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Jockey Club-funded youth scheme gains international recognition for effectiveness

11/14/2011

The internationally respected Scientific World Journal (Q1) will publish the results of a study that shows the remarkable effectiveness of a youth development programme initiated by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust in building resilience in students and helping them face challenges encountered along the road to adulthood, such as the lure of drugs. This is the first scientifically proven and internationally recognised youth development programme in Chinese communities.

Established in 2005 in collaboration with the Government’s Social Welfare Department, Education Bureau and five universities in Hong Kong, “P.A.T.H.S. to Adulthood: A Jockey Club Youth Enhancement Scheme” is a positive youth development programme for students in Secondary 1 to 3. Over the five academic years 2006/07-2010/11, the Research Team of the project collected data from nearly 6,000 students at 43 schools to track the long-term effectiveness of the Programme.  About half of these students had joined the Tier 1 Programme of P.A.T.H.S., which covers adolescent concerns and their developmental strengths. 

In announcing the findings of the survey on 10 November, P.A.T.H.S. Principal Investigator Professor Daniel Shek noted the Programme had brought positive holistic development to the students, in particular in adolescent risk behaviour, including delinquency, early sexual behaviour, violence and substance use.  The data showed the P.A.T.H.S. students had much stronger resilience to such temptations. 

“For example, the frequency of non-P.A.T.H.S. students using various illegal substances was 47% higher than P.A.T.H.S. students when they were in Secondary 3, and still at a higher level in Secondary 5,” he added.  “According to the data collected in Secondary 3, the uses of ketamine and cannabis by students who had not joined P.A.T.H.S. were twice and four times higher than the P.A.T.H.S. students.”

In comparing 12 different delinquent behaviours, including violence, sexual relations, trespassing and staying outside home overnight, the involvement of non-P.A.T.H.S. students were 28% and 23% higher than the P.A.T.H.S. students in Secondary 3 and 5 respectively.

Furthermore, the findings prove that P.A.T.H.S. students have a better holistic development.  “This reveals the effectiveness of P.A.T.H.S. in assisting junior secondary students to develop positive beliefs and delay their involvement in risk behaviour.  The Programme seems to produce sustained effects in decreasing the occurrence of adolescent risk behaviour after the intervention.  Students who joined P.A.T.H.S. have also progressed better in overall development than those who haven’t,” he added.  (Please refer to the attachment for details of the research).

Prof Shek said P.A.T.H.S is the first known scientific youth development programme designed for adolescents in different Chinese communities. “The findings have important implications for youth policies in Hong Kong with respect to how we should promote adolescent development and tackle adolescent risk behaviour.”

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Executive Director, Charities, Douglas So noted that youth development was very high on the Club’s agenda, with some HK$2 billion invested in youth-related projects over the past decade, including the initiative to launch P.A.T.H.S. 

“It is encouraging that the findings have gained international recognition in The Scientific World Journal (Q1),” said Mr So.  “We are also delighted that the Programme has been adapted and implemented in Shanghai and Macau, while Singapore is conducting a trial testing.  The project team is collaborating with The University of Washington to organise an international conference next year to highlight the effectiveness of P.A.T.H.S.  So we can see that all the efforts of the team have been well received and recognised by the international scientific and professional communities,” he added.

Following completion of the current phase of P.A.T.H.S. next August, the Club will continue its support and launch the third phase of the Project in late 2012. The focus of that phase will be switched from school-based to community-based, hoping to benefit more students, especially those who have not yet had the opportunity to participate in the Project. Different groups and organisations will be invited as partners, and in addition to existing programmes, new elements such as youth development, parent education, training on drug prevention and rehabilitation and fostering the relationship between young people and their parents will be added.

The P.A.T.H.S. initiative is spearheaded by renowned academics from five local universities who have established a research team to develop a range of programmes addressing 15 positive youth development constructs.  The programme comprises two tiers.  Tier 1 is a universal positive youth development programme for students in Secondary 1 to Secondary 3 receiving 10 to 20 hours of training in each level of the junior secondary school year, while Tier 2 is a selective programme for adolescents with greater psychosocial needs.

P.A.T.H.S. aims to help local junior secondary students explore their potential, establish self-identity, foster closer ties with others, and develop positive beliefs and clear values.  In light of the strong support from the local education sector, the original 3½-year project has been extended for three more school years from 2009/10 to 2011/12.  So far about 213,000 students from more than 280 local mainstream and special secondary schools have joined the scheme and more than half of the schools have already included the Tier 1 Programme of P.A.T.H.S. in their junior secondary curriculum. Further details of P.A.T.H.S. are available at www.paths.hk.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club has become one of Hong Kong’s best known and respected organisations, providing the public with world-class sporting entertainment as well as being the city’s major non-Government community benefactor, now donating more than HK$1 billion a year to charitable and community projects.  It has been a part of Hong Kong through good times and bad, sharing the city’s growth and development with its people, and is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for future generations.

Attachments:
1) Five-year Impacts of Project P.A.T.H.S. in Hong Kong
2) Powerpoint on the Five-year Impacts of Project P.A.T.H.S.

Jockey Club Executive Director, Charities, Douglas So delights that the Programme has been well received and recognised by the international scientific and professional communities.
Jockey Club Executive Director, Charities, Douglas So delights that the Programme has been well received and recognised by the international scientific and professional communities.

P.A.T.H.S. Principal Investigator Professor Daniel Shek explains the findings of the five-year survey.
P.A.T.H.S. Principal Investigator Professor Daniel Shek explains the findings of the five-year survey.

Photos 3, 4:
Ning Po College Teacher Chan Yuk (Photo 3) and CUHKFAA Chan Chun Ha Secondary School Teacher Lo Wing-yip (Photo 4) agree that the P.A.T.H.S. programmes effectively build up studentsa£á? resilience and develop their positive belief.
Photos 3, 4: Ning Po College Teacher Chan Yuk (Photo 3) and CUHKFAA Chan Chun Ha Secondary School Teacher Lo Wing-yip (Photo 4) agree that the P.A.T.H.S. programmes effectively build up studentsa£á? resilience and develop their positive belief.


Ning Po College students Claire Wang (right) and Cherry Lau (left) say they have learned a lot of life skills from the P.A.T.H.S. programmes.
Ning Po College students Claire Wang (right) and Cherry Lau (left) say they have learned a lot of life skills from the P.A.T.H.S. programmes.

Jockey Club Executive Director, Charities, Douglas So (3rd left); P.A.T.H.S. Principal Investigator Professor Daniel Shek (3rd right); CUHKFAA Chan Chun Ha Secondary School Teacher Lo Wing-yip (1st right); Ning Po College Teacher Chan Yuk (2nd right); students Claire Wang (2nd left) and Cherry Lau (1st left).
Jockey Club Executive Director, Charities, Douglas So (3rd left); P.A.T.H.S. Principal Investigator Professor Daniel Shek (3rd right); CUHKFAA Chan Chun Ha Secondary School Teacher Lo Wing-yip (1st right); Ning Po College Teacher Chan Yuk (2nd right); students Claire Wang (2nd left) and Cherry Lau (1st left).

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