Media

The Jockey Club “Play n Gain” Project (the Project), will organise a result announcement online symposium, Social-emotional learning through play: Helping children stay connected in times of challenges, on February 22, 2022 (Tuesday) for early childhood educators and parents of young children. The Project is implemented by the Centre for Advancement in Inclusive and Special Education (CAISE), Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong (HKU) and funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. The pre-recorded opening address will be conducted by the Guest of Honour, Mrs Chan Siu Suk-fan, Deputy Secretary, Education Bureau, HKSAR.

The two keynote speeches of the symposium will highlight the importance of interactive play in children’s learning and health. Professor Nirmala Rao, Serena H C Yang Professor in Early Childhood Development and Education, Academic Unit of Human Communication, Development, and Information Sciences, Faculty of Education, HKU, will deliver a speech entitled Supporting playful learning in the early years: Challenges and opportunities in the COVID-19 era. She will discuss the pandemic’s impact on children’s leisure and learning activities and provide suggestions as to how schools can continue to engage their children in learning and how parents can be supported to facilitate play at home. Another keynote titled Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on socio-emotional development of children: Challenges and opportunities, will be delivered by Dr Patrick Ip, Paediatrician, Clinician Scientist and Clinical Associate Professor at HKU with expertise in Child Health and Development and the President of The Hong Kong Paediatric Society. Speaking from a paediatrician’s perspective, he will also explain the role of quality parent-child interactive play among other factors in building children’s resilience during the pandemic.

The symposium will also feature three workshops with the following themes:

• How to use games as an intervention for enhancing parent-child communication and relationship
• Practical ideas for fostering home-school collaboration and playful teaching with school-based examples of play education practices
• How social play interactions can break boundaries and bring people together

Members of the media are invited to cover the event. Details are as follows: 

Date:   February 22, 2022 (Tuesday)
Time:  10:30 am – 4:30 pm (Symposium)
            4:30 pm - 5:00 pm (press interview, by appointment)
           (Available interviewees: Dr Sylvia Liu (Project Director), Ms Denise Poon (Parent Education in-charge),
           Ms Phoebe Hui (Teacher Professional Development in-charge),
          Ms Cecilia Lee (Community in-charge), school representatives (Principal/ teacher and parent ambassador) and community ambassadors)
Language:   Cantonese (English with Chinese subtitles for Keynote Speech One)
Mode:   Online
Registration and rundown:   https://www.jcplayngain.edu.hku.hk/symp2022?lang=en

To learn more about the Project, the upcoming play education activities and community workshops, please visit www.jcplayngain.edu.hku.hk and its Facebook page.

For media enquiries, please contact Ms Virginia Cheung, Jockey Club “Play n Gain” Project (Tel: 3917 5828 / Email: vcvc@hku.hk), or Ms Emily Cheung, Senior Manager (Development and Communications), Faculty of Education, HKU (Tel: 3917 4270 / Email: emchy@hku.hk).