My Story Creation Competition 2017

Kids4Kids encourages students to develop their creative story writing and illustration skills through the My Story Creation platform designed to spark imagination and creativity.

‘My Story Creation’, previously known as ‘Writing for a Cause’, is a bilingual creative writing competition open to all primary school students in Hong Kong. The competition encourages children to express their imagination and present their original ideas to the world.

My Story Creation aims to:
* Develop literacy in primary aged school children
* Inspire kids to write creative stories
* Contribute age appropriate picture storybooks to share with other kids in the community
* Involve participants from a wide range of social, economic and cultural backgrounds

Competition Details for Individuals (Open Category)
As a not-for-profit organization, Kids4Kids relies on the support of the community to run youth empowerment and literacy development programs and donations are gratefully accepted. Individuals who donate HK$300 or more will receive a copy of the Kids4Kids Treasury, a collection of the top stories from ‘My Story Creation’ 2016.

Eligibility
The competition is open to all Hong Kong primary school students (P.1-6).

Registration
1. There is a registration fee of HK$200, which can be paid by Paypal, cheque or bank transfer.
2. Register on OpenClass (with proof of payment if by bank transfer).
3. You will be sent a ‘submission code’ by email that you use to submit your story online in September 2017.
Story

Deadline for registration: 31 August 2017

Online story submission: 1-30 September 2017

Results announced via Kids4Kids website: February 2018
For more information regarding the competition and to download application form please visit their website.

Their Mission: To empower children to take responsibility with opportunities to learn about giving back — from the products created to activities organized by kids of all ages to reach out and help, in our local community, for a better Hong Kong.

Powered By Youth Forum 2017

Powered by Youth (PBY) focuses on developing well-rounded, forward-thinking leaders who excel in being change-makers, taking action, and supporting the community.

In the annual 2-day forum, students aged 12-17 take part in ‘Power Groups‘ focusing on personal strengths, and ‘Passion Groups‘ targeting social issues. Groups then create Community Act!on Projects, go through ‘Step Up‘ workshops on pitching, writing advocacy, articulating personal values, and creative messaging. Finally, they pitch to a judging panel for a chance to bring their ideas to life. Successful projects join Act!on for a Cause and are allocated seed funding and a Kids4Kids mentor to help deliver the project and measure its impact.

This year, PBY is coming back more global, hands on, and ambitious than before! Be the SPARK and make a CHANGE. Stay tuned on our website for the full program rundown.

Date: 23 & 30 September 2017

Time: 9am – 5pm

Place: 7/F Training & Development, MTR Headquarters Building, Telford Plaza, 33 Wai Yip Street, Kowloon Bay

Price: $320
To order early bird tickets, please follow this link to Eventbrite
Ticket sales end on 28 July

About Act!on for a Cause: Act!on for a Cause aims at mobilizing youth from diverse backgrounds to take action on real life social issues.
They aim to:
* Promote creative problem solving of real life issues
* Mobilize youth from all backgrounds to take positive action
* Build leadership skills and social awareness
* If you are between the age of 12 to 17 years living in Hong Kong, you can choose to participate as an individual, or groups of up to 4 participants

Their Mission: To empower children to take responsibility with opportunities to learn about giving back — from the products created to activities organized by kids of all ages to reach out and help, in our local community, for a better Hong Kong.

The Green Hub Volunteer Induction Day – 23 July

The Green Hub Volunteer Scheme
Volunteers at the Green Hub enrich and enhance the life of Green Hub and play a vital role in supporting a wide range of sustainable living educational programmes and conservation work. Volunteers are a valued and integral part of Green Hub donating a range of talents and skills to promote sustainable living and assist in the Green Hub’s daily operation. Green Hub hopes that they can both enjoy and learn from their volunteer experience at Green Hub.

Volunteer Opportunities
* Education programmes and activities
* Low carbon catering
* Co-op Market
* Gardening
* Visitor Centre

Requirement
* Hong Kong citizen aged 18 or above
* Appreciate sustainable lifestyle
* Interested in nature and heritage conservation
* Good presentation and communication skills
* Able to speak fluent Cantonese, basic English and Mandarin
* Able to attend their Volunteer Induction Day are preferred.

The Green Hub Volunteer Induction Day
The goal of the Induction Day is to provide an orientation for people who want to be a volunteer of the Green Hub. The Induction Day comprises an introduction about the Old Tai Po Police Station heritage revitalization project and its programmes and a guided walk of the Green Hub facilities. Participants will also have the opportunities to undertake sustainable living exercises to increase their own well-being and that of the community from a holistic perspective.

Date: Sunday, 23 July 2017

Time: 2-4pm

Place: Green Hub, 11 Wan Tau Kok Lane, Tai Po, Hong Kong

Language: Cantonese

How to Apply: Please fill out this link for the online application form

Application Deadline: 17 July 2017

Enquiry: Please contact Miss Leung at 2996 2833 / ghprog@kfbg.org

* Another Volunteer Induction Day will be on 29 Oct.

About The Green Hub: The Green Hub (the Old Tai Po Police Station) is a unique heritage place which is historically, architecturally and ecologically significant.

The Green Hub project has transformed the Old Tai Po Police Station, a Grade 1 historic heritage to hub for sustainable living. The Green Hub’s Heritage Tour is a free-of-charge service for visitors to learn how we conserve the historic and architectural values of the building, as well as the trees and the egretry of ecological importance at the Old Tai Po Police Station.

Under the Revitalising Historic Buildings through Partnership Scheme (the R-Scheme), Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden (KFBG) adopted an integrated approach to conserve the Old Tai Po Police Station and transform the historic heritage site into a Green Hub for sustainable living. Today, the Green Hub is an inspirational educational centre and offers wide-ranging educational opportunities for the public. Often described as a green oasis in the concrete jungle, it is a pioneer of low-carbon diet, and green architecture, a place for transformative education and an incubator for community collaboration on appropriate, affordable and sustainable alternatives.

The Green Hub project is recognised with an Honourable Mention in the 2016 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation in 2016. The Green Hub also receive the Grand Award (Existing Buildings Category: Completed Projects – Institutional Building) and Special Citation in Eco-service Infrastructure Network under the Green Building Award 2016 that is jointly organised by the Hong Kong Green Building Council and the Professional Green Building Council.

Beers For Books 4 Year Anniversary!

You’re invited to Room to Read’s Beers for Books 4-Year Anniversary on Wednesday, 14th of June from 6:30pm – 9:30pm. To get you in the summer and tropical mood, they have collaborated with Wahtiki Island Lounge who will generously donate HKD$10 per drink purchased and will be kindly matched by Hilton 1:1.

Each drink purchased would help to publish 2 local-language children’s books to children in need!

Exciting Raffle Prizes to be won thanks to sponsors: Linguini Fini, Ruinart, Americraft, Peroni, Tatcha, Watsons Wine etc…

Due to LIMITED capacity, please RSVP by emailing Room to Read at cherry.ng@roomtoread.org Please put RSVP14June in the subject line

Date: Wednesday, 14 of June

Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm

Place: Wahtiki Island Lounge,3rd Floor, Seabird House, 22-28 Wyndham Street, Central

About Room to Read: Room to Read envisions a world in which all children can pursue a quality education, reach their full potential and contribute to their community and the world.

To achieve this goal, Room to Read focuses on two areas where they believe Room to Read can have the greatest impact: literacy and gender equality in education. Room to Read works in collaboration with communities and local governments across Asia and Africa to develop literacy skills and a habit of reading among primary school children, and support girls to complete secondary school with the life skills they’ll need to succeed in school and beyond by building and stocking libraries, building bright ventilated classrooms, publishing books in the local language, training educators and providing one-on-one support to teachers, and supporting girls to stay in school by providing material support—such as school fees, clean uniforms or transportation, in addition to mentoring and life skills training to help girls succeed in the classroom and beyond.

For more information please visit their website.

Volunteer for Teen’s Key

Teen’s Key – Young Women Development Network is a non-profit organization that focuses on vulnerable teenage girls in Hong Kong. They support young girls who are at high risk of unwanted pregnancies, young mothers, as well as young girls in the sex industry and so on.

If you are interested in Teen’s Key’s services and would like to support their young women, they would more than welcome your help. Just fill in application form by following this link to their website to become one of their volunteers. Teen’s Key will use the basic information provided as a means of contacting and distributing suitable volunteer activities’ specifics to you.

For more information, please visit their website.

About Teen’s Key: Established in 2011 in Hong Kong, Teen’s Key looks to provide support for displaced, young teenaged girls vulnerable to entering prostitution. As little support is available for this formative age group of young girls, Teen’s Key is looking to fill the gap as they require more holistic care and careful counselling so they are can eventually attain a future away from prostitution.

Teen’s Key‘s Keys for Girls program aims, through education, to equip vulnerable young girls the life skills, knowledge and positive social network that will help them rebuild their own lives.

Teen’s Key is a three person strong team, who reached out to over 7,000 young girls working in the Hong Kong prostitution industry through our more than 900 outreach programs and over 1,000 counselling sessions. Additionally, they have conducted over 1,600 private HIV tests and joined the Hong Kong AIDS Commission in 2014.

In 2015, Teen’s Key received the “With and For Girls Award” global award, an award sponsored by many international organizations such as the Nike Foundation, The Malala Fund, Plan UK, Stars Foundation, The Global Fund for Children, Empower, Mama Cash and the Novo Foundation.

Crowdfunding for Girls’ Education – Key for Girls Fund

Take action! Give Girls in sex industry an opportunity for education!

“My name is Kat*. At 15, I sold my body to survive.”
Kat is just one of many young Hong Kong girls who due to life circumstances, entered prostitution as a means of survival.

It is 2017, Hong Kong becomes more affluent, these girls become more and more left behind. KEY for Girls campaign hopes to crowdfund raising funds for scholarships for as many as 20 local young girls like Kat.
*Fake name

Unlocking Doors of Opportunities
The Key for Girls campaign’s aim is to crowdfund Financial Assistance Scholarships for this group of 20 local girls who have left school and are currently working in the sex trade in Hong Kong.

Education has long been an important factor in unlocking doors of opportunities. The funds will be used to allow this group of 20 girls to attend vocational and night schooling in order to leave the trade. Around HK$8,000 is needed per girl in order to finance them to go back to school.

Teen’s Key – Young Women Development Network has already a few successful young girls who have gone through this program, and therefore, with your help, hope to put more through school.

What Your Funds Will Cover
* School admission fees, and
* Tutorial costs required to help these girls become accustomed to learning again and a school environment
Teen’s Key will help these girls apply for government subsidies to cover tuition costs.

The program will allow these girls to start school this September 2017.

With your help Teen’s Key can come together to support this group of girls and build a Hong Kong community which is willing to accept them back to society.

Teen’s Key appreciates and dearly thank you for your support and encouragement for the girls.

Funding Categories:
$100 – you will receive a handmade leather bookmark
$100 – you will receive a handmade dreamcatcher
$175 – handmade leather bookmark + dreamcatcher set
$500 – set of handmade leather bookmarks
$8,000 – a personal guided tour with Executive Director, Bowie Lam, founder of Teen’s Key exploring the other side of Hong Kong where you will see some of the nightclubs where they do outreach, discover the history of the sex industry in Hong Kong.

Funding ends: 28 June 2017

For more information and to support this project, please follow this link to FringeBacker.

About Teen’s Key: Established in 2011 in Hong Kong, Teen’s Key looks to provide support for displaced, young teenaged girls vulnerable to entering prostitution. As little support is available for this formative age group of young girls, Teen’s Key is looking to fill the gap as they require more holistic care and careful counselling so they are can eventually attain a future away from prostitution.

Teen’s Key‘s Keys for Girls program aims, through education, to equip vulnerable young girls the life skills, knowledge and positive social network that will help them rebuild their own lives.

Teen’s Key is a three person strong team, who reached out to over 7,000 young girls working in the Hong Kong prostitution industry through our more than 900 outreach programs and over 1,000 counselling sessions. Additionally, they have conducted over 1,600 private HIV tests and joined the Hong Kong AIDS Commission in 2014.

In 2015, Teen’s Key received the “With and For Girls Award” global award, an award sponsored by many international organizations such as the Nike Foundation, The Malala Fund, Plan UK, Stars Foundation, The Global Fund for Children, Empower, Mama Cash and the Novo Foundation.

Volunteer for the Hans Anderson Club

The Story of HAC…
In 1963, a group of expatriates began serving the underprivileged children and new migrant families in the Diamond Hill district of Kowloon. Hans Andersen Club was named after the renowned Danish story writer Hans Christian Andersen to symbolize the Club’s concerns for and focus on the wellbeing of children and the youth, regardless of their races, nationalities and religions.

Vision
HAC takes families as their servicing target. As a harmonious parent-child relationship can be established through storytelling and creative games, Hans Andersen Club purports to provide adequate training as well as readily accessible resources and trainings on storytelling and on devising creative games, and to serve the grass-root and under-privileged families and their children in Hong Kong. Their goal is to enable children enjoy holistic development and adapt to intellectual based society.

Mission
Cherish our Children, Cultivate our Community

Since the opening of Storyland in 2006, HAC have been committed to provide creative, professional and diversified storytelling services to the community. HAC believes that reading is the perfect way to broaden children’s horizons and nourish their minds. Storytelling also plays a significant role to promoting one’s imagination, self-confidence and parent-child relationships.

This is what HAC does…

Reading Club for Parents
To provide practical skills, theories and experience-sharing, so that parents can become a confident storyteller
Use stories to resolve conflicts and promote parent-child relationship
Storytelling with interaction, creativity and fun

Storytelling Resources
High-quality storybooks are available for members to borrow and read at the Storytellers’ Resource Centre
“Parents’ Resource Kit” with storybook, tailor-made props and activities
“Schools’ Resource Kit” with big books and suggestions for activities
Reading Garden (link to http://www.storytelling.org.hk): A Web-based platform for sharing

Paired Reading Scheme
Cultivate children’s interest in reading and develop good moral values through interactive games, stories and activities

Volunteer Training and Community Services
Organize services for individual and corporate volunteers
Respond to the community’s needs and provide support for those in need

Book Bag Library
Sponsored by Bring Me A Book Hong Kong, the Book Bag Library provides high-quality books for children and “First Teachers Training” for parents.

Share Storytelling Resource
There are over a thousand story books and various kinds of resources for members to borrow free of charge. There is also a stage, dressing room and audio-visual equipment to support all types of storytelling performances.

What you can do to help:
HAC needs your help to run their operations and events, including paired-reading, story-writing, storytelling, drama, art & design, promotion & publicity, editorial & publishing etc. All 15 and above are welcome.

If you are interested in volunteering, please follow this link to their online volunteer registration form.