Visit to Hong Kong
September 05, 2024
This past spring, Denise Porter, Director of School Support Services, and Rebecca Maxcy, Director of UChicago Financial Education Initiative, visited Hong Kong. The trip marked the initial face-to-face meeting of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Financial Education Programme.
Participants included the Hong Kong Jockey Club, which is the project funder, the Education University of Hong Kong, the CoCoon Foundation, and the Hong Kong Family Welfare Society.
The Education University of Hong Kong hosted meetings to discuss the development of a comprehensive program for primary school students in Hong Kong. It was a great day spent brainstorming, collaborating, and discussing the unique experience of students and families in Hong Kong.
The visit included touring three different schools where partners met with administrators, teachers, and students. It was helpful to gain insight into ways the program can support financial education in schools in Hong Kong.
The team was fortunate to be able to observe classrooms to better understand how materials and teaching styles are utilized. This opportunity provided a window into the primary students of Hong Kong, to better understand classroom culture and pedagogy. The use of technology was seamless.
The trip ended with a school briefing, officially announcing the project to teachers and principals across Hong Kong. Interested schools signed up to participate in the field test and larger evaluation project.
The visit to Hong Kong gave UCFEI an awareness of the cultural differences to consider when researching and designing the financial education program for students, teachers, and families.
The trip was extremely valuable and energized all the partners to get started developing the program!