A Journey into Character Education Christine Ma-Lau Founder, JEMS Learning House Character Day Association Hong Kong

Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education Why Character? Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education – Martin Luther King Jr.

Why Character?

My Two Roles Character Day Association Hong Kong JEMS Learning House Founder & Steering Member Citywide character initiative for schools, companies & organisations JEMS Learning House Founder & Principal Small-group Character Education programmes in English for children up to 12 years old

Established 2009 Goal 12 year olds 2 Partner with parents, schools & charities Raise Junior Excellent Members of Society by building character in future leaders Goal 2 12 year olds 9 character focuses:

Character Framework Identity: personal well-being, solid values and upstanding character Relationships: strong relationship bonds with others that value respect and communication Community: contributing to and enhancing the community around them Identity “At JEMS, a character education learning centre, we focus on covering three main aspects of a person’s development. Firstly, to focus on the individual and help him recognise his uniqueness, to build a strong set of character values and character strengths. Then it moves onto helping the individual build positive relationships with family, friends, peers, classmates etc that are built on respect, communication and a sense of collaboration through teamwork. Lastly, it’s to help individuals see their role in the greater community. Every person is put on earth to make a difference and individuals first need to know the needs of people in the community and then do something to make a difference.” Relationships Community

Partnership with Schools Prefect Training Gifted Education Programme Parenting Talk Extra-Curricular Activities

Established in 2016 by a group of organisations and individuals in the field of Character Education Character Day initiated in USA in 2014 Promoting awareness and activities of Character globally

At a Glance A global event to celebrate character – the qualities that make us who we are and who we want to be in the world On 22nd September 2016 (up to 22nd October 2016) Hong Kong’s character theme for 2016: Gratitude Over 200 participating schools/organisations in Hong Kong

Character Day 2016 Ambassadors (from left to right) Alex Fong, Singer, Actor & holder of Hong Kong swimming records Florence Hui, Under Secretary for Home Affairs Bureau, HKSAR Government Karena Lam, Actress & Singer Lilian Lui, Principal of Yuen Kong Kindergarten Frederick Ma, Chairman of the MTR Corporation Joseph Sung, Vice-Chancellor of the Chinese University of Hong Kong David Yeung, Co-founder & CEO of Green Monday

Character Kit Distributed over 200 Character Kits to participants which included: Posters Video DVD Handbook

Students watching Character Videos

Taking part in Gratitude Activities

Character Day 2016 Participants 44 Kindergartens 62 Primary Schools 44 Secondary Schools 4 Universities 43 Organisations & Companies 3 Small groups Total: 200

When money is lost, nothing is lost. When health is lost, something is lost. When character is lost, everything is lost. - Billy Graham