Strive and Rise mentoring scheme found to give needy Hong Kong students a lift in financial planning skills, self-confidence and sense of belonging
- In a bid to boost their social mobility, 2,800 Form One to Three students, mostly living in subdivided flats, were enrolled in first round of programme
- An evaluation of the programme found that students made improvements in all eight targeted aspects
A mentorship scheme designed to lift underprivileged Hong Kong pupils out of poverty has helped them improve in all eight targeted aspects, with notable progress in financial planning skills, self-confidence and sense of belonging, the city’s No 2 official has said.
Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki, who supervises the Strive and Rise Programme, also revealed on Friday that more mainland China exchanges would be organised for the second cohort, expected to be 4,000 students, about 43 per cent more than the 2,800 in the first round.
“The progress the students have made aligns with the objectives we set in the 2022 policy address, which truly encourages us,” Chan said, referring to the government’s goal of ensuring no less than 70 per cent of pupils made improvements through the scheme.
“I hope the programme can continue, with the goal of covering a cumulative total of 12,000 students by 2025-26.”
The first round of the programme – a collaboration between the government, business sector and the community – enrolled 2,800 Form One to Three students, mostly living in subdivided flats, in a bid to boost their social mobility.
From October 2022 to November last year, each young person was assigned a mentor and received HK$10,000 (US$1,278) throughout the programme, which included mandatory courses as well as optional classes and tours. The students decided how they used the money.