Preface presents Nomad Awards 2024: The First Hong Kong & Greater Bay Area Students’ Technology Competition for AI-Enabled Community Projects
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The youth population holds untapped potential to shape a resilient and technologically advanced society. Equipping them with essential tech knowledge and fostering effective communication skills empowers these budding visionaries to become catalysts of change. The evolving education landscape emphasises nurturing students’ entrepreneurial spirit and integrating technology to navigate the challenges of our digital era.
Imagine a generation of young innovators fearlessly embracing emerging technologies, revolutionising industries while also addressing pressing societal issues. The Nomad Awards Tech Competition 2024 goes beyond theory, encouraging students to make real-life impacts through hands-on application. This unique opportunity enables students in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area to propose tech-driven solutions that contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Driving Innovation with UNESCO Hong Kong Association
Through comprehensive technology training, exposure, and collaboration, students become change-makers, co-creating sustainable technology solutions with positive social impact. The Nomad Awards 2024 celebrates innovation and cultivates a community of young leaders dedicated to making a difference in a future where technology drives positive change.
Nomad Awards 2024 empowers participants to address the 17 SDGs across four industry categories. With interactive engagements, transformative workshops, mentorship programming, and real-world projects, the Nomad Awards create a purposeful journey for students, corporates, and community partners. Together, they forge a path towards positive social impact, embracing the limitless potential of technology.
From Humble Beginnings to Inspiring Communities
While teaching technology knowledge and skill sets to young students remains at the core of Preface’s mission, instilling a sense of purpose in learners’ educational journey. Preface encourages students to apply their knowledge to on-the-ground projects, enabling them to understand the practical implications of what they learn.
Tommie Lo, Founder and CEO of Preface, reminisces about the humble beginnings of their company. With a strong desire to make a difference in their neighbourhood and leverage their technology skills, Preface's students actively sought opportunities to support local businesses near their campus during the challenging times of the COVID pandemic.
A group of talented young students of Preface, aged 9-12, created a "Create Your Own Burger" custom app for a nearby burger shop, ready to lend a helping hand and apply their technological expertise in practical ways. The students developed an app that allowed customers to personalise their burgers by selecting from various buns, vegetables, patties, and secret condiments. The app not only enhanced the visualisation for customers but also served as a confirmation tool for the store owners, minimising wrong orders.
During the collaboration, the young coders learned about the operational challenges faced by the shop owner and proposed innovative solutions through their app. Through pilot testing with real customers, they were able to fine-tune the app and optimise the operation flow, resulting in a smoother and more efficient process. This valuable exchange of knowledge between the students and the shop owner highlighted the power of technology in creating greater value and improving operations. Preface was then invited to present the project at the MIT App Inventor Summit 2019, showcasing learners’ innovative solutions to a wider audience.
Tommie shares, "It was during those early days that we realised the incredible potential within our student community to make a real difference in their neighbourhoods. The inspiring experience motivated us to curate Nomad Awards 2024 to serve as a platform to bring technology solutions to all 18 districts of Hong Kong and the broader GBA, enabling students to create innovative technology solutions, empowering them to be the helping hand their communities need.”
Empowering Students and Nurturing Diverse Experiences
FTLife Insurance, title sponsor and key collaborative partner of the Nomad Awards 2024, emphasises their commitment to creating value beyond insurance. “Our strategic alliance with Preface go beyond insurance, offering customers and their families diverse lifestyle strategically under one of our four Life Pillars of EDUtainment. Highlighting the growing importance of physical and mental wellness, we are proud to promote innovation and creativity while empowering our customers to take control of their health and well-being through the sponsorship and spin-off edutaining activities.” — Denise Au-Yeung, Chief Strategy Officer of FTLife Insurance.
Different from a typical competition, Nomad Awards 2024 provides comprehensive technology training and unique exposure opportunities to participating students. They engage in company visits, and community treasure hunts, and gain access to unlimited online learning resources. These experiences equip them with the necessary communication skills and knowledge to effectively pitch their innovative ideas. Finalists have the chance to pilot their projects later in the year, culminating in a showcase of their projects and sharing of their learning results at a large technology conference in December 2024.
Ready to make a difference through technology?
