My Pledge to Act - Be grateful and treasure what we have, stay positive and optimistic (2022/23)

 Preface

• Background
  
  • Since 2003, the Education Bureau (EDB) has been organising and developing the theme for “My Pledge to Act” in every school year. Schools are encouraged to create campus atmosphere through organising school-based collective commitment and a series of related learning activities, helping student to develop healthy lifestyle and nurture good character so as to enhance their whole-person development.

• Theme
  
  1. The theme of MPA, “Be Grateful and Treasure What We Have, Stay Positive and Optimistic” has been widely recognized and supported. In the past three years, schools have actively organised MPA school-based learning activities to help students develop a sense of gratitude, learn to cherish the things they have; adapt a positive and optimistic attitude towards life, in order to help them face the challenges and difficulties when growing up. In response to social development and students’ needs, and to align with the EDB’s newly added priority values and attitudes in 2020 and 2021, i.e. “Law-abidingness” , “Empathy” and “Diligence”, schools are advised to continue to take “Be Grateful and Treasure What We Have, Stay Positive and Optimistic” as the core direction, and flexibly select the following three sub-themes (multiple sub-themes may be selected) as the school-based theme for promoting MPA, fitting in with the schools’ development plans or major concerns, to cater schools’ development and students’ needs in promoting values education.
     1. “Be Grateful and Treasure What We Have, Stay Positive and Optimistic; Be Diligent and Law-abiding, Perform Acts of Kindness”
     2. “Be Grateful and Treasure What We Have, Stay Positive and Optimistic; Think from Others’ Perspectives, Foster Harmony and Be Respectful”
     3. “Be Grateful and Treasure What We Have, Stay Positive and Optimistic; Inherit Traditional Culture, Be Patriotic and Love Hong Kong”
  2. “My Pledge to Act” aims to empower students to set goals and put them into action. It enables students to integrate subject knowledge acquired, positive values and attitudes and the personal pledges with practical actions so as to help them develop a healthy lifestyle; and also rally concerted efforts of schools, families and other stakeholders in society to arouse public awareness of the importance of cultivating students’ positive values and attitudes.

• Rationale and Strategies of Implementation
  
  • Schools may, through systematic and holistic planning, incorporate MPA learning activities into their annual school plans or school development plans, and design school-based curricula and learning activities taking into account their school contexts and students’ needs.
  • Diversified learning activities in line with learning objectives can enhance students’ participation and learning effectiveness. For example, make use of Moral and Civic Education lessons, weekly assemblies, class teacher periods, Personal Growth Education lessons, or Life Education lessons, conducting subject-based, co-curricular learning activities, for whole-school participation, hence creating a learning environment conducive to nurturing relevant values for students.
  • Schools may conduct a variety of life-wide learning activities according to the interests and needs of their students, such as student award programs, growth camp, community service, creative competitions, etc., in order to help students fulfill their pledges and enhance the impact on learning.

• Resources and Support
  
  • To encourage schools to continue organizing “My Pledge to Act”, the EDB produced theme-based resource webpages with diverse reference materials, including learning and teaching resources, MPA handbook , activity suggestions, e-poster, electronic certificate of appreciation templates, stickers templates and instant messaging stickers for school use.
  • Since the 2019/20 school year, the EDB has been implementing the “My Pledge to Act – Be Grateful and Treasure What We Have, Stay Positive and Optimistic” Funding Programme through the Quality Education Fund (QEF). Publicly-funded schools[1] and kindergartens joining the kindergarten education scheme may, during each round of application, submit one application for funding not exceeding $200,000 for conducting learning activities aligning with the theme in each respective school year to promote values education. To encourage schools to optimise the use of the additional resources, the QEF has introduced optimising measures to accept applications under the MPA Funding Programme throughout the year. Schools could, in accordance with their school contexts, flexibly deploy the unused application quotas to apply for funding in a timely manner to implement diversified learning activities that align with the main theme “Be Grateful and Treasure What We Have, Stay Positive and Optimistic” and support the aforesaid sub-themes to create a learning environment conducive to cultivating positive values and attitudes. For details of the MPA Funding Programme and the optimising measures, please refer to the QEF website (www.qef.org.hk).
    
  • Schools may also flexibly use the existing subsidies, including the "Operating Expenses Block Grant / Expanded Operating Expenses Block Grant" and "Life-wide Learning Grant" (Education Bureau Circular Memorandum No. 16/2019), in the implementation of school-based plan and conducting various learning activities under the theme of “My Pledge to Act” to enrich students’ learning experiences.
    
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2.Recommended Implementation

1. Theme
   Schools are advised to continue to take “Be Grateful and Treasure What We Have, Stay Positive and Optimistic” as the core direction, and taking into account their school contexts, flexibly select the following three sub-themes (multiple sub-themes may be selected) as the school-based theme(s) for promoting MPA:
   
   1. “Be Grateful and Treasure What We Have, Stay Positive and Optimistic; Be Diligent and Law-abiding, Perform Acts of Kindness”
   2. “Be Grateful and Treasure What We Have, Stay Positive and Optimistic; Think from Others’ Perspectives, Foster Harmony and Be Respectful”
   3. “Be Grateful and Treasure What We Have, Stay Positive and Optimistic; Inherit Traditional Culture, Be Patriotic and Love Hong Kong”

• Key Messages
  
  • To help students develop a sense of gratitude, learn to cherish the things they have.
  • To help students adopt a positive and optimistic attitude towards life, in order to help them face the challenges and difficulties when growing up.
  • Nurture the positive values of diligence and law-abidingness in students, and help them to put into practice the good deeds in their daily life.
  • To help students learn to empathise and put themselves in others’ shoes, respect for others and in turn help create a harmonious interpersonal relationships.
  • To foster students to become citizens who cherish Chinese culture, recognise their national identity, and safeguard the interests of the nation and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
  • To help students to set up goals and put them into action.
   
• Mode
  
  • There is no restricted mode.
  • “My Pledge to Act” is a programme designed for all students of kindergartens, primary and secondary schools to set up their goals, and put them into action, so as to help students develop positive values and attitudes.
  • Schools may base on the theme, school development and students’ needs, to formulate a systematic and holistic plan, in designing school-based curriculum and arrays of learning activities for whole-school participation so as to reinforce related values. Schools may also conduct a variety of life-wide learning activities, such as student award programme, growth camp, community service, etc., in order to help students fulfill their pledge and enhance the impact on learning.Schools may base on the theme, school development and students’ needs, to formulate a systematic and holistic plan, in designing school-based curriculum and arrays of learning activities for whole-school participation so as to reinforce related values. Schools may also conduct a variety of life-wide learning activities, such as student award programme, growth camp, community service, etc., in order to help students fulfill their pledge and enhance the impact on learning.
    

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The following learning and teaching resources and activity recommendations are for schools’ reference only. Schools may design school-based teaching materials according to their students’ needs for activity implementation related to “My Pledge to Act”.

• Learning and Teaching Resources 
  

  “Be Grateful and Treasure What We Have, Stay Positive and Optimistic; Be Diligent and Law-abiding, Perform Acts of Kindness”	Presentation Template	MPA Handbook	MPA Handbook (Editable Version)
  “Be Grateful and Treasure What We Have, Stay Positive and Optimistic; Think from Others’ Perspectives, Foster Harmony and Be Respectful”	Presentation Template	MPA Handbook	MPA Handbook (Editable Version)
  “Be Grateful and Treasure What We Have, Stay Positive and Optimistic; Inherit Traditional Culture, Be Patriotic and Love Hong Kong”	Presentation Template	MPA Handbook	MPA Handbook (Editable Version)

  • My Pledge to Act: "Let's Clean Together" 
    •  Handbook   
      CHI
    • Certificate of Outstanding Performance Award   
      CHI
    • Certificate of The Most Active Participation Award   
      CHI
  • AudioBook
  • Real Taste of Shrimp Paste (Facing Adversity Proactively)  
  • High Heels That My Mother Holds Dear (Be Grateful, To Cherish)  
     
• Examples of Key Learning Areas/ Subjects related topics
  
  • Be Grateful and Treasure What We Have 
  • Staying Positive and Optimistic 

• Theme-related "Life Event" Exemplar  
  
  • Be Grateful and Treasure What We Have 
  • Staying Positive and Optimistic 
  • Be Diligent and Law-abiding, Perform Acts of Kindness 
  • Think from Others’ Perspectives, Foster Harmony and Be Respectful 
  • Inherit Traditional Culture, Be Patriotic and Love Hong Kong 
    
    
• Activity Recommendations
  
  • Examples of Activity Category 
  • Activity Examples (Kindergartens/ Primary Schools/ Secondary Schools)  
•  Promotional Resources
  Online Resources
  
  Schools can download resources below to facilitate activity implementation.
  
  

  “Be Grateful and Treasure What We Have, Stay Positive and Optimistic; Be Diligent and Law-abiding, Perform Acts of Kindness”	e-Banner(PDF)	e-Banner(AI)	Electronic Poster	Certificate of Appreciation for Parents	Certificate of Appreciation for Students	Template design (horizontal)	Template design (vertical)
  “Be Grateful and Treasure What We Have, Stay Positive and Optimistic; Think from Others’ Perspectives, Foster Harmony and Be Respectful”	e-Banner(PDF)	e-Banner(AI)	Electronic Poster	Certificate of Appreciation for Parents	Certificate of Appreciation for Students	Template design (horizontal)	Template design (vertical)
  “Be Grateful and Treasure What We Have, Stay Positive and Optimistic; Inherit Traditional Culture, Be Patriotic and Love Hong Kong”	e-Banner(PDF)	e-Banner(AI)	Electronic Poster	Certificate of Appreciation for Parents	Certificate of Appreciation for Students	Template design (horizontal)	Template design (vertical)

• My Pledge to Act: “I can do it” e-Poster
• Sticker Template (Be grateful and treasure what we have, stay positive and optimistic). 
• Instant messaging stickers   (Schools may download the instant messaging stickers and create their own custom sticker packs according to the needs of school-based activities).

•  Distribution of resource materials
  
  • Schools interested in implementing MPA in the 2022/23 school year and obtaining the related promotional resources, please complete the following Reply Slip and return it to the Moral, Civic and National Education Section, Curriculum Development Institute, EDB by fax (fax number: 3426 9265) on or before 2 September 2022 (Friday).
  • Reply Slip  or Electronic Reply Slip 
    
    

    Remarks: Schools are welcome to utilise the "mascot" (樂諾小太陽) for printing school-based ‘My Pledge to Act’ activity resources after seeking copyright permission from the EDB by email (info_mcne1@edb.gov.hk) .

     

• Promotional materials for loan
  
  • MPA Mascot “Happy, Promising Little Sun” Promotional Materials
    The EDB has produced MPA Mascot “Happy, Promising Little Sun” promotional materials, including theme props and encouraging quotes .
    CHI
    These promotional materials are now available for loan by schools for organising theme-related activities. Interested schools may download the application form, and fax or email the completed form to the EDB.
  • Regulations and procedure  CHI
     
• ‘My Pledge to Act’ Official Facebook Page
  
  • The EDB launched the "My Pledge to Act" Official Facebook page CHIto provide the latest information on the scheme as well as a platform for schools to share their experience gained in implementing activities related to the ‘My Pledge to Act’. 

• Examples of Home-School Co-operation Activities
  
  Parent-child talk 
  
  • Schools hold parent-child talks to encourage parents to collaborate with schools to nurture positive values and attitudes including "be grateful", "treasure what we have", "stay positive" and "stay optimistic" in children as well as create a harmonious family, that children can appreciate, accept and cherish each other, to let them grow healthily.
  Parent-child voluntary activities
  
  • To encourage parents and children to participate in voluntary activities organised by the schools/ the community, such as visiting elderly centers and centers for disabled people, taking part in charity sales, serving others with appreciation in a proactive manner, in order to care for people in need.
  Parent-child reading activities
  
  • Schools organise reading activities related to "be grateful", "treasure what we have", "stay positive" and "stay optimistic", for example, reading and sharing sessions for parent-child, book recommendations, creative writing, etc., to promote moral education.
    
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• 'My Pledge to Act'  Activity
  
  • “My Pledge to Act” Activity Series (1): MPA Ambassador School-based Award Programme 

    The EDB encourages schools to continue the aforesaid programme, draw up and carry out school-based activities by tapping the learning and teaching resources and promotional materials provided by the EDB, including MPA Handbook, MPA Mascot (“樂諾小太陽”) Badges and certificates, and appoint students who have excelled in embracing the positive values as MPA Ambassadors.
    
    For details, Please refer to EDBCM No.114/2022

  • “My Pledge to Act” Activity Series (2): “Happy, Promising Little Sun & Friends” (“樂諾小太陽” & Friends) Mascots Design Competition 

    The EDB will organise the “‘Happy, Promising Little Sun & Friends’ Mascots Design Competition”. Students are invited to design mascots to echo the sub-themes “Be Diligent and Law-abiding, Perform Acts of Kindness”, “Think from Others’ Perspectives, Foster Harmony and Be Respectful” or “Inherit Traditional Culture, Be Patriotic and Love Hong Kong”. Winning entries may be selected as the official mascots of MPA, and adopted in various promotional materials to spread positive messages to all sectors in society.

    
    For details, Please refer to EDBCM No.114/2022
    

  • “My Pledge to Act” Activity Series (3): “Let’s Project Positive Energy” Social Platform Creative Post Design Competition 

    The EDB will organise the “‘Let’s Project Positive Energy’ Social Platform Creative Post Design Competition” to unleash students’ creativity through composing images and short texts for social platform posts to promote the positive messages of “Be Diligent and Law-abiding, Perform Acts of Kindness”, “Think from Others’ Perspectives, Foster Harmony and Be Respectful” or “Inherit Traditional Culture, Be Patriotic and Love Hong Kong” and share their personal experiences.

    
    For details, Please refer to EDBCM No.166/2022
    

  • “My Pledge to Act” Activity Series (4): “Be Grateful and Treasure What We Have, Stay Positive and Optimistic” Parent-child Storytelling Competition (Kindergarten) 

    To nurture positive values, attitudes and behaviors in students from an early age, the EDB will organise the “‘Be Grateful and Treasure What We Have, Stay Positive and Optimistic’ Parent-child Storytelling Competition (Kindergarten)”. Through engaging students and parents in writing/selecting and performing short stories echoing the selected themes, the Competition will help promote home-school cooperation, deepen children’s understanding of positive values such as “Be Grateful”, “Treasure What We Have”, “Stay Positive” and “Stay Optimistic”, and enhance parent-child relationship.
    
    For details, Please refer to EDBCM No.166/2022
    

    
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• Education Bureau Circular Memorandum No.166/2022 Further Support for Schools in the Implementation of “My Pledge to Act –Be Grateful and Treasure What We Have, Stay Positive and Optimistic” (2022/23)Related Activities and Resources 
• Education Bureau Circular Memorandum No. 114/2022 ‘My Pledge to Act – Be Grateful and Treasure What We Have, Stay Positive and Optimistic’ （2022/23）   
• Education Bureau Circular No. 16/2019 Life-wide Learning Grant
• Quality Education Fund (QEF) “My Pledge to Act” Funding Programme
• Insider’s Perspective 
  CHI

• My Pledge to Act - Be grateful and treasure what we have, stay positive and optimistic (2019-2021)
• “‘My Pledge to Act’ – Let’s do it!” School-based Award Scheme

• For general enquiries or other suggestions regarding MPA, please contact of the Moral, Civic and National Education Section, Curriculum Development Institute, Education Bureau on 2153 7490.
• For enquires about the details of the "My Pledge to Act – Be Grateful and Treasure What We Have, Stay Positive and Optimistic” Funding Programme, please contact the QEF Secretariat on 2921 8833.

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