The Future Education Research Institute leverages global resources and CTF Education Group (CTFEG)’s extensive ecosystem to advance the frontiers of K-12 education through research projects in collaboration with K-12 educators, university researchers, corporates, and institutes.
Over the last year, university and industry professionals from around the globe came together for educational exchanges, sharing their knowledge and expertise for a new era of collaboration with K-12! The Hub hosted esteemed guest speakers from universities such as Harvard, Cambridge, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), The University of Hong Kong , The Chinese University of Hong Kong , as well as collaborated on K-12 teaching, learning and experiential curriculum research with industry professionals from agriculture to Imperial arts and culture, auto industry AI automation, bioengineering, aeronautics, astronautics, and much more.
The pace of change in the digital era is unmatched by any period in history. The challenge K-12 schools face globally is to keep up with this whirlwind pace on two fronts: curriculum relevance and teachers’ professional development.
The Future Education Research Institute leverages global resources and CTF Education Group (CTFEG)’s extensive ecosystem to advance the frontiers of K-12 education through research projects in collaboration with K-12 educators, university researchers, corporates, and institutes.
The Institute invites Visiting Scholars of Practice to advise on advanced learning and teaching practices – assisting educators by introducing real world insights and putting theories into practice.
Past Future
Education Research Projects Supported
by CTF Education Group
Since 2018, CTFEG has supported a number ofresearch projects that drive K-12 learning and teaching into the future, such as:
Since 2018, CTFEG has supported a number of research projects that drive K-12 learning and teaching into the future, such as:
01
Collaboration with
University Researchers
'Agency by Design
'Agency by Design Early Childhood in The Making’ with Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education
Victoria Educational Organisation (VEO), part of the CTFEG ecosystem, seeks innovative ways to develop its curriculum to enhance STEAM readiness and maker education for young learners.
2018
In 2018, CTFEG partnered with researchers at Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education, and funded the ‘Agency by Design: Early Childhood in the Making’ research initiative led by Dr. Edward P. Clapp, Principal Investigator at Project Zero.
The research initiative aimed: To understand how the practices and pedagogies of maker-centered learning (MCL) can be adapted to support young learners at the start of their learning journeys.
The result of the pilot study: The Maker-Centered Learning Playbook for Early Childhood Education, a playbook featuring VEO’s application of the learning approach in kindergarten classes, pictures of practice featuring VEO teachers, and a variety of maker education tools and resources.
2019
2019
In 2019, CTFEG organised the ‘Education Leaders Luncheon and Maker-Centered Learning Exhibition’ to share the results of the pioneering study to
education leaders and attendees, including principals and senior teaching staff of kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, university department heads and professors, leaders of education organisations, and government officials.
As keynote speaker, Dr. Edward P. Clapp offered educators an in-depth showcase of how maker-centered learning can be put into practice successfully and the new tools at their disposal in the classroom. (Agency by Design)
02
Collaboration with
K-12 Educators and Institutions
Action Research Project on Climate Change in Support of UNICEF
HK's 'Cherish Water' Campaign
2021
Aiming to enhance children’s participation in global issues concerning Sustainable Development Goals (United Nations, 2015), CTFEG supported UNICEF’s ‘Cherish Water’ Charity Campaign in 2021 and worked with VEO educators and curriculum development team on an action research project in which 5-year-old K3 students from 7 VEO kindergartens participated in designing solutions to combat climate change using thinking routines from MCL.
Aiming to enhance children’s participation in global issues concerning Sustainable Development Goals (United Nations, 2015), CTFEG supported UNICEF’s ‘Cherish Water’ Charity Campaign in 2021 and worked with VEO educators and curriculum development team on an action research project in which 5-year-old K3 students from 7 VEO kindergartens participated in designing solutions to combat climate change using thinking routines from Maker-Centered Learning.
The lessons were designed with online and in-class inquiry activities as well as parent-child activities involving the activity books entitled ‘The Wonders of Water’ and ‘Water and Us’ which were created and published by the VEO curriculum development team.
In the beginning, children looked closely at water issues faced by 2 billion people lacking adequate access to clean water due to water shortage or pollution. Then they explored issues related to water shortages and developed different strategies to combat them (e.g. water redirection to drought affected communities) and pollution (e.g. filtration). Finally, they identified opportunities to make a difference. They developed targeted designs (e.g. filtration devices, water collection systems), which they shared with the PN to K2 students in their schools.
The results revealed that the structured MCL thinking routines were able to support children in understanding and participating in global issues. 7 of the 21 designs became exhibits featured in ‘We Think, We Feel, We Care’ Little Makers STEAM Education Festival in April 2021, which was attended by government officials and UNICEF representatives.
The VEO activity books also gained the attention of the Water Supplies Department. Finally, the new insights also informed the way STEAM curriculum and related professional development activities can be adopted in the early years setting. (Cherish Water)
03
Collaboration with
Industry
JYC Girls Impact Foundation’s 10,000 Girls4Girls Coding+ Programme – Coding Explorer with SenseTime Group Inc.
2022
2022
JYC Girls Impact Foundation (JYCGIF) in Hong Kong launched a Coding Explorer Programme in collaboration with leading industry AI software provider, SenseTime Group Inc., to expose teen girls to the latest in coding technology and empower them to become fluent in digital literacies to navigate all future opportunities.
Within a few months, the SenseTime industry professionals and JYCGIF curriculum development team created the Coding Explorer Programme and designed a train the trainer model with the aim of making the programme widely accessible to students and schools in Hong Kong.
The first Girls4Girls Coding+ Summer Camp 2022 held at the Hong Kong Science Park in Hong Kong – empowered teen girls by teaching them to code, adopt a tech-forward mindset, and develop vital leadership skills. It introduced students to the world of coding – the basic literacy of the digital age and prerequisite for jobs of the future – improving their computational, communication, and problem-solving skills while fostering creativity and self-confidence.
Through Girls4Girls Coding+, JYCGIF aims to inspire, equip and ultimately empower 10,000 teen girls in the coming few years to approach every possible career path as future-ready leaders. As of June 2023, the Programme had involved over 3,000 students from 65+ schools in 18 districts for an accumulated 11,500+ hours of learning.(10,000 Girls4Girls Coding+)
Through Girls4Girls Coding+, JYCGIF aims to inspire, equip and ultimately empower 10,000 teen girls in the coming few years to approach every possible career path as future ready leaders. As of June 2023, the programme had involved over 3,000 students from 65+ schools in 18 districts for an accumulated 11,500+ hours of learning.(10,000 Girls4Girls Coding+)
As of June 2023
The programme had involved
65+
School
18
Districts
3,000+
Students
Accumulated
11,500+
Hours of learning
Accumulated
11,500+
Hours of learning
VISITING SCHOLARS OF PRACTICE
At the Hub, industry practitioners are invited as Visiting Scholars of Practice (Visiting Scholars) to share their latest insights and innovations from their respective fields and bring real world knowledge and learning to the classroom. Visiting Scholars collaborate with curriculum developers from the Future Education Research Institute to design future education curriculum in STEAM and other diverse topics and fields.
Visiting Scholars of Practice deliver Professional Development Workshops to enrich teacher development. They also share their latest insights on industry developments and real world applications with both teachers and students through The Kindervarsity Hub Lecture Series.
SCHOOL LEADERSHIP ACADEMY
FOR EDUCATORS
The School Leadership Academy is dedicated to enhancing the leadership capacities and professional development of aspiring and current school leaders across Asia and beyond. It leverages abundant global resources and the extensive CTFEG ecosystem to bolster its programmes.
By hosting a diverse array of onsite and virtual events, including educational leadership forums and school leadership workshops, the Academy provides a robust platform for professional development. Additionally, the Academy will run a mentorship programme for education leaders, serving as a vital bridge between schools, industries, and academic circles. These initiatives directly contribute to the long-term advancement of system leadership across the region.
EARLY YEARS INSTITUTE
FOR EDUCATORS
The Early Years Institute (EYI) is dedicated to supporting the professional development of early childhood educators. To this end, EYI will host workshops and seminars for educators at the Hub schools and also educators from partner schools to enhance the exchange of knowledge on teaching practices, research findings and trends in the field.
WORLD OF WORK EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING PROGRAMMES
Leveraging the Hub’s purpose-built facilities, the World of Work Institute develops bespoke programmes that provide students with unique first-hand real world experiences.
Through extensive collaboration between K-12 educators and industry practitioners, WOW has to date researched and developed experiential learning programmes spanning 15+ industries. On one hand, these uniquely curated opportunities allow learners to gain exposure to career paths, in turn motivating them to consider imminent subject orientation; on the other hand, these programmes provide a real world context to nurture learners’ critical competencies such as structured problem solving, storytelling abilities and creative entrepreneurial mindsets.
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