Transformation in education requires collective efforts from different sectors
Recap of the fireside chat “Cross-sector collaboration for Education” at Teach For Hong Kong Education Forum 2023 on 30th September
As part of the Teach for Hong Kong Forum for Future Education 2023 held on 30th September, a fireside chat was hosted to discuss how cross-sector collaboration can be initiated between schools and other sectors and its amplified impact on students.
Joining the panel we were honored to have Dr. Stanley Ho (Professional Consultant at The Department of Educational Administration and Policy of CUHK), Mr. Lawrence Tsang (Executive Director of Dream2Story), Mr. Frank Ng (Fellow 2020-21; Education Skills Lead of Microsoft) and Ms. Kelsey Jin (Fellow 2023-24). The session was moderated by Ms. Karen Chung (Board Director of TFHK; former TFHK Fellow; Senior Business Development Specialist of Software AG.)
Kelsey and Frank opened with their teaching experiences during the Fellowship. Cross-sector collaboration can be fostered by bringing cross-sector talents into schools and co-creating learning resources for students. Kelsey, a consultant before joining Fellowship, is sitting on the Life and Career Planning group at her school and is already responsible for liaising collaboration opportunities with companies. In her own economics lessons, she constantly integrates real-life relevance.
“I strive to organically incorporate my experiences from other industries and establish connections with my students. By breaking down academic concepts in relation to real-life experiences, students can gain a better understanding. Additionally, by drawing on life experiences, my students and I can resonate with each other.”
Frank also recounted his project with Grosvenor, Lawrence’s former company, during his Fellowship time. And this collaboration left a mark on him. Now, working at Microsoft, Frank collaborates with teaching associations, government departments, and firms to equip students with essential digital skills.
“It offered students new exposure and perspectives to digest their textbook learning. It also impacted me by helping me find a lot of possibilities between school and businesses. Certainly, it has a part in shaping my career choice.”
Shifting to the merits of schools and companies working together, Dr. Ho stressed that immersive learning experience is very important, and it is crucial to understand that not everything can be taught to students. It is important to let students have real-life experience and give them this opportunity to broaden their horizons.
Lawrence shared his personal experience collaborating with Fellows from outside. In his former corporate leadership role, Lawrence catalyzed a learning project, a business case analysis competition, for students from five TFHK partner schools. He has brought the same model to his newly-founded organization and continues to promote business project learning to schools and mobilize participation from industry professionals.
“It was not normal for staff at a corporate to work with so many school kids on a project and be so focused instead of attending a meeting or work. Most of the staff members said it was an experience where they learned from the kids and they kept wanting more.”
While cross-sector collaboration can have a significant impact, initiating collaboration among diverse stakeholders is not without challenges. Very often, objectives and resource plans are not aligned between schools and industries, among teachers and company representatives. The panelists emphasized the importance of effective communication and mutual understanding. Dr. Ho recalled and further elaborated with his vast experience of supporting and revamping local schools.
“One challenge is how we can find the time and space to understand each other before starting any partnership. Therefore, it is important to sit down and communicate about the different skills and strengths each party can offer.”
Frank echoed Dr. Ho’s point by adding that:
“Cross-sector collaboration is akin to learning a new language. Just as we understand the formulas and grammar of a new language, what truly matters is the ability to apply that language effectively in diverse contexts and scenarios - in this case, schools and NGOs’ partnerships.”
To summarize with a question by Karen: “Cross-pollination allows to increase diversity in the ecosystem as a whole and it also increases a plant’s adaptability in this ever-changing environment. How can we cross-pollinate to increase our impact on our students?”
At Teach for Hong Kong, we recruit young talents outside of the education discipline to teach at the frontline for a year. We continuously cultivate our Fellows with a cross-sector mindset and foster partnerships between schools and other stakeholders. When Fellows continue their careers in education and other sectors, they carry their understanding of education and cross-sector collaboration to every corner of society.