Instant messaging 'helpline' for Hong Kong teens in crisis
Education today is concerned with "whole-person development", and positive psychology, with its emphasis on "wellness", is an element of modern education frameworks. So, too, for the KELY Support Group, which has been providing Hong Kong youth and families with drug and alcohol abuse prevention and intervention programmes for 23 years, through direct services and in partnership with schools.
Sky Siu, acting executive director, explains: "KELY cares about how drug- and alcohol-related issues affect the development of young people in Hong Kong and so our programmes and services are designed to tackle the root causes of potential drug and alcohol abuse. These include low self-esteem, depression, boredom, and peer pressure.
"Our programmes and services provide a holistic, positive approach including elements of peer support, mentorship and leadership development to build young people's core competence and resilience as they face various challenges in their teen years."
Two recent initiatives demonstrate the practical application of aspects of whole-person development and wellness theory. Part of the wellness ethos is a focus on the transcendent, such as cultivating an appreciation of beauty and excellence. KELY's fashion-mentoring programme "Seeing the Possibilities", undertaken last year at Sir Ellis Kadoorie School, incorporates this focus alongside employment-skills development as part of a long-term capacity-building programme.
Lacking employment opportunities and self-awareness, unemployed youth are more likely to turn to drugs as an escape from depression, boredom or anxiety. Victoria Wong, communications and development coordinator at KELY, says: "As a way of broadening the vision of our youth, Seeing the Possibilities provides a way for local Chinese-speaking and ethnic minority youth to work with mentors within their own communities as a means to develop life goals through fashion, arts and event-planning training. By equipping students with such skills, this programme aims to motivate youth to set goals that are most suited to their needs and utilise these learned assets as the foundation to prepare for a bright future."
The mentorship programme concluded with a fashion show last December, judged by local and international fashion experts.
Just as wellness programming involves self-expression and creativity, it also stresses the development of resilience, temperance and personal leadership. The recently launched Talk2Me IM (instant messaging) "helpline" is another strategy that the KELY Support Group has developed to assist students in overcoming difficulties and helping them find their way through difficult situations or feelings of ennui.