HKJC-backed CoolThink@JC Competition crowns young digital innovators

Hong Kong primary school students showcased their digital creativity at the grand final of the ninth CoolThink@JC Competition, held today at City University of Hong Kong. The event, organized by CoolThink@JC and funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, saw King’s College Old Boys’ Association Primary School No.2 win the “App Inventor” category, while St Mary’s Canossian School triumphed in the “Scratch” category.

This year’s competition drew over 120 teams, with 40 advancing to the finals and eight competing for top honors. Finalists presented their app designs to judges from the education, IT, and business sectors, demonstrating innovative solutions to everyday problems.

Awards were presented by Tony Wong, Commissioner for Digital Policy of the HKSAR Government’s Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau, and Winnie Ying, Head of Charities (Youth Development & Poverty Alleviation) at The Hong Kong Jockey Club.

Ying praised the students’ ingenuity, highlighting the club’s commitment to fostering computational thinking and creativity among young learners. Since its launch in 2016, CoolThink@JC has reached 100,000+ students and trained 2,000+ teachers, aligning with the government’s push for digital education. The initiative complements other STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) programs supported by the Trust to prepare students for the 21st-century workforce.

Beyond the competition, students will join exchange programs with mainland Chinese schools this summer to promote cross-border collaboration in computational thinking and AI education. Additionally, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed last month with Cambodia’s Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport to adapt the CoolThink@JC curriculum in Cambodian primary schools, expanding access to quality digital education.

Developed by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust in partnership with The Education University of Hong Kong, MIT, and City University of Hong Kong, CoolThink@JC has earned international acclaim, including awards at the 2021 QS Reimagine Education Awards. The program’s materials have also been integrated into the Hong Kong Education Bureau’s innovation and technology curriculum.

The club’s support for CoolThink@JC is made possible through its unique business model, combining horse racing and responsible wagering to fund community initiatives.