Spirit of Hong Kong Awards: Local charity JUST FEEL uses creative games to help schoolchildren discover their emotions
- Founders aims to transform communication culture in schools to enhance students’ well-being
- Charity’s programmes are based on compassionate communication and social emotional learning
Feelings such as joy and anger can be expressed in words. Thoughts running through one’s mind may also be depicted in colourful sketches and communicated in other creative ways.
Hong Kong charity JUST FEEL has devised a range of games and communication tools, such as flash cards centred on feelings and needs, to help schoolchildren discover their emotions and connect with others.
The team, founded by Matthew Kwok Tsz-lok, Raymond Yang Sze-ngai and Anthony Ngai King-kwok in 2018, aims to transform the communication culture in schools to enhance students’ emotional well-being.
The charity also works with teachers and parents, with a view to empower those who have the greatest influence on pupils’ growth.
“[Me and my co-founders] are all interested in education,” Ngai said. “We go to different schools to provide our services.”
JUST FEEL’s programmes and products are based on two theories, namely compassionate communication and social emotional learning.
The theories suggest that through learning and practising compassionate communication, students can gradually develop empathy and establish positive relationships.
Social emotional learning is defined as a process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply knowledge, skills and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals.
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Co-founder Kwok said his team hoped to help parents and teachers, as well as students, express themselves better.
Team member Belle Tam Lok-lam said the group and partner schools aimed to create a culture of empathy at schools.
“We hope to nurture a more healthy mind among children,” she said.
The annual event, co-organised by the South China Morning Post and property developer Sino Group, celebrates the achievements of remarkable people whose endeavours may otherwise go unnoticed.
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Arnold Chan Kwan-yeung, the founder and executive chair of Teach For Hong Kong, a non-governmental organisation, recommended JUST FEEL for the Spirit of Teamwork Award, which recognises businesses and groups embracing their role as socially responsible corporate citizens and giving back to society.
Over the years JUST FEEL has supported and trained about 6,100 teachers, and served 5,500 parents, with around 12,700 students benefiting from its services.
While working with core partner The D.H. Chen Foundation, the group also received support from the Jebsen Group Charitable Fund, Keswick Foundation and Yeh Family Philanthropy.
JUST FEEL co-founder Yang said the group attached importance to helping educators and parents acquire basic communication skills to build a good relationship with their children.
Fellow team member Sarita Chan Wan-kee said the group had continued to improve its communication tools to meet the needs of schools and families.
