HONG KONG, CHINA - Media OutReach - 9 October 2020 - ThePrize Presentation Ceremony of the second "Social Innovation · Community 4.0"Competition, supported by Citi Foundation and organized by the Hong KongCouncil of Social Service (HKCSS), was held today. Officiating the ceremony wereMr. Caspar Tsui Ying Wai, JP, Secretary for Home Affairs, HKSAR; Mr. Wayne Fong, Headof Corporate Affairs, Citi Hong Kong; and Mr. Chua HoiWai, Chief Executive of the HKCSS. Also attending were representativesof the competition's partners, supporting organisations, teachers and studentsfrom the finalist teams.  Fourteen prototypeswere showcased forguests attending the ceremony.

The winning entry "Easy Food Waste", developed by a team from theTrue Light Girls' College, aims at raising awareness of food waste management andimproving hygiene in Kowloon City district. Theproject includes a recycling machine with a six-month period of experimentationand evaluation to develop the machine's capabilities, and a three-monthtraining period to enable the eight participating restaurants to perfect usingit. The winning team will join a HKCSS-organized tourto visit a clusterof innovative start-ups and social enterprises inBali next year.

The "Social Innovation · Community 4.0" Competition isopen to all secondary schools in Hong Kong and was first launched last year forthe Central and Western district. This year Kowloon City district was theselected neighbourhood. Through experiential learning in the community andcomprehensive training in design thinking, technology, and prototype making, aswell as interaction with local citizens in the district with the support of the District Office and NGOs in the area, participating students were challenged to identify a community issue and come up with solutionsto address it. Despite the pandemic, 35 teams from 28 secondary schoolssubmitted their proposals. Fourteen teams were invited to produce prototypeswhich were exhibited to the public at the Ko Shan Theatre from July 11 - 13 andthrough an online exhibitionstarting from today.

Mr. Caspar Tsui, JP,Secretary for Home Affairs said, "During thecompetition, students had the chance to get involved in local communities andlearn more about them from different perspectives through taking part in workshopsand site visits. Such experiences helped them deepen their understanding of thedaily lives of local residents as well as government policies. The world isever changing, presenting us with new challenges. Our society is also facing anumber of challenges in areas such as population, economy, housing andenvironment. We need caring and empathetic young people with a strong sense ofresponsibility to strive for the well-being of Hong Kong by making use ofinnovation and technology. I hope all participants, whether you win or not,will continue to bring positive energy into society by caring for our communitywith love and demonstrating your spirit of innovation in the days to come.Together we will make a better Hong Kong."

Mr. Wayne Fong, Head of Corporate Affairs, Citi Hong Kong, said, "Citi Foundation has been supportinginitiatives that improve youth employability and promote sustainability. Thisprogram emphasizes exploring, understanding, learning and creative thinking, andoffers participants a taste of social invention which is a great nurturingexperience for the students. This program creates aninvaluable platform for our future generations to explore personalinterests and pave the way for them to get involved in the creation andenhancement of communities."

Mr. Chua,Chief Executive of the HKCSS said, "Thecompetition aims to provide a chance for teachers and students to learn and think out of the box, apply STEM and design thinking skills, interact withresidents, and solve community problems in Kowloon City district. Though the pandemic this year increased the difficulties of the competitionand limited the chance for local visits, the students were able to completetheir projects using different methods, which demonstrated their perseveranceand innovation. To observe social distancing requirements, some activities ofthe competition had to go online. Special thanks are extended to all ourcommunity partners, who enabled more than 100 local residents from grassrootsfamilies, social housing and elderly centres to participate in online CommunityTrial. In this unexpected way, social innovation was brought to the community. Itprovided incentives for NGOs to teach and residents to use online communicationsoftware to share their views to the students. In return, residents have toldus that this experience greatly enhanced their confidence to use online servicesin the future. "

Some of theprototypes were tested in the community in September this year. Residents in Kowloon City district were engaged to interact with students from a user's perspective, in order to improvethe feasibility and convenience of the prototypes. The third "SocialInnovation · Community 4.0" Competition will be open for applications inNovember, and the focal district will be North District.

About HKCSS

The HKCSS is an umbrellaorganisation of about 480 agency members that provideover 90% of the social welfare services in Hong Kong.  HKCSS launched theCaring Company Scheme in 2002 to build a cohesive society by promotingstrategic partnership among business and social service partners and inspiringcorporate social responsibility through caring for the community, employees andthe environment.  HKCSS puts much effort in building capacity of social enterprisesthrough the Social Enterprise Business Centre (SEBC) to advance socialentrepreneurship and mobilize social innovation.

Additionalinformation may be found at www.hkcss.org.hk |

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About Citi Foundation

The Citi Foundation works to promoteeconomic progress and improve the lives of people in low-income communitiesaround the world. We invest in efforts that increase financial inclusion,catalyze job opportunities for youth, and reimagine approaches to buildingeconomically vibrant cities. The Citi Foundation's "More than Philanthropy"approach leverages the enormous expertise of Citi and its people to fulfil ourmission and drive thought leadership and innovation. For more information,visit www.citifoundation.com