Education

We endeavour to cultivate an inclusive student-centric and future-ready educational experience that nurtures students in harnessing their unique talents to become compassionate, socially minded leaders and celebrates diverse pathways to success.

Nurturing compassionate and future-ready leaders of tomorrow

From building schools in the 1960s to advancing today’s education in AI, computational thinking, science, financial competency and more, The Hong Kong Jockey Club has long championed future-ready competence for students from different walks of life.

Our mission is to nurture students into compassionate leaders of tomorrow, by empowering young people from diverse backgrounds to thrive through different learning pathways and contribute meaningfully to their communities.

Across the decades, our focus has shifted from investing in infrastructure, such as the construction of universities and student hostels, to comprehensive educational and holistic support that helps students discover their strengths and develop their unique talents. We strive to provide equal access to opportunities for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, so that they, too, can reach their full potential.

Fostering compassionate top talents

Over more than 25 years, we have established a series of scholarships dedicated to nurturing top talents to become compassionate and socially-minded leaders. Our awardees include undergraduate, vocational education and postgraduate students who may come from Hong Kong, Mainland China or other countries and regions, as well as students with special educational needs, and NGO leaders.

One of our flagship scholarships is The Hong Kong Jockey Club Chairman’s Scholarship, which supports students in pursuing their undergraduate studies in Hong Kong. Each awardee will not only have achieved exceptional academic results but also demonstrated leadership qualities and other non-academic capabilities, particularly a commitment to service and improving the lives of others.

The funding has enabled Jenny Cao, a student from Chongqing, to join the School of Engineering at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). Her dream is to go into the field of medical engineering and to improve the standard of domestic medical appliances on the Mainland.

For some students, the path to education is filled with challenges. The Hong Kong Jockey Club Striding On Scholarship recognises students who overcome adversity with resilience and determination in pursuing post-secondary studies in Hong Kong.

Yuen Wing Ki is a para table tennis athlete. Her sporting achievements and dedication to the sport are remarkable as she suffers from a genetic disorder called osteogenesis imperfecta, commonly known as “brittle bone disease”. Her life has been spent in and out of hospital and the condition can be painful. In spite of these challenges, she has become an accomplished para table tennis player and has started her studies in animation and digital arts at Lingnan University.

“I hope that one day, I can produce an animation film about people with disabilities, advocating for an inclusive society,” she says.

Promoting technology education in the age of AI

In today’s rapidly changing world, students need more than academic knowledge—they require future skills to thrive alongside advancing technologies in an AI-driven future. In 2016, we initiated the CoolThink@JC programme (CoolThink) to inspire students’ digital creativity and nurture their proactive use of technologies for social good from a young age, empowering them to become critical thinkers and creators of technology.

An independent evaluation study by SRI found that the CoolThink pilot increased students’ computational thinking concepts by 20% and practices by 210% when compared to peers, demonstrating the project’s effectiveness and supporting its expansion to more schools.

“An idea from the sector was taken to the next level to produce a very successful project. Without it, Hong Kong’s own talents would not be as competitive as they can be,” says Andy Li, former Principal of Ling To Catholic Primary School and a project subcommittee member, who introduced the curriculum at his school.

Hong Kong’s Secretary for Education Dr Christine Choi Yuk-lin has commented on how the CoolThink programme enhances coding education in all publicly-funded primary schools. More importantly, it cultivates computational thinking from a young age, helping them to systematically break down and analyse problems, as well as identify solutions.

CoolThink has received three worldwide accolades including QS Reimagine Education Awards, accreditation from the International Standards for Technology Education (ISTE) and Education Alliance Finland. Outside of Hong Kong, the CoolThink curriculum has been introduced to other regions such as the United States, New Zealand, Dubai and Cambodia. Now, we are working to bring the materials and experiences to the Mainland.

Beyond computational thinking, AI literacy is becoming a crucial part of curricula. Global statistics show that in 2024, 44% of children and 60% of teachers used generative AI tools in their learning and teaching. Launched in 2019, our CUHK Jockey Club AI for the Future Project has developed a quality curriculum to provide basic concepts of AI, instilled AI ethics and promoted the use of AI for social good, and has been mainstreamed to all secondary schools. With broader adoption of generative AI recently, we launched a new generative AI Education project in June 2025 to cultivate AI literacy and competencies in students, empowering them to learn more effectively, use technology more discerningly, innovate with it more creatively and be better prepared for the future workplace and society.

An idea from the sector was taken to the next level to produce a very successful project. Without it, Hong Kong’s own talents would not be as competitive as they can be.

Andy Li, former Principal of Ling To Catholic Primary School and a project subcommittee member

Developing student-centric learning experiences for the future

In addition to technology education, we believe student-centric learning experiences will help nurture curious and confident lifelong learners who can tackle novel problems in the changing world.

Since 2022, our Hong Kong Jockey Club Life Wide Learning Fund has enabled over two million students from 95% of the city’s primary and secondary schools, spanning diverse socio-economic backgrounds, to participate in experiential learning outside the classroom. Beyond academic enrichment, these activities strengthen resilience, self-esteem, and interpersonal skills, fostering well-rounded development.

As STEM education becomes more important in driving progress in national and global development, we believe it is crucial to instil students with scientific inquiry skills and understanding early on.

Launched in 2024, our JC CoolScience programme empowers primary school science teachers to facilitate inquiry-based learning and enhances experiential science learning in and outside of the classroom. In partnership with The Education University of Hong Kong, the programme aims to support students in understanding the world around them through science practices—to wonder, inquire, investigate and discover.

With the world becoming increasingly complex, it is also important to equip young people with real-life skills, such as financial capability. Our Hong Kong Jockey Club Financial Education Programme targets upper primary students with hands-on experiential leaning in and outside of the classroom, to understand financial concepts, make effective and responsible financial decisions, and build sound habits for long term financial well-being.

Together, these student-driven programmes nurture students with future-ready competencies, such as curiosity and scientific thinking skills, paving the way for innovative, future leaders.

Championing diverse learning and career pathways

To motivate different types of success, we aim to create diverse learning opportunities and career pathways for students of different backgrounds.

Our Jockey Club “Diversity at Schools” project promotes an inclusive learning environment for all students. Regardless of their background or ability, the project has established a whole-school approach to formulate personalised teaching strategies and classroom support to enhance learning motivation and outcomes, unleashing the full potential of all students.

To support career pathway development for secondary students, our Jockey Club Multiple Pathways Initiative CLAP-TECH Pathway programme offers students a non-traditional route to gaining valuable skills and knowledge. Through this five-year programme, we aim to provide young people a meaningful learning journey that encompasses not only essential skills training, but also fosters self-understanding and goal-setting for their long-term success. It operates through a three-way partnership involving secondary schools, Hong Kong Baptist University and industry partners, combining classroom learning with workplace experience and helping students explore their interests, strengths and skills.

CLAP-TECH’s through train model allows students to begin with a specially designed Applied Learning (ApL) course under the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) and progress to a Higher Diploma (HD) offered by the university partner. With its success, this model is also expanding to include special schools.

To provide further targeted support to disadvantaged groups, we pioneered Jockey Club Experiential Learning Project for Students with Special Educational Needs. It integrates adventure-based learning and virtual reality-based learning to support around 4,000 intellectually-disabled students from over half of the special schools in Hong Kong. It helps develop their communication, problem solving and collaboration skills for everyday life. This innovative approach has earned three accolades at the 2021 Best Practice Awards in Social Welfare from the Hong Kong Council of Social Services, in recognition of its innovation, effective user participation, and outstanding practice for demonstration.

Paving the way for different types of success

A world that is ever-changing and increasing in digital technology presents challenges to our young generation, but with such challenges also come opportunities. Through our various programmes, we hope that education—in all its diverse forms—can be a fulfilling experience, and help students develop resilience, compassion and future-ready skills.

To realise this vision, we are committed to building a strong community of innovative, passionate educators who share our dedication to drive sector-wide change and inspire students to reach their full potential. Thus, this journey continues through our Development of Professionals Impact Programme, in the form of sector capacity building projects such as the JC InnoPower Fellowship, which aims to empower more partners in delivering impactful education.