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To equip students with the knowledge and capacity to promote a low-carbon lifestyle and environmental sustainability within their schools, families and communities, CUHK Jockey Club Initiative Gaia (Gaia) has launched the ‘Go Green Community Education Kit’.  The education kit, funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, is provided free for all local schools. 

A launch ceremony was held today (22 November).  Prof. Fung Tung, Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK); Ms Shirley Fisher, Charities Manager of The Hong Kong Jockey Club; and Mrs Cecilia Lam, Programme Director of Gaia officiated at the ceremony.  Dr Matthew Pang, Programme Consultant of Gaia introduced the features of the education kit and demonstrated how it might facilitate students’ engagement in environmental protection.  There was also a sharing session, where Ms Lee Chun-ying and Mr Chiu King-sze from Chiu Yang Por Yen Primary School, as well as Ms Leung Shuet-fan and Ms Tau Ling-ying fromTWGHS Yow Kam Yuen College, shared their positive experiences in using the education kit. 

The education kit is pitched at different learning levels and contains the following units: Challenges brought by climate change; Causes of climate change; Carbon footprint and carbon audit; Carbon reduction at the individual level; and Carbon reduction at the community level.  The version for students of the education kit can be downloaded from Gaia’s website (www.gaia.cuhk.edu.hk/gaia/edukit_chi.html), and the version for teachers is available upon request (email: gaia@cuhk.edu.hk). 

CUHK Jockey Club Initiative Gaia 

CUHK Jockey Club Initiative Gaia is a 5-year community engagement programme launched in 2012 by CUHK, with a generous donation of HK$54 million by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. Committed to paving a sustainable future for Hong Kong, the programme aims at promoting environmental conservation and sustainability in local communities, through public education and carbon reduction partnerships with schools and non-governmental organizations. 

Rising environmental awareness, together with the proactive policies implemented by the government, has inspired the community to advocate for environmental protection.  In order to draw on collective wisdom and to encourage active public participation in pro-environment activities, CUHK Jockey Club Initiative Gaia organizes the ‘Environment and Climate Change Forum Series’.  Experts and practitioners from different fields and the public are involved to confer on the best ways to deal with environmental challenges and impacts of climate change. 

Also under the programme is the Jockey Club Museum of Climate Change, scheduled to open in December 2013, which will present the “Three Poles” collection of renowned Hong Kong explorer Dr Rebecca Lee (the North Pole, the South Pole and Mt Everest), innovative research in environment, energy and sustainability initiated by CUHK, and the Trust’s endeavours contributing to the improvement of the environment. 

More details of the CUHK Jockey Club Initiative Gaia can be found at www.cuhk.edu.hk/gaia.