Jockey Club’s JC YUP holds showcase to celebrate youth-led accomplishments

Secondary school students from across Hong Kong confidently took to the stage to share their “Proud Moments” — how they learn through youth-led challenges and achieve goals alongside their peers — at the recent “Say YUP! Proud Moment Showcase”, in a celebration of resilience and growth.

The event was held under JC YUP, an initiative created and funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust with a donation of over HK$440 million. The project – launched last year and comprising three phases – aims to support secondary school students at three critical development junctures in the transition from school to work, helping them build confidence, resilience and life skills. It is one of the five youth development initiatives supported by the Trust under a HK$1.4 billion commitment announced in celebration of the Club’s 140th anniversary last year, which also aligns with the goals of the Government's Youth Development Blueprint. The five-year project is expected to be piloted in 50 secondary schools and benefit 30,000 students.

Through JC YUP, the Club hopes to identify effective evidence-based approaches that enable community resources to be deployed more strategically and achieve sustainable impact. By supporting youngsters at key developmental milestones, the initiative seeks to foster positive development trajectories and create greater opportunities for upward mobility over the long term.

The event brought together students from 16 secondary schools as well as school representatives and NGO partners to share their experiences, learning journeys from self-initiated challenges and achievements from the past year. Some of the youngsters spoke of leading small projects for the first time, others of conquering personal hurdles they once thought insurmountable. The showcase illustrated the mission of JC YUP in action: every youngster’s proud moment reflected not only individual effort, but also the collective effort of those around them, and the proud moments these youngsters created will become a driving force in their growth journey. The students’ stories served as a reminder that upward mobility is not just an abstract concept, but a lived experience made possible through vision, investment and collaboration.

In addition to funding, the Club supported the project by organising a one-week career exploration and internship programme in June for five Form 4 students from JC YUP participating schools. Hosted by various divisions across the Club, the students gained first-hand exposure to a wide range of functions, workplace environments and career pathways.

Nurturing children and youth in families is one of the priority areas of the Club’s charities strategy. Over the years, the Club has initiated and supported a wide range of programmes that empower young people to realise their potential and contribute as active citizens. One example is CLAP@JC, which has raised the professional standards and service quality of career and life development education and services. Meanwhile, 21C@JC has transformed youth service in the digital era, and JC LevelMind provides “Always On” mental well-being support services. 

The Club has also supported the HKSAR Government’s annual youthfest@HK for four consecutive years. The festival features a wide range of activities designed to bring young people together and to inspire in them hope for the future. Additionally, the Club has supported the HKSAR Government’s Strive and Rise Programme for over three consecutive years. The programme helps young people from underprivileged backgrounds broaden their horizons, strengthen their self-confidence and set goals for the future.