Share
The streets of Hong Kong are perpetually bustling with people on the go. Regardless of age or gender, residents lead fast-paced, stressful lives filled with study and work commitments. They are often so preoccupied that they have little time to notice their surroundings or engage with local events, missing out on the opportunities hidden within their neighbourhoods.
Recognising this challenge, the latest programme from Link Together Initiatives, “Link and Explore – Community and Career Exploration in Kwun Tong”, organised by Teach for Hong Kong Foundation, aims to help underprivileged secondary and senior high school students reconnect with their community. Through gamified learning experiences and challenges, participants explore career opportunities and engage with their surroundings, enhancing their sense of involvement and belonging. Channel 823 interviewed the programme lead and two project leaders to understand how they are helping young students embrace the many possibilities life has to offer, starting within their own community.
The main task of “Link and Explore” is for 50 secondary and senior high school students to design a series of gamified learning “quests” for their peers, following site visits, interviews and research projects. River Lam, Executive Director of Teach For Hong Kong Foundation, highlights three key aspects of the project: “Firstly, the final learning quests will be designed and led by the students who participated in the site visits. We hope they can create content that truly resonates with their peers while sparking curiosity and unleashing their creativity. Secondly, we’ll introduce a competition system to enhance students’ problem-solving abilities and foster team spirit through discussions on environmental protection, inclusion, culture and other issues. Lastly, the project has attracted a group of university students and young teachers who are passionate about youth education and community issues to volunteer as project leaders. They will explore and learn alongside the 50 secondary and senior high school students, helping them build confidence.”
The project’s choice of Kwun Tong as its focal point is intentional. This district has the highest number of households and is also the poorest in Hong Kong. However, for Kasva Leung, who has been teaching at HKSKH Bishop Hall Secondary School in Kwun Tong for nearly four years and one of the project leaders, the district offers a more nuanced perspective: “I’d describe Kwun Tong as a melting pot. It’s a place where commercial, industrial and residential areas blend seamlessly, without clear boundaries. For instance, the affordable dining options in the industrial area attract both students and office workers. In recent years, we’ve also seen old industrial buildings transform into vibrant hubs for young entrepreneurs. There’s a diverse mix of people and shops here, and everywhere buzzes with vitality.”
Kasva recalls how students lamented during the pandemic that their lives had become a mere A-to-B affair, leaving them unaware of the Kwun Tong district they had called home since childhood. This realisation saddened him and ignited his determination to broaden students’ horizons by exposing them to the wider community and world. “As an educator, I aim to convey a crucial message to these students from underprivileged families through this project: they have both the right and the opportunity to shape their own paths. Whether they aspire to be chefs, run small businesses or pursue interests in creative arts or fitness, Kwun Tong can serve as their launchpad. By leveraging the community as a starting point, they can discover and utilise local resources to embark on their chosen career journeys.”
“Link and Explore” has already launched its first phase, which includes workshops to train project leaders and the selection of 50 secondary and senior high school students to design learning experiences and challenges. According to River, they are eager to begin community exploration soon, with Link playing a pivotal role: “Link owns several shopping malls in Kwun Tong, including Sau Mau Ping Shopping Centre, Lok Wah Commercial Centre and Kai Tin Shopping Centre. Through site visits and face-to-face interactions, we hope students will gain insights into various jobs and their entry requirements. We also aim to spark career interests and aspirations by arranging visits to Link’s Kwun Tong office, giving students the chance to experience a professional work environment first-hand.”
Jessica Lo, a Year 4 Social Policy and Social Entrepreneurship student at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, is another project leader. As someone on the cusp of entering the workforce, she was drawn to the project by its ethos of venturing beyond the classroom and immersing oneself in the community. “I’m not a Kwun Tong resident, and my knowledge of the area is somewhat limited,” Jessica admits. “Over the coming days, I’ll be exploring and learning alongside the secondary school students. I’ll share my university experiences from the past three years, hoping that my personal journey can motivate them in their studies and spark their imagination for the future.”
