Service-Learning Subject
APSS2S05 Promotion of Children and Adolescent Development
Award
The subject is the Gold Winner for the category of sustainability award in the Wharton-QS Stars Reimagine Education Awards 2018 for its success in combining formal academic study and community service to enhance students’ sustainable learning and social responsibility.
In 2018, the Leadership and Intrapersonal Development (LIPD) Team of APSS has been honoured with the 2018 University Grants Committee (UGC) Teaching Award in recognition of the Team’s remarkable contributions to teaching and learning in offering the leadership subjects including the above.
Objectives
The objectives of the subject are to :
- To give a brief overview of different perspectives on child and adolescent development, needs and challenges of children and adolescents living in disadvantaged circumstances to students through design and implementation of service project.
- To enhance students’ competencies of problem-solving, decision making, communication and team work and self-leadership.
- To cultivate the positive values and strengths orientation among students.
- To nurture students' sense of social responsibility, social awareness and promote prosocial behaviors.
- To nurture students’ sense of care and compassion towards other people in the community, especially towards underprivileged children and adolescents.
Service Targets
Students will be required to provide care and service in one of the following service settings :
| Offering Semester | Collaborative Partners | Service Location | Service Targets |
| S12 |
Society of Boys’ Centres http://www.sbc.org.hk/ |
Hong Kong | Children and adolescents with social and emotional problems |
| Project WeCan http://www.wharfholdings.com/eng/about_overview_corporate_wecan_aboutproject.html |
Hong Kong | Children and adolescents with lower academic achievements and limited exposure | |
| S23 | Zhejiang University 浙江大學 http://www.zju.edu.cn/ |
Hangzhou | Children and adolescents living in underprivileged circumstances such as poverty, new immigrant families, single-parent families, etc. |
Service-Learning Project
Students are divided into small groups according to their backgrounds, disciplines and interests to plan for and implement a service project. Students are required to utilize their knowledge and skills learned in this subject as well as their disciplines in service planning. The tentative schedule for direct service delivery and type of services are listed below for reference :
| Offering Semester | Location | Tentative Schedule for Direct Service | Type of Services |
| S12 | Hong Kong | *Throughout Semester One and Two (Serving on some weekends or weeknights may be expected) | Develop a meaningful learning curriculum for children and adolescents in Hong Kong |
| S23 | Hangzhou | #Around 10 days in summer term (tentatively in late June – early July 2021) | Develop and implement educational and supportive service (such as summer camps, cultural activities, classes, etc) for the children and adolescents in Hangzhou |
Tentative Schedule
The tentative schedule for this 2-semester subject is as below:
| 1st Term |
|
| 2nd Term |
|
*Actual schedule depends on agency needs, instructor’s plan and discussion with students.
#Actual schedule for direct service delivery in Mainland China depends on the arrangement of the collaborated partners and will be announced by the instructors in due course.
Outbound Trips and Fees
As the service targets for the subject offered in Semester Two and Summer Term are resided in Hangzhou, students are required to travel to the site and stay for around 10 days in summer term for delivery of service. Despite the availability of financial support from the University, students are required to pay a non-refundable outbound fee of HK$1,500 (subject to revision) to cover part of the expenses for the outbound trips such as airfare and accommodation expenses etc.
Scholarship
The best student taking the subject in Semester One and Two with local services will receive HK$5,000 scholarship funded by Wofoo Foundation.
Student Feedback
Please click here for students’ sharing for local trips.
Please click here for students’ sharing for non-local trips.
Eligibility
Full-time 4-year degree students are eligible to take the subject. Students enrolling the subject in Semester Two and Summer Term with non-local services should possess intermediate level of Putonghua for effective delivery of services in Mainland China.
Pre-requisite Requirement
Nil
Enquiry
| Academic Enquiry | Service Location | Telephone | Office | |
| Dr Jocelyn Lin | Hong Kong | 2766 7740 | GH416 | jocelyn.lin@polyu.edu.hk |
| Dr Lu Yu | Hangzhou | 2766 4859 | HJ430 | lu.yu@polyu.edu.hk |
| Academic Enquiry | Telephone | Office | |
| General Office (APSS) | 2766 5773 | HJ402 | ssba@polyu.edu.hk |
URL
[Click here for subject syllabus]
[Click here for ePoster]
