Octopus Volunteers Share Care to Underprivileged Students through Virtual Storytelling Session Amid Pandemic
The COVID-19 Pandemic has impacted our lives in many ways, yet it has not stopped Octopus Volunteers’ dedication to serving the community by remote volunteering.
Two virtual storytelling sessions were organised in August and September through Bring Me a BookTM Hong Kong, a non-profit organisation that advocates family literacy in Hong Kong, to allow Octopus Volunteers to virtually meet with young children from TWGHs Lee Wong Hing Cheung Memorial Kindergarten.
All volunteers were given a storytelling lecture prior to this session by a professional trainer, teaching them how to pick the right books, and key storytelling techniques to keep the children’s attention. Both the volunteers and the children had a wonderful time during the session, especially the children who had not been out for social activities due to the outbreak.
More storytelling sessions, or even face-to-face sessions, could hopefully be organised later when the outbreak situation improves.
Fruitful Graduation for Octopus Talent Nurturing Programme Students During Pandemic
This school year has been a challenging one with the COVID-19 Pandemic, yet students from the Octopus Talent Nurturing (OTN) Programme displayed their perseverance and can-do spirit, and despite all the obstacles they graduated from the prorgamme with fruitful results.
A Graduation Video showcasing their learning journeys and achievements was produced, to replace a physical graduation ceremony. Enthusiastic students gave performances such as Chinese orchestra, dragon dance and dodgeball in front of the camera; while the STEM group demonstrated their inventions with much passion, explaining their innovations for a smart flooding alarm system, smart cottage design and many more.
Mr. Sunny Cheung, then CEO of Octopus Cards Limited (OCL), and Ms. Josephine Lee, CEO of St James’ Settlement, also shared encouraging remarks to the students through the video. The video was shared with the participating schools through internal communication platforms.
OCL supports the development of underprivileged primary students and provides them with whole-person development opportunities through fully subsidised extra-curricular activities in the Octopus Kids' Nurturing (OKN) Programme. Over the past 13 years, over 3,000 students from 144 schools benefited from this programme. Since 2019, the OKN Programme has entered a new phase as OTN programme, with further beneficiaries including secondary students, and a focus on STEM education to align with the increasing demand from students.
