In order to raise awareness and attention of Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Education among schools and community partners, the social enterprise WEDO GLOBAL, in collaboration with the Equal Opportunity Commission and Inspiring Girls Hong Kong, co-organized the D&I Education Forum to facilitate mutual learning, dialogues, and collaboration, with the collective goal of creating a more inclusive society.
The forum started with an inspiring panel discussion featuring professionals from various sectors, including (from left in the picture) Ms. Eva WONG, Co-founder of WEDO GLOBAL,
Dr. Jan GUBE, Assistant Professor at the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, EdUHK, Dr. Alice YUK, BBS, JP, CEO of Ebenezer School & Home for the Visually Impaired and Mr. Jonathan LY, Board Member of Inspiring Girls Hong Kong. They shared their valuable insights and past experiences in the fields of education, social welfare, and business, focusing on eliminating unconscious biases and promoting inclusivity.
Dare to Dream: Trusting students is key
To enhance the abilities of diverse students, their mindset plays a crucial role. Unconscious biases and misunderstandings present in society have resulted in difficulties in their education and employment, limiting their opportunities to showcase their talents. This leads to self-doubt and a sense of defeat, hindering them from dreaming big. To overcome these obstacles, Dr. Yuk advises parents and teachers “to trust and have higher expectations for students with diverse learning needs since discouragement from their families can further erode their confidence, making it harder for them to pursue their dreams.” Ms. Wong stressed the importance of “establishing an environment that is conducive to diverse education, gradually breaking down personal, familial, and societal limitations, to support the continuous development of students' diverse learning needs.”
There are multiple ways to establish a diverse and inclusive educational framework. Dr. Gube introduced the “collaborative education approach”, where schools can collaborate with non-governmental organizations or social enterprises to provide students first-hand experiences of different cultures. This helps cultivate empathy and enhance cultural intelligence among students. Additionally, Mr. Ly suggested “inviting professionals from various fields to share their personal experiences with students, providing valuable insights and showcase the diverse possibilities for future careers.”
Cultivating future multicultural leaders
The discussion was followed by the amazing sharing of their diversity and inclusion education strategies from three schools —— Caritas Wu Cheng-chung Secondary School, TWGHs Kap Yan Directors’ College, and St. Teresa Secondary School.
Principal Mr. Au and Vice Principal Mr. Lo from Caritas Wu Cheng-Chung Secondary School shared their tactics of nurturing a global mindset through a “WE-school” approach. Through experiential learning activities such as sports and multicultural events, they bring together students from diverse ethnic backgrounds to build an inclusive school environment. Vice Principal Mr. Lo also discussed the collaboration with WEDO GLOBAL in implementing the “Multicultural and Global-minded Curriculum” educational programme, emphasizing the development of students' international perspectives and growth mindset, with the long-term goal of building an inclusive society.
Principal Yau from TWGHs Kap Yan Directors’ College emphasized the importance of exposing students to multiculturalism from a young age and values education. Through a series of cross-curricular experiential learning activities organized in collaboration with WEDO GLOBAL, including community tour and cultural arts workshop etc, students are provided with opportunities to interact with people from different cultural backgrounds, thereby enhancing their cultural knowledge and sensitivity. The majority of students find these activities inspiring as they gain understanding of the significance of inclusivity.
Together, we strive for “Opportunity for All”
We would like to express our gratitude to representatives from over 60 schools and community partners who participated in the “Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Education Forum”. Together, we explored ways to empower all students, regardless of their cultural backgrounds, ethnicities, or abilities, to create a positive impact in this diverse and interconnected world. We hope that this forum has brought new inspiration and will advance equality and diversity in education, nurturing talents from diverse backgrounds.
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