Organized by The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups, the LEAD Creativity Showcase 2006, which is the culminating event of the Learning through Engineering, Art and Design (LEAD) Project, was held today (9 July) at Cyberport. In the Showcase, students demonstrated their projects with creative ideas to the public. Various LEAD creative workshops and activities were provided since this March for about 300 students from 14 primary and secondary schools, facilitating their understanding of digital technology and fostering their creativity.

Themed 'Space Exploration', students from the 12 participating schools demonstrated their projects in the Showcase by making use of devices and software developed by the MIT Media Laboratory, one of the collaborating partners of LEAD. These included small programmable computers called Crickets and programmable multi-media software, Scratch. In their projects students programmed the Crickets and controlled the use of light, sound and motors and various sensors. They also produced graphics and animations with the use of Scratch. By making use of these technologies and their imagination, students came up with many innovative and exciting designs, that included hopping decorations for hats, a pair of illuminating glasses, alien disco dancing and light sensing robots.

Mr. Gordon Leung Chung-tai, Acting Commissioner for Innovation and Technology was the Guest of Honour of the Showcase. Other guests included Dr. Chan Ka -ki, Catherine, PAS (Curriculum Development), Education and Manpower Bureau and Mr. Yasuo Maruyama, Managing Director, Sony Corporation of Hong Kong Limited.

As Dr. Rosanna Wong Yick-ming, Executive Director of The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups pointed out at the ceremony, "LEAD is about instilling in young people a new way of learning. It is hands on, experimental and innovative; an avenue that challenges and excites young minds to discover and experiment for themselves." She went out to point out the uniqueness of this programme and encouraged the participants to always think of LEAD as not only about learning, but also about having fun.

The Guest of Honour, Mr. Gordon Leung Chung-tai, Acting Commissioner for Innovation and Technology also remarked, "Pursuit of knowledge and proactive exploration are the fundamental strategy to generate creative thinking. In this regard, LEAD project provides an ideal platform to help young people learn new knowledge in engineering, art and design and thus nurturing their creative thinking. I hope more schools and students will have a chance to reap the benefits of such kind of projects."

Learning through Engineering, Art and Design (LEAD) is a project of creative education, first launched in Hong Kong in 2005 by The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups in collaboration with Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Laboratory and The Chinese University of Hong Kong. LEAD provides students with a unique learning experience of integrating science, engineering, multimedia, art and music in the process of designing and creating. This year's event has Sony Corporation of Hong Kong Limited as Event Sponsor and Cyberport as the Venue Sponsor.

*** End***

For inquiries, please contact Ms. Joanna Cheung (Tel:3579 4560)