My Pledge to Act - Be grateful and treasure what we have, stay positive and optimistic (2023/24)

1. Preface 

• Background
  
  • Since 2003, the Education Bureau (EDB) has been organising and developing the themes for values education promotional activity - “My Pledge to Act” (MPA) in every school year. Schools are encouraged to create conducive campus atmosphere through organising school-based collective commitment and a series of related learning activities, with a view to helping student 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 recognised 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 what they have; adapt a positive and optimistic attitude towards life, in order to help them face the challenges and difficulties at different stages of life with courage.  In response to social development and students’ needs, and to align with the EDB’s added priority values and attitudes in 2020 and 2021, i.e. “Law-abidingness” , “Empathy” and “Diligence”, three sub-themes were launched in the 2022/23 school year.  In pace with the social development, the EDB is according priority to life education (including sex education) and health education (including anti-drug education / resistance to harmful substances / promoting physical and psychological well-being), a new sub-theme will be launched along the existing ones under the main theme of MPA.  Schools are advised to take “Be Grateful and Treasure What We Have, Stay Positive and Optimistic” as the core direction and take into account their school contexts, and flexibly select one or more of the following four sub-themes as their school-based MPA theme(s) for promoting values education:
     
     
     1. “Be Diligent and Law-abiding, Perform Acts of Kindness”
     2. “Think from Others’ Perspectives, Foster Harmony and Be Respectful”
     3. “Inherit Traditional Culture, Be Patriotic and Love Hong Kong”
     4. “Cherish Life, Be Healthy”
  2. “My Pledge to Act” aims to empower students to set goals and put them into action. It enables students to integrate subject knowledge, proper values and attitudes, personal pledges and actions so as to develop a healthy lifestyle. It also rallies the concerted efforts of schools, families and other stakeholders in the society to arouse public awareness of the importance of cultivating students’ proper values and positive attitudes towards life.

• 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 curriculum and learning activities taking into account their school contexts and students’ needs.
  • Diversified learning activities that are in line with learning objectives can enhance students’ participation and learning effectiveness. For example, conducting subject-based, co-curricular/cross-curricular learning activities in Moral and Civic Education lessons, weekly assemblies, class teacher periods, Personal  Development lessons, or Life Education lessons.  This is to encourage whole-school participation, thereby creating a learning environment conducive to nurturing relevant values in students.
  • Schools may conduct a variety of life-wide learning activities according to the interests and needs of their students, such as student award programmes, personal development camps, community services and creativity competitions in order to help students fulfill their pledges and enhance the impact of learning.

• Resources and Support
  
  • To encourage schools to continue organising MPA, the EDB produced theme-based resource webpages with diversified online resources, including learning and teaching resources, MPA Handbook , activity suggestions, e-posters, electronic certificate templates, sticker templates and instant messaging stickers for school use.
  • Since the 2019/20 school year, the EDB has been implementing “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 (including government schools, aided schools [including special schools], caput schools and schools under the Direct Subsidy Scheme) 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 proper 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), to implement school-based plans and activities under the theme of MPA so as 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 one or more of the following four sub-themes as their school-based theme(s) for promoting values education:
   
   1. “Be Diligent and Law-abiding, Perform Acts of Kindness”
   2. “Think from Others’ Perspectives, Foster Harmony and Be Respectful”
   3. “Inherit Traditional Culture, Be Patriotic and Love Hong Kong”
   4. “Cherish Life, Be Healthy”

• Key Messages 
  • Nurture in students a sense of gratitude, learn to cherish what they have.
  • Nurture in students a positive and optimistic attitude towards life, in order to face the challenges and difficulties at different stages of life with courage.
  • Nurture in students the proper values of diligence and law-abidingness , and help them practice good deeds in their daily life.
  • To help students learn to empathise and put themselves in others’ shoes, respect others and create harmonious interpersonal relationships.
  • To nurture students into 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 learn to cherish and respect life, to protect themselves as well as taking care of both physical and psychological well-being, so as to lead a healthy lifestyle.
  • To help students set goals and put them into action.
• Modes
  
  • No specific requirement.
  • MPA is a programme designed for all students of kindergartens, primary and secondary schools.  It is to help students set goals and put them into action, thereby helping them develop proper values and attitudes.
  • With a view to reinforcing related values, schools may systematically formulate a holistic plan in designing school-based curriculum and arrays of learning activities for whole-school participation, in accordance with the chosen theme(s) and taken into school development needs and students’ needs. Schools may also conduct a variety of life-wide learning activities, such as student award programmes, personal development camps and community services in order to help students fulfill their pledge and enhance the impact of learning.
    

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3.Support Resources

 The following learning and teaching resources and activity recommendations are for schools’ reference only. Schools may design their unique school-based MPA activities according to their students’ needs.

• Learning and Teaching Resources 
  

  “Be Diligent and Law-abiding, Perform Acts of Kindness”	Presentation Template	MPA Handbook(Word)	MPA Handbook (PDF)
  “Think from Others’ Perspectives, Foster Harmony and Be Respectful”	Presentation Template	MPA Handbook(Word)	MPA Handbook (PDF)
  “Inherit Traditional Culture, Be Patriotic and Love Hong Kong”	Presentation Template	MPA Handbook(Word)	MPA Handbook (PDF)
  “Cherish Life, Be Healthy”	Presentation Template	MPA Handbook(Word)	MPA Handbook (PDF)

  • 「感恩珍惜 同心抗疫」AudioBook 
    CHI
  • Real Taste of Shrimp Paste (Facing Adversity Proactivelywith Positivity)  
  • 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 Proper Values and Attitudes (Examples) 
  CHI
  
  
• Theme-related "Life Event" Examples 
  
  • 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 
    
  • Cherish Life, Be Healthy 
    CHI
• 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 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)
  “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)
  “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)
  “Cherish Life, Be Healthy”	e-Banner(PDF)	e-Banner(AI)	Electronic Poster	Certificate of Appreciation for Parents	Certificate of Appreciation for Students	Template design (horizontal)	Template design (vertical)

• MPA: “I can do it” e-Poster
• Sticker Template (Be Grateful and Treasure What We Have, Stay Positive and Optimistic). 
• Instant messaging stickers   (“Be Grateful and Treasure What We Have, Stay Positive and Optimistic”) (Schools may download the instant messaging stickers and create their own custom sticker packs to go with their school-based activities).

•  Distribution of resource materials
  
  • For the schools that are interested in implementing MPA in the 2023/24 school year and obtaining the related promotional resources, please complete the Reply Slip and return it to the Moral, Civic and National Education Section 1, Curriculum Development Institute, EDB by fax (fax number: 3426 9265) on or before 15 September 2023 (Friday).
  • Schools may also submit e-Reply Slip
    
    

    Remarks: Schools are welcome to use the MPA Mascot “Happy, Promising Little Sun” in their school-based MPA activity resources. Please seek 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 download (Printing Version Digital Version)  or for loan by schools for organising theme-related activities. Schools interested in applying for the on loan items may download the application form, and fax or email the completed form to the EDB.
    Fax:3426 9265
    Email:info_mcne1@edb.gov.hk
  • Regulations and procedure  CHI
     
• MPA Official Facebook Page
  
  • The EDB launched the MPA Official Facebook page CHI to provide the latest information on the scheme as well as a platform for schools to share their experience gained in implementing activities related to MPA.

• Examples of Home-School Co-operation Activities
  
  Parent-child talks 
  
  • Schools conduct parent-child talks to encourage parent-school collaboration. This is to nurture in children proper values and positive attitudes towards life, including “be grateful”, “treasure what we have”, “stay positive” and “stay optimistic” as well as to create a harmonious family atmosphere where everyone appreciates, accepts and cherishes each other, with a view to fostering the healthy development of children.
  Parent-child volunteer activities
  • Encourage parents and children to participate in volunteer activities organised by schools/community, serve with appreciation and positivity and care for the needy ones in the society, such as visiting elderly homes and centers for disabled people, and taking part in charity sales.
  Parent-child reading activities
  
  • Schools organise MPA theme(s)-related reading activities, for example, parent-child shared reading sessions, book recommendations and creative writing, to promote moral education.
    
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• MPA  Activity
  
  • MPA Activity Series (1): MPA Ambassador School-based Award Programme 

    To sustain the positive impacts of the “MPA Ambassador School-based Award Programme”, the EDB encourages schools to continue the aforesaid programme by designing their unique school-based activities using the learning and teaching resources, promotional materials and MPA Handbook provided by the EDB. Schools may also make use of the MPA Mascot “Happy, Promising Little Sun” Badges and certificates to recognise the students who have excelled in embracing the proper values as MPA Ambassadors.

    For details, please refer to EDBCM No.96/2023
    
    

  • MPA Activity Series (2): “Little Sun’s Creative Short Stories” Chinese Writing Competition (Primary School) 

    The EDB will organise the “‘Little Sun’s Creative Short Stories’ Chinese Writing Competition”.  Primary schools are welcome to encourage students to unleash their creativity through composing short stories to promote positive messages of “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” or “Cherish Life, Be Healthy” and share their personal inspiration.  The winning entries may be produced as collections or picture books, so as to inject positive energy into the society.

    For details, Please refer to EDBCM No.96/2023
    

  • MPA Activity Series (3): “The MPA Activity Planners” – School-based Values Education Promotional Activities Design Competition (Secondary School) 

    Schools have all along been actively designing and organising diversified school-based learning activities to promote the main theme and sub-themes of MPA, taking into account their schools’ characteristics and students’ needs.  The EDB will organise the “‘The MPA Activity Planners’ – School-based Values Education Promotional Activities Design Competition” to encourage students’ active engagement in planning, promoting and executing values education-related promotional activities.  Secondary schools may encourage students to design learning activities related to the main theme and four sub-themes of MPA.  The winning designs will be uploaded to the MPA Theme-based Resource Webpage for all schools’ reference.

    For details, Please refer to EDBCM No.96/2023

    

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4.Useful Links 

• Education Bureau Circular Memorandum No.96/2023 (link) “My Pledge to Act – Be Grateful and Treasure What We Have, Stay Positive and Optimistic” （2023/24） 
• Education Bureau Circular No. 16/2019 Life-wide Learning Grant
• Quality Education Fund (QEF) “My Pledge to Act” Funding Programme
• Insider’s Perspective 
  CHI

5. Other “My Pledge to Act” Theme-based Resources Webpages 

• My Pledge to Act - Be grateful and treasure what we have, stay positive and optimistic (2022-2023)
• 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

Enquiry

• For general enquiries or other suggestions regarding MPA, please contact the Moral, Civic and National Education Section 1, CDI, EDB at 2153 7491.
• For enquiries about the MPA Funding Programme, please contact the QEF Secretariat at 2921 8833.

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