s largest post-pandemic girls conference, the Jennifer Yu Cheng Girls Impact Foundation Summit brought teen girls together for a transformative day — just the first stop of many on their “Future Ready Journeys”
Hong Kong’s first FutureGEN Girls Leadership Summit 2022 was held on Saturday, October 8, 2022 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on the first anniversary of the Jennifer Yu Cheng Girls Impact Foundation (“JYCGIF”), a charitable organization dedicated to empowering teen girls through education to become future ready leaders. Guest of Honour, Miss Alice Mak, SBS, JP, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs of HKSAR and Mrs. Jennifer Yu Cheng, Founder of JYCGIF and Group President and Deputy Vice Chairwoman of CTF Education Group officiated at the Opening Ceremony of the Summit.
Jennifer Yu Cheng: “Teen Girls Today Are The Leaders of Tomorrow!”
The Summit theme this year, “A Journey to Your Near Future,” drew over 600 teen girls aged 14 to 18 from across 55 schools in Hong Kong to panel discussions and keynote addresses by 25 industry leaders and trailblazers from diverse fields, digital skill-building workshops led by experts, and a New Technology Interactive Zone featuring major innovations shaping the future world and workplace.
“At Summits like this one, as in all our JYCGIF outreach programmes, we are laser focused on ‘future readiness,’ equipping girls with the tech-forward mindset, digital skills, and strong leadership competencies that prepare them to navigate all opportunities in the digital era,” said Mrs.Jennifer Yu Cheng, Founder of JYCGIF and Group President and Deputy Vice Chairwoman of CTF Education Group, in opening remarks at the Summit. “We are working to build a stronger talent pipeline of young women like ourselves, who are future ready to become the women leaders of tomorrow. Today you will begin your own journey to explore both the power and versatility of technology and core leadership value to navigate all opportunities in the digital era.”
Guest of Honour, Miss Alice Mak, SBS, JP, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs of HKSAR, said: “Today’s event is one of ambition and vision. Through a series of panel discussion and activities, you will learn to be a leader and explore the revolutionary impact that technology has on our life. The aspiration of nurturing future female leaders is in line with the Government’s belief and is certainly one of my personal wishes. Never underestimate yourself and embrace what technology and the future have to offer. I hope you would find yourself an enabling environment to unleash your potential and fly as high as it permits.”.
Seeing is Believing – Summit Leaders Inspire Girls to Reimagine their Futures
Driven by the motto “seeing is believing,” the Summit featured panels on leadership development, business opportunities, innovative technologies, and much more, with 25 inspirational industry leaders and trailblazers. Including Ms. Irene Lee, Chairman of Hysan Development Company Limited, Professor Nancy Y. IP, President-Designate and The Morningside Professor of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
These changemakers and others shared their personal journeys to success with the teen girls in the audience, offering first-hand insight into the skills and competencies one needs to lead.
“Seeing is believing,” said Yu Cheng. “Look around you today. Every one of the guests here is a leader in her field, and every one of you in the audience has the potential to lead. Leadership is an attitude and a behavior! One is not born a leader, but rather becomes one by building your confidence, taking calculated risks, studying and working hard to achieve your goals, and being willing to collaborate with others and communicate your ideas in a way that makes an impact.”
A Transformative Experience: Hands-On, Digital Skill-Building Workshops
Future Skills Lab & New Technology Interactive Zone
Participants at the Summit also had the opportunitytry their hand at AI and coding in workshops led by experts and supported by Bloomberg, Goldman Sachs, and The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Breaking between workshops and panels, teen girls immersed themselves in the Summit’s New Technology Interactive Zone, featuring the dramatic innovations changing our world and workplace; Hanson Robotics, Intuitive Fosun (Da Vinci Surgery), Smart Farming, Rice Robotics, and Motive Force manned booths and spoke with teen girls about how they can make an impact on the future world of work.
While the Summit is the cardinal event of the JYCGIF calendar year, the Foundation’s “10,000 Girls4Girls Coding+” program is its signature offering, set to empower 10,000 teen girls by 2025 by equipping them with digital skills “plus” leadership experiences, university and pre-career preparation, and networking opportunities to lead in a world of innovation. Through the “train the trainer” model, G4G Coding “plus” participants are inspired to start their own clubs and groups and volunteer to train other girls in their communities to become future ready.
Looking forward, Yu Cheng said that JYCGIF is committed to continuing to work closely with local and global community leaders to create diverse opportunities that empower teen girls to become next generation leaders.
