The conference is jointly organized by the Project P.A.T.H.S., School of Social Work of University of Washington, U.S.A., Division of Adolescent Medicine of University of Kentucky School of Medicine, U.S.A. and National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of Israel, with the Project P.A.T.H.S. as the principal organizer. The conference is also part of PolyU's 75th Anniversary celebration.
P.A.T.H.S. to Adulthood: A Jockey Club Youth Enhancement Scheme (P.A.T.H.S. denotes Positive Adolescent Training through Holistic Social Programmes) is a school-based universal youth development programme initiated and funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, and implemented by the P.A.T.H.S. Research Team (with researchers from PolyU, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Baptist University, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and The University of Hong Kong) and coordinated by the Social Welfare Department and the Education Bureau of the Government of the HKSAR. Instead of dealing with isolated youth problems, colleagues of the Project P.A.T.H.S. believe that promoting adolescents' psychosocial competencies can enhance holistic youth development and reduce adolescent problem behavior. Since its inception in the 2005/06 school year, more than 280 secondary schools with a total number of 213,000 students have benefited from the project. There is also proven evidence that the project can promote the holistic development of participants.
"Financed by the Club's Charities Trust donation of HK$750 million, the project has been implemented in two phases between 2006 and 2012. With the success of the first two phases, the Club is extending its support to a new phase of P.A.T.H.S which adopts a community-based model to reach out to even more young people," Dr Eric Li Ka Cheung, Steward of The Hong Kong Jockey Club said. In stressing the Club's commitment to youth development, Dr Li also noted the Club's Charities Trust has donated over HK$2 billion in youth-related projects in the past decade and the total donations to the community now exceed HK$1.6 billion a year.
The two-day International Conference was officially kicked off today (3 May) at the Jockey Club Auditorium by Mr. Matthew Cheung, Secretary for Labour and Welfare, The Government of the HKSAR; Dr. Eric Li, Steward of The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Dr. Joseph Lee, Chairman of the Committee on the Promotion of Civic Education, The Government of the HKSAR; Prof. Timothy Tong, President of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University; and Prof. Daniel Shek, Chairman of the Conference Organizing Committee.
To address the growing youth problems, the conference aims to provide a platform for intellectual exchange on positive youth development and adolescent prevention strategies among scholars from overseas, local, and the Mainland China. Prof. Richard F. Catalano from University of Washington, Seattle, U.S.A. and Prof. Daniel Shek from the Department of Applied Social Sciences of PolyU delivered keynote speeches at the Opening Session of the Conference.
For more details and program of the Conference, please visit its official website at www.paths.hk
