Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong

Children with special educational needs (SEN) face obstacles in their lives, their studies and their overall development. Their parents also face a number of difficulties, since, on top of helping their children address these obstacles, they also face misunderstandings in terms of public perception. To help showcase the talents of students with SEN to the public, Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong and Hang Seng Bank, our corporate partner, recently joined hands to introduce an artistic balloon twisting programme that promotes social inclusion.

Through continuous education and publicity campaigns by some government departments, people now understand more about SEN students and are more caring and understanding in general. To help these children better integrate into society, we are now focusing on boosting their self-confidence. We believe that balloon twisting is an excellent way of giving SEN students new skills that will allow them to pursue their dreams.

At Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong’s Wong Chuen King Student Development Centre, we provide assessment and treatment training for SEN students. In 2016, we began our partnership with Heng Sang Bank, introducing a creative new initiative to improve the concentration, coordination and communication skills of students with special education needs.

Last year, we organised large-scale exhibitions in shopping malls to display the work of young SEN students, giving these children opportunities to demonstrate their strengths in a public occasion. Also, considering the importance of early intervention, we have extended our services to a number of primary schools, thanks to assistance from the government’s Partnership Fund for the Disadvantaged, to help SEN students improve as early as possible and unleash their talents at the same time.

In addition to special training to enhance students’ concentration and on top of providing professional therapy, this term we also brought some secondary students with SEN to Taiwan to take part in the Taiwan International Balloon Art Competition, giving them the opportunity to showcase their talents while boosting their self-confidence. This event also gave the public an opportunity to interact with SEN students and gain a better understanding of what SEN entails.

We also plan to cooperate with universities to conduct studies that evaluate the effectiveness of this service in the near future.

Mei Tong is a secondary school graduate of the Hang Seng – YMCA Balloon Twisting Programme. She was diagnosed with dyslexia in Form One after she experienced great difficulties with writing. “I lost my confidence due to my poor academic performance. After that, I started to feel worthless and questioned myself, as I just couldn’t write properly.”

After seeking assistance from a social worker and a teacher, Mei Tong was introduced to the Balloon Twisting Programme and began to learn balloon arts from scratch. Last summer, she went to Taiwan with seven other students to represent Hong Kong at the Taiwan International Balloon Art Competition, managing to win the ‘Outstanding Award’. She tells us that balloon twisting improved her confidence immensely, and now, as the Chairperson of the Balloon Twisting Society, Mei Tong actively participates in balloon modelling and the arrangement of important activities at her school.

The balloon twisting programme gave Mei Tong a sense of accomplishment and achievement, and her teachers and parents are also happy and relieved at the improvements she has made. By encouraging Mei Tong to pursue her interests, her confidence has been rebuilt and along with it, her emotional competence has developed.

Since its inception, the programme has helped more than 550 students from 58 secondary schools and 11 primary schools. Looking forward, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the Hong Kong University of Education have been invited to conduct pre- and post-programme evaluations on participating students, parents and teachers. The assessments cover the impact of learning balloon twisting on SEN students, and the assessment data collected will be used to support and improve the content of the programme so as to develop and sustain the programme in the future.

Coming up, we plan to take SEN students to Japan to participate in the International Balloon Art Competition this May, offering them further opportunities to broaden their knowledge and show off their team spirit.

To learn more about the Hang Seng – YMCA Balloon Twisting Programme, please click here .

For enquiries please call: 2217 8813

Many people in Hong Kong, including you and me, have been affected by the city’s social tensions in recent months. If you are feeling overwhelmed and are looking to express your emotional pressure in a healthy way to cheer up yourself, your family and your friends, then please join us for the "Community Empathy Course” organised by the Human Library of Hong Kong. Clinical psychologists and counsellors will share tips and experiences to help students who feel trapped or upset to manage their stress.

For more details and online registration please click here
For enquiries please call: 2783 3431

The Lunar New Year is approaching. If you are looking for a place that can accommodate a number of people for a healthy and happy gathering, why not visit our Wu Kwai Sha Youth Village on the third day of Chinese New Year for our open day! The day will feature a number of new and emerging sports and parent-child activities including Mölkky, crate climbing, Flyball, Pickleball, giant trampolines, ceramics and a “handicraft playground”. In addition to these events, there will also be a flea market and several performances. Admission is free, and everyone is welcome to join us with their friends and family!

Wu Kwai Sha Youth Village Open Day 2020
Date: 27 January 2020 (Monday)
Time: 10 am to 4 pm
Venue: 2 On Chun Street, Ma On Shan, Sha Tin, New Territories
Enquiry: 2642 9420