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Ricoh sponsors project
for youth-at-risk
Ricoh Hong Kong Ltd is sponsoring a project called 「理光共建~健康耆TEEN」 for young people with HKFYG's Youth Support Scheme who have been cautioned under the Police Superintendent's Discretionary Scheme. 15 corporate volunteers from Ricoh Hong Kong Ltd will be their mentors during adventure training at the HKFYG Tsuen Wan Indoor Sports Centre. They will also pay visits to the elderly in September and October. The programme is intended to help build self-confidence and communication skills through interaction and guidance from mentors. Led by the corporate volunteers, the youth participants will also visit Ricoh Hong Kong Ltd, make photo albums and having a sharing session with their mentors. We hope this will encourage them to reflect on themselves and their potential role in society and help them become reintegrated. |
Youth Career Expo
The Federation is co-organizing a 2-day job expo with the Labour Department's Youth Work Experience and Training Scheme (YWETS). China Construction Bank and The Community Chest are our supporting organizations and Jiu Jik is our media partner. 30 businesses will be joining in, offering job vacancies to the young people at the expo on 18-19 July at the Central Atrium, Olympian City 2. We would like to express sincere thanks to all these partners who are doing so much to enhance the career prospects of Hong Kong youth. Click here for a list of our partners.
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Symposium for HKCEE students
The Vocational Training Council and the Federation will be co-organizing this Symposium, entitled 知．專．升學路」研討會暨放榜工作坊, on Wednesday 25 July at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Guest speakers will be invited to tell Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examinations (HKCEE) students about keys to success and ways to equip themselves for future challenges. Workshops will be provided for the F.5 students on planning ahead of the release of the HKCEE results, IVE/ SBI subject selection strategies and interview skills for F.6 admission. A seminar for parents will also be organized after the workshops to help them learn about improving parent-child communication. The activities are free of charge and all this year's HKCEE students and their parents are welcome to join in. Click here for more info or simply call 2788 3433.
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Book Fair - 900 free tickets
& HKFYG Booth
The Federation was delighted to receive 900 complimentary tickets from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council for this year's Hong Kong Book Fair, which is on 18-24 July at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
HKFYG will be at Booth 2K31 every day with many books for sale on counselling volunteering, leadership, reseach and employment. Come and see us there with over 400 other representative of book publishing.
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'Sing.COMe' Singing contest
The Federation's Tsuen Wan and Farm Road Youth S.P.O.Ts will co-organize this contest with the Baron School of Music and APART in August. We would also like to thank Neway for their kind sponsorship and KCP for being the venue sponsor. All HKFYG youth members aged 11-25 are welcome. We hope the contest will give them an opportunity to demonstrate their singing talents as well as promoting youth culture. The initial judging will be on 4 and 12 August with the final judging on 25 August at Kowloon City Plaza (KCP). Deadline for enrollment 22 July. Contact Martin, tel 2715 0424 for more details or visit: http://www.hhspot.org/singcome.htm |
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| Excitement and exchange: NBA stars open windows for HK youth |
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This week's Divac Youth Basketball Camp, co-organized by HKFYG, is an initiative to bring world-class NBA star players and coaches to Hong Kong. During the camp, Olympic sportsmen are in close contact with our schoolchildren, training them in court techniques and good communication. Their skills and cultural exchange with our youngsters are opening new windows on the world. As Vlade Divac, the camp's genial former NBA superstar and Olympic silver says, the sport has 'a common language that transcends all boundaries ... a language spoken by children all over the world.' |
Given a marvellous chance like this, young Hongkongers meet stars from other cultures, experience differences and learn how much is shared despite them. This means they gain exposure that only international exchange and travel can bring. The contact opens windows and the communication opens doors. If you would like to help us explore more avenues for such valuable opportunities, please phone 2123 9598 and talk to Bonnie Cheng in the Partnership Office to see what we can do.
Read Feature Story for some feedback from people involved in the basketball camp. |
| Feature
Story |
Bridging cultural gaps at basketball camps
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As you can see today, basketball brings people together all over the world, said one of basketball's great talents, Vlade Divac, in his opening speech on the first day of the camp.
The young participants sat around him, spellbound. Here was a sportsman they had only ever seen on TV and he was about to teach them, in person, some of his special skills. But these were not all they learned. The camp was also about being disciplined and unselfish. Terence, one of the volunteer interpreters explained how important he thought that was: |
'I took part in the Odyssey of the Mind in the US. That taught me the fundamentals of teamwork and sportsmanship. In Hong Kong the average youngster learns from their parents to work hard for good grades, but academic achievement is primarily an individual struggle and they don't always develop an understanding of teamwork … you can't play basketball well without teamwork…'
Terence's words echoed those of Alex Dimitrijevic, Managing Director of HKFYG's co-organizer, the Divac Children's Foundation and a former player himself:
Learning the importance of teamwork and being able to help your teammates improve their game … playing unselfish basketball and learning to believe in and trust your teammates. Those are some of the benefits we think are most important for the participants of our camps.
Not long after the hottest day yet this year, we wondered if it would be a struggle to cope with training in the heat. It didn't bother these guys:
Hot? Well it's too hot for jogging but we acclimatized in Shanghai, said Divac.
On the second day of the camp we asked some of the young campers how they were getting on as well. 8-year old Jeffrey who was chosen to be the star of the opening ceremony action was thrilled, despite his earlier qualms:
I was a bit frightened about having to go up to the front at the opening. I was supposed to shoot for the net and worried that I wouldn’t get the ball in! But it was great. Mr Divac just picked me up and told me what to do. I learnt about passing the ball too. It’s all even better than I ever imagined. |
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Lamka, a fourteen year-old boy whose favourite sport is basketball was very enthusiastic too:
It’s great! I’m really having fun and I understand a lot better about teamwork after we started doing all our practicing in teams. The groups change each day and I'm making a lot of new friends as well.
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It's all just so exciting, said Chiu Piu-man, one of the young volunteers helping with the organization of the camp. I just had my photo taken with a world-famous sports star!
The cluster of young volunteers were quite delighted to be there, while the youngest participant, Interpreter Terence said he thought having fun was central and Kwok Ka-wai, a student assistant coach, emphasized the role of fun too:
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Fun is intrinsic to motivation in sport. It gets you through the hard training part.
All of the stars and coaches who came for the camp are dedicated basketball professionals and they will be role models for many years for Hong Kong’s young hopefuls.
We'll have fun contests, professional level practice drills … and fun drills, commented Jeff Leader, representing Vlade Divac's agent in China… there will be something for everyone - from the beginner to the professional coach. One thing is for sure, Mr Divac will interact with EVERY youth. He really does love and care about the kids. The kids will have a great time. Of this we are 100% confident. |
| Upcoming
events |
HKFYG‧ Mission Hills Junior Golf Tour |
Date 23-24 July
Venue Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen and Dongguan
Participants 40 young people aged 11-17
Introduced by well known golfer, Cindy Reid |
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| Symposium for HKCEE students「知．專．升學路」研討會暨放榜工作坊 |
Date Wednesday 25 July
Venue Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
Co-organizers Vocational Training Council and HKFYG
Participants Form 5 HKCEE students & parents
Free of charge. Click here for more info: http://www.vtc.edu.hk/ero/event/2007/symposium/ or simply call 2788 3433. |
| Facts & Figures |
| International educational exchange |
Mainland China had over 160,000 exchange students from over 180 countries last year, the highest number in the history of the PRC and up more than 15% over 2005.* 75% of those in China for over 6 months were Asian and the biggest numbers came from the Republic of Korea, Japan, Vietnam, the US and Indonesia. China had over 1 million overseas students from 1950 to 2006.
700,000 Chinese students went overseas from 1978-2003 and about 173,000 returned according to research completed in 2004.** Since 2001, more have been to Australia than any other country. Other major destinations were the US, Germany, Canada, France, Japan and Russia.
To put these figures into perspective, according to the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE), about 1 million overseas exchange students go to the US every year.*** Since terrorist alerts came into force worldwide after 9/11 there has been much tightening up on visas issued for overseas students in the US because some of the hijackers involved were on student visas.
Nonetheless, the benefits of exchange programmes are widely accepted whether they involve placement with a host family, attending a local school, college or university or entering the workforce. Participants experience life as locals and become immersed in the culture. They gain valuable international experience, learning tolerance, maturity and independence in the process.
* Xinhua News Agency June 29, 2007 http://www.china.org.cn/english/education/215539.htm
**Paper prepared by Ling Yao of the Australian National University for the 12th Biennial Conference of the Australian Population Association, Canberra, 15-17 September 2004.
*** http://www.ciee.org/participant.aspx |
The
Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups provides services
and facilities for the intellectual, physical, emotional
and social development of young people in the hope
that they will lead full and committed lives as responsible,
contributing citizens. It has ten core services focusing
on youth employment, volunteering, youth-at-risk,
counselling, education, parenting, leisure, culture
and sports, youth exchange, leadership training and
e-services.
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