FutureGEN Girls Leadership Summit “Discover Your Purpose, Unleash Your Potential”
Building on the tremendous success of last year’s inaugural FutureGEN Girls Leadership Summit, the second FutureGEN Girls Leadership Summit 2023 organized by the JYC Girls Impact Foundation was held on November 4, 2023 at the Hong Kong Palace Museum. Guest of Honour, Miss. Alice Mak, SBS, JP, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), officiated at the Opening Ceremony of the Summit, alongside Mrs. Jennifer Yu Cheng, Founder of JYCGIF, and Ms. Diana Cesar, Executive Director and Chief Executive of Hang Seng Bank.
The FGG Summit drew nearly 300 teen girls from over 40 schools. At the Summit, teen girls took their first steps toward developing their education and career pathways through unique leadership development and STEM learning opportunities, and by networking with peers.
In her Opening Remarks, Mrs. Jennifer Yu Cheng said: “We are living in the information age, a time when the world is changing at a rapid rate but also there are infinite new possibilities. The FGG Summit is just the beginning of teen girl’s journey — to empower them to take a leap forward, to explore possibilities and unleash their boundless potential to pursue their own unique goals. It is my hope that students will leave the FGG Summit inspired, embraced, and supported enough to fly wherever their purpose takes them, and to continue to make meaningful contributions to the lives of others around them.”
The FGG Summit 2023 featured: a Future Readiness Lab and New Technology Interactive Zone, inspirational panels led by industry leaders and trailblazers, as well as future workplace skill-building workshops. The Summit presented diverse opportunities for young people’s well-rounded development.
The Finale of the IdeaGO Ideathlon 2023, jointly organized by the JYCGIF and Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, was also held at the Summit this year, with the ion of empowering teen girls to gain a deeper understanding of and appreciation for innovation and technology fields.
Over the last few months, Ideathon participants learned and adopted design thinking and I&T to formulate solutions and mockups/prototypes to address issues related to health and wellbeing, sustainability (low carbon & green living), and challenges faced by women in society. Industry professionals from renowned technology companies offered mentorship and workshops in 3D printing, AI applications and Robotics to the teams. Participants also visited Science Park and its InnoPark to gain knowledge of the I&T ecosystem and new industrialization.
At the Summit, the Finale presented 12 outstanding projects developed by participating schools and teen girls.:
The Champion and Team Spirit Awards — Empower Me (Carmel Pak U Secondary School): A groundbreaking AI platform revolutionizing career development for mothers. By offering AI-generated CVs and skill matching services, Empower Me empowers mothers to maximize their spare time and unlock their professional potential.
1st Runner-up and the Most Popular Award — (True Light Middle School of Hong Kong): An innovative social project making purchasing menstrual products such as sanitary pads, disposable panties and black skirts, easy and accessible, with the aim of destigmatizing menstruation and normalizing associated purchases and learning, promoting correct health knowledge and concept.
2nd Runner-up Winner — Your Way Home (Marymount Secondary School): Harnesses the power of 3D printing to create personalized tracking devices for the elderly. This device, equipped with AI GPS devices and imprinted with images of their loved ones (such as grandchildren), encourages individuals with dementia to wear them, protecting their safety.
Under the partnership between HKSTP and JYCGIF, an array of activities including the IdeaGO Ideathon were organised for female secondary school students from local schools to experience first-hand opportunities in the I&T sector, spurring more young women to pursue a career in the industry.
