Press Release

(Hong Kong – 22 August 2019) The HKAGE Experience Sharing Day was held today to give new student members who had successfully completed the screening and registration procedures a taste of gifted education services.

Around 1,800 new student members joined The Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education (HKAGE) this year, the first batch admitted through the New Nomination Scheme launched for implementation in 2018/19. Under the New Nomination Scheme, gifted students interested in becoming student members of the HKAGE are required to be nominated through “School Nomination” or “Self Nomination”, and successfully complete two stages of screening. Among the 11,500 students enrolled in “Stage 1: HKAGE Online Learning Programmes for Screening” during the 2018/19 school year, 3,200 got a pass and proceeded to “Stage 2: Submit their Nomination Profiles” for further screening. Around 1,800 students finally registered as HKAGE student members. Starting from 2019/20, the nomination period will be from September to October for each school year.

This year an Experience Sharing Day was specially arranged to familiarise newly admitted student members with the programmes offered by the HKAGE. The characteristics of the programmes and services provided by various divisions in the HKAGE were introduced to new student members through exhibitions and experience sharing sessions. Comprising different divisions, the HKAGE strives to secure appropriate learning and development opportunities for gifted students, aged 10 to 18 years, to enable them to realise their potential in a wide range of learning domains including academic and non- academic areas and to nurture their sense of commitment to the local community.

During the Experience Sharing Day, information on the Junior Achievement Company Programme and the Senior Student Club was shared by the Advanced Learning Experiences Division; that on “Let Us Shine!”, “1+1” Group and the Self-Awareness – Sharing Workshop under the Jockey Club ‘Gifted in Bloom – Harmony in Heart & Mind’ Programme by the Affective Education Division; and the Shalhevet Freier Physics Tournament, Jumping Sumo Steeplechase, the Board Game Design Experience Workshop and the Gifted Angels – Service Learning Project by the Academic Programme Development Division.

Sharing by Student Members

1)    Knowing Ourselves, Let Us Shine!

Lam Ka Wo, a 11-year-old participant in “Let Us Shine!”, the common-core programme for primary student members, said that the funniest activity in the programme was the “Moonwalker” which required blindfolded participants to identify 5 other teammates by using a secret code agreed beforehand (such as meowing like a cat or barking like a dog). Ka Wo said that he had learned the importance of teamwork through the game. Another interesting game was the “Reversed Paper, Scissors, Stone”. Instead of following the rule of the game and try to win the opponent, players were required to lose the game by changing the “object” they threw out within 3 seconds after the opponents had thrown out theirs. The game had challenged Ka Wo to break old habits in decision making and think critically before taking each action.

2)    Discovering the Charm of Board Games

Emmy Hung, another 11-year-old student member who likes playing board games with her family, said that the Board Game Experience Workshop had given her the opportunity to unleash her creativity. At the workshop, participants were introduced to various board games and played those games together. Taking “Jurassic Park” (a movie Emily saw at her early childhood) as the blueprint, Emily designed the board game “Jurassic War”, in which players would score through battles and compete in speed and strength. During the design process, Emily had tried the game out with her family and received encouragement from them. Advice had also been offered by the instructor to enhance the design of her board game.

3)    Senior Student Club: The Simulated Workplace

18-year-old Natalie Lam is a member of the Senior Student Club (SSC). She pointed out that SSC members, together with alumni of the HKAGE, would assume the role of senior buddies to organise activities for their younger counterparts studying in secondary and primary schools. Through the SSC, a platform was provided for student members to share their interests and experiences and for promoting exchange among student members and alumni. “To me, the SSC is like an internship programme which offers me the opportunity for learning how to draft up a proposal and have it launched for implementation before I take up a real job in the society. The SSC experience has enhanced my communication, collaboration and time-management abilities as we need to consider factors like the time and the venue when planning for those activities. The SSC also helps me to build up friendship with other student members and alumni,” said Natalie.

Nomination Procedures for the 2019/20 School Year

The HKAGE admits student members of appropriate ages mainly through the “School Nomination” and “Self Nomination” schemes every school year. Gifted students interested in becoming members of the HKAGE are required to pass “Stage 1: HKAGE Online Learning Programmes for Screening” before they can submit their nomination profiles in “Stage 2: Submit Nomination Profiles” for further screening. The nomination procedures for 2019/20 will commence in September 2019. Briefing sessions will be held on 27 and 30 September 2019 to brief school representatives, parents and students on the overall arrangement of the Nomination Scheme. Please refer to the following webpages for further details:

Secondary and Primary School Nomination 2019/20

https://www.hkage.org.hk/en/students/student-membership/school-nomination/201920

Self Nomination for Secondary and Primary Students 2019/20

https://www.hkage.org.hk/en/students/student-membership/self-nomination/201920

The Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education, a subvented non-governmental organisation, was established in 2008. It aims at serving the education sector in Hong Kong, offering high quality information and appropriate learning opportunities to students, teachers, parents and other stakeholders engaged in gifted education. Most of its programmes are provided free-of-charge.

For media enquiries, please contact Ms Virginia Siu, Communications Manager of HKAGE (Phone: 3940 0114 / Email: [email protected]).

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Photos:

Head of Academic Programme Development Division, Mr CP Wong, introduced our latest highlighted programmes to the newcomers.

More than 100 new student members joined the Experience Sharing Day.

New student members were having fun playing a Jurassic card game which is designed by a student member.

Newcomers were browsing the products of student members, including the tie-dyed tote bags and card game designed and produced by our student members.

Participants could understand more about their true selves through games.

Close up of the cards of a card game that helps student members identify their personalities.

A staff member was showcasing an innovative safe lock designed by a team of student members.

The freshmen showed their interest in coding and robot programme.