No young people should have to carry their struggles alone. Step into JC LevelMind hub and see how Jodie and Diana set their burdens down, clear their minds, recharge, and rediscover their own rhythm.
From pressure to a place of recharge
From secondary school to university, these years should be among the most vibrant in life. Yet constant change and pressure can cause young people to overlook their mental well‑being. Academic stress, peer comparison and family expectations intertwine, creating an invisible weight that can feel overwhelming.
Jodie, now a first‑year university student, still remembers the weight of her Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) years. “My parents hoped I would get into one of the ‘top three’ universities,” she says. “My elder sister’s excellent grades seemed to shape my path before results were even released. Even teachers openly expected me to enter the best university in Hong Kong.” Determined not to disappoint others, Jodie carried this psychological pressure quietly on her own.
Another university student, Diana, recalled a different DSE experience. She knew she did not need another tense study room, but rather a place where she could truly relax and let her mind settle.
At times when they most needed a break, both Jodie and Diana found their way to JC LevelMind hub. It became another place beyond home and school—a warm place to relax and recharge”. Here, no one asks about grades. Instead, people check in on how one is really feeling. Within its relaxed and welcoming everyday atmosphere, emotional support is thoughtfully woven into the space, quietly safeguarding the mental, emotional and physical well‑being of young people.
A place to reconnect with inner peace
For Diana, this space became a safe haven during her DSE preparation period. "Schools and study rooms are always filled with a strong sense of competition, but this place feels completely different,” she shared. JC LevelMind hub is a space co‑designed by young people and truly belongs to them. Here, Diana could eat and drink freely, chat with friends when she felt tired from studying, or curl up on a comfortable sofa to rest and reflect. “Some students who are particularly good at certain subjects would even take the initiative to help others revise,” Diana said with a smile. This peer‑support approach brought warmth to what might otherwise have been a dull and exhausting revision process. On one occasion, when she felt uncertain about subject choices and upcoming interviews, a social worker did not take her into a counselling room. Instead, they sat beside her while she was having snacks, chatting like friends. The social worker listened attentively, offered gentle suggestions, and helped her ease her anxiety and adjust her mindset. This kind of quiet, unobtrusive emotional support became a harbour where Diana could feel safe and at ease. “It is a very free and pressure‑free space,” she said.
Beyond offering a comfortable environment, JC LevelMind also encourages young people to co-create and lead a wide range of wellness enhancement activities, which include moments for rest and re‑energising, emotional awareness, self‑understanding and peer sharing. Through interaction, young people meet like‑minded peers, support one another and grow together. At the same time, the Project engages peer youth workers who, through their similar age and shared experiences, offer support and companionship to young people along the way.
Through shared journeys, this place sustains its warmth
Jodie later became active participants in the wellness activities offered at JC LevelMind. During a “Career Library” event, she met working professionals from different fields and gradually came to realise that the definition of success is far broader than she had once imagined.
“Success is not defined by getting into a prestigious university. There is more than one path forward, and every field has its own strengths. The future holds endless possibilities,” she reflected. This realisation helped Jodie rediscover her confidence. Today, she not only serves as a “Mental Health Ambassador” at her university, but also sits on the JC LevelMind@Community Youth Advisory Committee. Drawing on her own experience, she now takes part in promoting youth mental well‑being, passing on the warmth and support she once received to others who are still finding their way. “I hope that in the future, I can help more people see their own value,” Jodie said, “rather than defining themselves solely by exam results or salary.”
For Diana, who regards JC LevelMind hub as a mental oasis, university life has already begun. Despite a demanding academic workload, she continues to return to the space to unwind, often inviting equally busy classmates to join her and share brief moments of rest and recovery together.
This comfortable and self‑directed space has become a long‑term source of emotional energy for young people. Here, they can move at their own pace, practise mutual support, slow down and recharge together. Through companionship and shared moments, they rediscover their own rhythm and sense of value.
Did you know?
JC LevelMind is committed to empowering young people’s mental well‑being through an integrated ‘community–school–online’ service model, providing one‑stop, youth‑centric, always-on support. It also creates diverse platforms and opportunities to ensure young people’s voices, ideas and creativity meaningfully shape the development of the Project. Unlike traditional one‑way, lecture-style approaches, the Project equips the social workers with systematic training in a three‑tier mental wellness support model, enabling early identification and timely response to young people’s needs at different stages. In addition to organising mental wellness and stress‑relief activities, the Project also offers low‑intensity, evidence‑based interventions and case management for young people experiencing higher levels of mental distress, helping to prevent the escalation of issues.
Young people can visit 45 youth‑friendly JC LevelMind hub across all 18 districts in Hong Kong to rest, connect with Youth Mental Wellness Fellows, or engage in a wide range of wellness-focused activities. The Project has also established student‑co‑created JC LevelMind Hubs and Student Wellness Clubs across 130 secondary schools, complemented by mental wellness self‑management training for both students and teachers. In addition, the Project collaborates with the Jockey Club Online Youth Emotional Support Programme “Open Up”, and the JC LevelMind eClinic to provide always-on seamless online and offline service, ensuring that young people can receive mental health services at any time and in whichever manner they prefer.
Anissa Wong says, “Finding what you are passionate about and doing your best with it – that’s success.”