The grand final of the ninth CoolThink@JC Competition, which encourages primary school students to leverage digital creativity to solve everyday problems, was held today (5 July) at City University of Hong Kong. The team from King’s College Old Boys’ Association Primary School No.2 emerged as the champion in the “App Inventor” category, while the winner of the “Scratch” category was the team from St Mary’s Canossian School.

Organised by CoolThink@JC, a project initiated and funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, this year’s competition attracted more than 120 team entries, with 40 teams advancing to the finals. Among them, eight outstanding teams progressed to the grand final to compete for top honours. Today, the shortlisted teams set up booths to present their app designs and ideas to the public and a judging panel comprising professionals from the education, information technology and business sectors.

Presenting awards at the grand final were Tony Wong, Commissioner for Digital Policy of the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau of the HKSAR Government; and Winnie Ying, Head of Charities (Youth Development & Poverty Alleviation; and Talent & Sector Development) of The Hong Kong Jockey Club.

Speaking at the grand final, Winnie Ying said it was a great honour to witness the innovative ideas presented at the ninth edition of the CoolThink@JC Competition. The event stands as a testament to the Club’s collective efforts in fostering computational thinking and creativity among Hong Kong’s upper primary school students, she added. Since its launch in 2016, CoolThink@JC has reached over 100,000 students and trained more than 2,000 teachers. Together with other Trust-funded STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) education projects, the Club aims to equip students with essential skills required for a 21st-century workforce. It seeks to enhance digital competency among youngsters, aligning with the HKSAR Chief Executive’s Policy Address to promote digital education.

Beyond the competition, students will have the opportunity to participate in exchange activities with Mainland schools this summer through the project’s sister school partnerships. This is aimed at fostering collaboration in computational thinking and artificial intelligence education between the Mainland and Hong Kong, promoting cultural understanding and innovative ideas.

Last month, a Memorandum of Understanding titled “CoolThink@JC × Cambodia Sharing and Exchange Programme” was signed with Cambodia’s Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, which plans to adopt and adapt the CoolThink@JC curriculum in Cambodian primary schools. This partnership aims to ensure equitable access to quality computational thinking education, nurturing future-ready talent in both Hong Kong and Cambodia.

CoolThink@JC is created and funded by the Club’s Charities Trust, co-created by The Education University of Hong Kong, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and City University of Hong Kong. Launched in 2016, the project aims to empower upper primary students with problem-solving and creative skills for the digital age, enabling them to become creators of technology. It has garnered three prestigious international accolades, including the Silver Award in the Engineering & Technology category and the Bronze Award in the Teaching & Learning category at the QS Reimagine Education Awards 2021, as well as an international accreditation from the International Society for Technology in Education—attesting to its significant impact and excellence. It has also reached all publicly-funded primary schools in Hong Kong in 2024. The Education Bureau has adopted and adapted the project’s learning materials for its curriculum modules on innovation and technology education. For more details, please visit: http://www.coolthink.hk/.

The Club’s support for CoolThink@JC, like all its charity and community donations, is made possible by its unique integrated business model through which racing and responsible sports wagering generate substantial tax contributions, charity support and employment opportunities for Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is a world-class racing club that acts continuously for the betterment of society. The Club has a unique integrated business model comprising racing and racecourse entertainment, a membership club, responsible sports wagering and lottery, and charities and community contribution. Through this model, the Club generates economic and social value for the community and supports the HKSAR Government in combatting illegal gambling. In 2023/24, the Club returned a total of HK$40.1 billion to the community. This included HK$29.9 billion to the HKSAR Government in duty, profits tax and Lotteries Fund contributions and HK$10.2 billion in approved charity donations. The Club is Hong Kong’s largest single taxpayer and one of the city’s major employers. Its Charities Trust is one of the world’s leading charity donors.