Focus on strengths, create excellence through diversity, and create a new generation of young people with AI

Caritas St. Joseph Secondary School is a Catholic school that firmly believes that every student is gifted by God and has unique talents and potentials. However, not all students' strengths can be fully explored in primary school. Therefore, starting from the first day of secondary school, the school uses systematic career planning education to guide students to gradually understand themselves and explore their interests, and create multiple opportunities in classroom learning and extracurricular activities to allow them to explore and develop their personal strengths. Principal Cheung Mei Mei emphasized that the school hopes to help students build self-confidence, establish self-worth, and gradually build their own development path through strategic cultivation, training them to become a new generation of youth who love service, love learning, and have leadership (Loving, Learning, Leading) in the AI ​​era.

Adhere to "strength-based" and integrate cross-domain thinking training

The school adheres to the concept of "strength-based" and offers "after-school independent learning classes" for junior high school students. It provides about 30 special trainings every Monday to Thursday, covering music, sports, art, creative technology, Chinese and other fields. The curriculum designs systematic training based on students’ interests and development intentions, and actively arranges for them to participate in off-campus competitions and activities. Principal Cheung Mei Mei pointed out: "Students may not win at the starting line, but through targeted strength training, they can effectively improve their self-confidence and self-worth. This is the core gain. Since the implementation of the course, the number of students participating in off-campus competitions and winning awards has increased significantly. In the 2024-2025 school year, there will be more than 300 participants throughout the year, and a total of more than 130 awards have been awarded. The results are remarkable."

While cultivating interests and talents, the course incorporates cross-domain thinking training, such as using design thinking principles to guide students to understand audience needs and environmental constraints, and integrate ethics and objective conditions into creation. Take the artificial intelligence fashion design course as an example. On the one hand, students use their design creativity, and on the other hand, they use AI tools to materialize concepts. In conjunction with the "Elderly Academy" program, students are arranged to learn AI together with the elders, listen to their voices, and design clothing that is rich in the life stories of the elders. In November last year, the school held a unique artificial intelligence fashion show in Discovery Park, Tsuen Wan, to showcase learning achievements and reflect the spirit of inclusiveness between young and old. This course integrates STEAM education, artistic creation, value cultivation and Catholic charity spirit, while training soft skills such as collaboration and communication, allowing students to apply what they have learned in real situations.

AI empowered teaching interdisciplinary collaboration

The school actively promotes digital education, integrating different subject knowledge and values education in the form of cross-disciplinary collaboration, making AI an "Assistant Instrument" to improve learning and teaching effectiveness. For example, the Chinese Department and the Innovation and Technology Department collaborated to promote "AI Classical Chinese Comic Creation". After students read classical Chinese texts in depth, they used AI to generate four-frame or eight-frame cartoons to deepen their understanding and interest in learning. The Science Department implemented the "Artificial Intelligence Raising Beetle Life Education Program", in which each Form 1 student raised a beetle, recorded growth data through a camera and used AI for big data analysis to explore its health status and growth predictions. The History Department used online resources to allow students to talk to AI virtual veterans to deepen their emotional resonance with historical events. In addition, in order to take care of learning differences, teachers make good use of AI to design layered worksheets to match the abilities and progress of different students. Through AI learning assistants, teaching becomes more lively and interesting, which not only improves learning motivation, but also guides students to use AI correctly as an after-school independent learning tool, extending learning periods and cultivating lifelong learning abilities.

Talented Education Program to open up a bright future

The school participates in the "Caritas VPM Education Program" and implements the three cores of Vocational, Professional and Moral, and launches the "Artificial Intelligence Fashion Design Education Program". There are fashion design courses at the junior high school level, and applied learning elective courses at the high school level for students interested in this field to study in depth. Students also receive support from tertiary institutions and local clothing brands. Students learn AI application software and visit clothing companies' stores, back-office offices and mainland factories to understand the actual operations of the industry. The curriculum also incorporates moral education, emphasizing environmental protection and sustainable development, such as organizing the "Ageing for the Elderly" fashion exhibition and eco-friendly second-hand fashion design activities. Through this program, students not only acquire professional skills and industry knowledge, but also cultivate values ​​such as gratitude and empathy, laying a solid foundation for future development.

Improve your English ability in multiple ways and dare to use English confidently

In order to improve students' English proficiency, the school has been investing a lot of resources to improve students' English proficiency in multiple and flexible ways and create a relaxed learning atmosphere. The school has hired three more foreign English teachers to increase daily English interaction opportunities for students; it has also set up English musical theater training, providing no less than 30 hours of professional training to all junior high school students, and public performances inside and outside the school every year to build confidence in using English; at the same time, it has internationalized other learning experiences and hired foreign tutors to lead activities such as dance, cooking, yoga, improvisation, etc., so that students can use English naturally in fun.

For students with strong English proficiency, the school offers enrichment classes and provides training for TOEFL, IELTS and other international examinations, taking into account proficiency assessment and career planning. In addition, the school implements "Independent Learning English Study Tours", where students plan their own itineraries and design English tasks (such as visiting universities, visiting local citizens, etc.), and the school provides assistance and support from local tour guides to cultivate independent planning abilities. The school also sets up a scholarship to sponsor a high school student every year to attend an 8-week English course at an Australian language school to promote students' motivation to continue learning English.

Organize uniform teams to promote whole-person development

The school cultivates students' discipline, care and sense of responsibility through diversified uniform teams and social service activities. All Form 1 freshmen participate in Scout training, cultivating perseverance, cooperation spirit and a sense of campus belonging through discipline training and team life; students from Form 2 onwards can choose to join uniformed teams such as the Scouts, Junior Police Call, and Immigration Department Youth Leadership Group based on their interests.

In addition, the caring community service team established by the school regularly participates in community services, such as visiting elderly people living alone, and cooperating with social welfare organizations during festivals to make glutinous rice balls or rice dumplings for neighbors. Students have accumulated a wealth of service hours and participated in related recognition programs outside the school. Over the years, they have won the Hong Kong Volunteer Gold Award, Silver Award and the Hong Kong Outstanding Service Student Award. These experiences significantly enhance students’ self-confidence, self-discipline, perseverance and social responsibility.

Strategic career planning to realize personal value

The school has been implementing systematic career planning education since then, with the goal of helping students successfully enter higher education after six years. The school's enrollment rate in local universities has increased significantly in the past four years. The key lies in the school's long-term cultivation of students' language skills, activity experience, social experience and thinking skills, which comprehensively improves students' growth value and interview performance.

為照顧學習多樣性，學校提供多元升學策略：學術能力優秀者可透過 DSE 考試或校長推薦計劃升讀大學；中游學生可在高中修讀明愛中學開辦的「實用資訊通訊科技文憑」，考試達標後可獲資歷架構第三級認證，有利報讀專上學院高級文憑課程；有職專意向的學生可參加「微證書」課程，如山藝、桌遊、護理員培訓，裝備一技之長並培養持續進修的積極態度。透過以上全方位培育，學校致力確保每位學生都能找到適合自己的出路，實現大學夢，體現個人價值與社會貢獻。