The kick-off ceremony for the “JC InnoPower: REAL Impact – AI Driven Sustainable Talent Programme” was held at Kowloon True Light School on 25 August. The event was honoured by the presence of Dr. Sze Chun-fai, Jeff, JP, Under Secretary for Education, who served as the Guest of Honour. Ms. Winnie Ying, Head of Charities (Education & Youth Cluster), The Hong Kong Jockey Club, delivered a speech at the ceremony, which was witnessed by teachers, students, academic experts, and education professionals from 13 core participating secondary schools.

Funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust and coordinated by Kowloon True Light School, the “JC InnoPower: REAL Impact – AI Driven Sustainable Talent Programme” is a one-year, cross-curricular educational initiative that deeply integrates artificial intelligence with the principles of sustainable development.

In his address, Dr. Sze Chun-fai noted that artificial intelligence is reshaping all sectors of society at an unprecedented rate. He stressed that the education sector must go beyond merely teaching students how to use technological tools and instead guide them to reflect on their roles, values, and potential contributions in a tech-driven future. Dr. Sze highly commended the programme for its forward-thinking approach, successfully blending AI literacy with sustainable development concepts across the three core domains of culture, economy, and environment. He remarked that this interdisciplinary model not only aligns with global educational trends but also provides students with a high-quality learning platform that is both locally grounded and globally-minded.

Ms. Winnie Ying stated that the “JC InnoPower: REAL Impact – AI Driven Sustainable Talent Programme” powerfully demonstrates the force of educational innovation. She emphasised that such innovation relies on the mutual trust and collaborative efforts of principals, teachers, and students working towards a common goal. This programme brings together 13 schools, with principals providing visionary leadership, teachers acting as catalysts for innovation, and students driving their own learning with curiosity and creativity. This collaboration fully embodies the six core values championed by JC InnoPower: Innovation, Mission, Passion, Action, Collaboration, and Transformation (IMPACT). Through inter-school exchanges and collaborative curriculum development, the programme aims to create more opportunities for students to practice and explore, thereby fostering educational transformation. Ms. Ying expressed her hope that innovative education will continue to flourish in schools and across the wider education community.

The “JC InnoPower: REAL Impact – AI Driven Sustainable Talent Programme” is meticulously organised by Kowloon True Light School, JC InnoPower Fellow Ms. Cheung Anna Yik-tung, and the school’s Learning and Teaching Committee. With the central goal of nurturing “Young Visionaries,” the programme aspires for students not only to master cutting-edge knowledge and skills but also to develop a global perspective and contribute to a sustainable future. The impressive lineup of 13 representative Hong Kong secondary schools, in addition to the coordinating school, includes:

This strong coalition highlights the power of inter-school collaboration. The programme has also garnered robust support from scholars at local higher education institutions, including The University of Hong Kong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, City University of Hong Kong, and Lingnan University, as well as other professional organisations. The mentor team covers a wide range of fields such as AI literacy, intangible cultural heritage preservation, and sustainable economies, providing expert academic guidance for teachers and students.

The programme features a rich variety of activities, including a four-day inter-school training camp, a professional development day for teachers, corporate visits and work experiences, inter-school networking events, an AI-driven sustainable innovation competition, and overseas exchange tours. A “Sustainable Development Promotion Day” is scheduled for 23 January, 2027, where students from the 13 schools will showcase their innovative solutions that integrate AI with sustainability concepts. They will engage in deep-dive discussions with university professors, industry experts, and the public to gather feedback and refine their projects for real-world implementation.

About JC InnoPower:
Since 2016, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust has initiated and funded the “JC InnoPower” Fellowship, a talent and sector development programme. It aims to nurture talents in the education and social welfare sectors to get prepared for future challenges by providing innovative and leadership courses, individual and group exchange, local, mainland and overseas study and visit tours, and opportunities to incubate change-making projects. In the first phase, the programme has nurtured 200 InnoPower Fellows to enhance the change-making capacities of teachers and social workers. In the second phase, the programme extended its support to their senior management. Through “JC InnoPower for Education” and “JC InnoPower for Social Welfare”, the programme aims to foster a culture of learning, collaboration and innovation within and between schools and NGOs, thereby enhancing their service quality and sector resilience, for the betterment of Hong Kong. For more details, please visit the JC InnoPower website: https://jcinnopower.hk/en/about-jcinnopower.