Colors your Summer
Youth Ambassador Programme

The programme aims to provide all-round job-training and will be run again this summer by the Federation in collaboration with McDonald's Restaurants (Hong Kong) Ltd. Student participants from Forms 5-7 will join a pre-job seminar, workshops on safety in the workplace, training in customer services, an adventure day camp and visits to large-scale logistics corporations. They will also have the chance to gain on-site work experience with McDonald's throughout Hong Kong, learning about restaurant operations and improving both teamwork and interpersonal skills. Click here for more information:
http://www.yen.org.hk/
mcdonalds/poster.htm
or call the Federation's Youth Employment Network (YEN): 3113 7999.

Seminar cum workshop on university admission interviews

The Federation and Ming Pao are jointly organizing a series of activities for students who have completed their Hong Kong Advanced Level Examinations and need to be better equipped to meet the challenges of university entrance. On 11 May, a seminar on university admission interview skills will be provided for about 300 Form 7 graduates at the Auditorium, Duke of Windsor Social Service Building. Professional counsellors will be invited to share their views and offer advice on interview technique. Free workshops on interviews will also be arranged for participants that day. To register, click here
http://www.u21.org.hk/
27771112_new/
or call 2788 3433 for more information.

Training courses for teachers

From March to June, commissioned by the Education and Manpower Bureau, the Federation's Leadership 21 is organizing "In-Service Teacher Training Courses on the Learning and Teaching of Critical Thinking in S1-3 Integrated Humanities" and "Learning & Teaching Strategies for Liberal Studies (NSS) in the Area of Study - Self and Personal Development". We hope these courses help to enhance teaching skills in these area and provide up-to-date information for effective teaching.

Summer Youth Programme Brochures 2006

Brochures for the Federation's Summer Youth Programme are now available free for collection at eight branches of both the Commercial Press and Joint Publishing Company. The brochure introduces 3,000 varied activities and includes four themed workshop series this year. The series parallel projects and programmes that we run during the year. LEAD is the focus of one series. LEAD (Learning through Engineering, Art and Design) is an innovative method of creative education for students which involves building motorized robots, producing animations and composing music. The technology upon which LEAD is based comes from the MIT Media Laboratory and the series will be run this summer at all Federation's Youth SPOTs. The second theme is creative multimedia production and the third is the performing arts in general. The fourth theme will be sports and fitness. Many thanks indeed to the Commercial Press (Hong Kong) Ltd and Joint Publishing (Hong Kong) Company Ltd for helping us to promote these programmes and reach out to more potential service recipients. Programme enrollment date: Sunday 14 May. Click here:
http://www.u21.org.hk/syp06/
or call us at 3579 4560 for more information.

An eighteenth birthday is a time to celebrate. It marks a young person's passage into adulthood when the legal rights and civic responsibilities of citizenship become a reality. Thoughtful young people recognize this as a truly significant moment in their lives and the Federation celebrates it with them every year at the Coming of Age Ceremony in early May.

Going on eighteen

Lok-cho and Jasper are both eighteen this year and will be at the Federation's annual Coming of Age Ceremony on 4 May. They told us how they feel about growing up. Angela who took part a year ago, looks back at her first year as a young adult.

How has Angela fared?
"Somehow, people do expect me to be more mature, more analytical in my way of thinking. Being an adult forces me to take better care of myself and be more independent..."

"To be honest," said Lok-cho, "I'm a bit afraid I won't do as well as my family expect. I don't want to let them down. That's one reason for wanting to take part in the Coming of Age Ceremony. I'll meet other young people and we can share our thoughts and fears."

"I'm not worried about growing up" Jasper replied, "but I know I have to face my responsibilities and become more mature. I also know that the best way for me is to change gradually and make the transition step by step."

Lok-cho and Jasper are head prefects at Kwai Chung Technical College and Kowloon Technical School respectively, both doing sciences at A level next year. But, just as their attitudes to coming of age differ, so do their outside interests.

"What I really want to do straight after the A levels is travel, and then play my tenor saxophone," continued Jasper. "My parents have other ideas: a degree in medicine.
It's a very useful career ... but very hard work! So I'm doing sciences at school and I've learned about communication skills on one of the Federation's leadership courses for head prefects and that's now an important part of the syllabus for doctors too."

Jasper has set himself the goal of getting accepted at the University of Hong Kong's medical faculty. Lok-cho has equally high ambitions:

"My first priority after matriculation is to get my taekwondo black belt but after that I know I must go to university because I want to be a vet. I love animals and think it will be a great challenge to treat them when they are sick or injured. After all, I can't even talk to them to find out how they feel as Jasper can with human patients," she smiled.

Asked how they would like to see public policy develop in Hong Kong, both had clear views on environmental ideas.

"I want to do some voluntary environmental protection work," continued Lok-cho.

"The littering fine should be changed," said Jasper. "The fixed penalty of $1,500 is far too small. Offenders should do long-term community environmental protection work instead. Then maybe they'll come to understand the damage people can do."

Lok-cho was adamant:

"The only way to stop people damaging our environment is through education. If we can show people – especially young people – the negative impact they make, it's the best first step. If we raise their awareness early enough it will make a long-lasting impression."

"I plan to have three children when the time comes," said Jasper, "and I know how important their education will be. Unfortunately, many schools teach nothing about protecting the environment at the moment."

And Lok-cho? "Yes, I'm definitely going to have a family too, but that will be later."

These two have got their priorities sorted out. First come daunting A levels, then a short interlude for relaxation and sport. Their career goals are already mapped out but not yet set in stone. Flexibility is important to avoid disappointing themselves or their families.

"It's a big step," said Jasper, "making our own decisions and becoming accountable."

"More freedom too. It can be scary..." Lok-cho hesitated, then went on, "...but I'm really looking forward to celebrating my 18th birthday and to passing my driving test!"

Angela's reflections show clearly the big difference in perspective that just one year makes. She mirrors both Lok-cho's honesty and hesitancy and Jasper's confidence:

"There have been highs and lows but I already feel the independence and freedom, maybe even the rights of being an adult. But it's not too challenging. It takes time to adjust and adapt to people's changed expectations. I must remember that."

The Career Oriented Curriculum (COC) was introduced by the Education and Manpower Bureau in 2003. It covers six areas of study* including applied science, business, management and law, creative studies, engineering and production, media and communication services. In the 2003-04 academic year, 14 COC courses were initiated and 588 senior secondary students took part. In the 2005-06 academic year, 32 COC courses were offered, attracting 2,919 students.

However, a late 2005 survey of over 2,500 students by the Hok Yau Club** showed that 55% had never heard of the COC. It aims to provide students with a better understanding of their own ability and career objectives and allows F3-F5 secondary school students to choose subjects which interest them instead of exam-oriented academic subjects. Most students confuse COC with prevocational training and 37% thought COC offered a curriculum inferior to the mainstream curriculum, suitable only for underachievers.

*. Education and Manpower Bureauwebsite:
http://www.emb.gov.hk/index.aspx?nodeid=4350&langno=1
**. Sing Tao Daily 24 April 2006

The number of births by abdominal surgical section in Hong Kong is spiralling. In public hospitals the average is 22% and in some private wards it is 65%. In the UK the rate is 20%, in the US 29% and Japan 15%. Korea has 43% and the trend is rising in many developed countries. By contrast, in Laos and Cambodia the rate is only 0.8%. World Health Organization guidelines recommend an overall maximum of 15% of births by Caesarean because of the risks involved in surgery and the need to consider all health implications compared to those of natural birth. At Queen Mary Hospital the rate was 15% in 1996 but had risen to 30% by 2005.

South China Morning Post 17 April A3, A12

The website is targeted both at young members of u21 and any interested internet surfer, independent of age. It includes what we do and describes where to go to take part. At present, for example, there is news about the Coming of Age Ceremony, Summer Youth Programmes in 2006, the Airport Ambassador Programme, the Hong Kong 200 Leadership Project and Dragons at Shanghai Huangpu. We collaborate with various government organizations and private corporations to broaden the content of the site. Video clips on volunteering projects and a series on the HKCEE were produced in partnership with the media and some are broadcast on the public transport Roadshow series. In April 2006, over 190,000 young people were enrolled as members of u21 youthnet and 439 companies currently offer shopping discounts to our members. Click here:
http://www.u21.org.hk
or call Mr. Sew Chang Ho at 2831 9183 for more information.