Student Training in Entrepreneurship Programme believes that Entrepreneurship is a lifeskill, in which students and teachers need in the 21st century to fulfil their potential and contribute to society. What does it mean to be entrepreneurial? How does one know when they have succeeded?
This programme aims to equip and inspire youth , parents and secondary teachers with an entrepreneurial mindset and move towards a sustainable future. By adopting the European Commission’s Entrecomp framework which highlights 15 core competencies, we hope to equip students and teachers alike with skills such as creativity, spotting opportunities, learning through experience and perseverance, and help them to tackle the problem of mental resilience and well-being.
Through initiatives such as inviting entrepreneurs to share their experiences, delivering interactive workshops that teach beneficiaries to apply Design Thinking as a problem-solving tool, and organising case study competitions in collaboration with companies tackling 21st-century challenges, students engage in hands-on learning that enables them to practise interpersonal skills, build self-confidence, and gain first-hand insight into the real problems businesses are striving to address in the evolving future of work.
Additionally, in order to reach more students and equip them with an entrepreneurial mindset, the programme will use a train-the-trainer approach to train secondary school teachers with an entrepreneurial mindset, and work with select schools to implement Entrepreneurship Education as part of their school curriculum. The programme will work side by side with teachers to create lesson plans, student materials and teaching materials and support teachers with implementing their new syllabus through class observations. Through this, teachers will not only feel more equipped to help students navigate the 21st century and future of work but have the tools and knowledge to do so.
For students
STEP One – Entrepreneurship @ 21st Century: Interactive entrepreneur sharing seminar
STEP Two – Ideation Lab: Design Thinking & Pitching workshop
STEP Three – Enterprise Challenge: Case study competition with an opportunity to interact with company representatives to learn about the future of work
For teachers
Educators for the Future Lab: Tailored Design Thinking workshop for teachers to experience design thinking process by empathising school-specific challenges
Design Doing – Curriculum Innovation: Entrepreneurship curriculum building with network school teachers
Community of Practices – Learning Circles: Sharing event for all teachers to share and exchange insights
For parents
Workshops and trainings – Enhance parents’ capacity to strengthen communication and wellbeing in family by using entrepreneurial thinking
For all involved in the programme
Pioneering Young Innovators: Yearly symposium and event to celebrate the achievements of students and teachers of the programme
Local secondary F3-F6 students
Local secondary school teachers of any subject
Parents
All districts, Hong Kong
September 2025 – August 2027
Phone: 5598 7608
Email: step@hkcocoon.org
Nurturing the resilience of the next generation requires strengthening the multi-generational family dynamics surrounding them, moving from a child-only focus to a holistic family support network.
The Research Foundation:
Our youth strategies are grounded in evidence-based research by Hong Kong Shue Yan University regarding child-focused in-law relationship enhancement in multi-generational families. The study demonstrates that a child’s psychological and emotional wellbeing is highly related to their interaction with family members, particularly parents and grandparents.
It is crucial for children to learn positive family values at a young age.
Since 2016, the Foundation has established an annual family value theme, directly responding to the core pillars proposed by the Hong Kong Family Council: “Love and Care”, “Responsibility and Respect”, and “Communication and Harmony”.
To translate these values into daily action, the Foundation integrates Dr. Gary Chapman’s “Five Love Languages” framework (Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch). LKKFF specifically champions the promotion of Quality Time and Words of Affirmation to encourage family members to express love through action:
Quality Time (Active Togetherness):
Concentration: Giving undivided attention to family members during interactions and conversations.
Get Together: Enjoying precious moments by bringing the family together to engage in activities of mutual interest.
Quality Dialogue: Paying close attention to body language and emotional expressions when listening to family members.
Be Expressive: Creating a safe environment that allows family members to confidently express their personal thoughts, feelings, and expectations.
Words of Affirmation (Positive Reinforcement):
Appreciation: Expressing clear gratitude to family members when they do something for the household.
Encouragement: Developing empathy by understanding the needs of family members from their perspectives, and offering vocal support whenever necessary.
Kindness: Learning to express deep care, empathy, and condolences within the household.
Humility: Communicating needs and requests with a humble, polite, and respectful attitude rather than demands.
Our framework recognizes that a family’s health depends on its capacity to perform essential functions, satisfy the diverse needs of its members, and interact constructively with its environment.
The Research Foundation:
Our approach adapts the conceptual framework of the Hong Kong Family Wellbeing Index (HKFWI) study conducted by the Chinese University of Hong Kong. To systematically elevate family wellbeing, the Foundation prioritizes initiatives that focus on improving the following six key domains derived from the index:
Family Solidarity: Enhancing mutual trust, appreciation, and emotional support, while fostering family harmony and quality time to build long-term resilience among members.
Family Resources: Fostering the growth of psychological capital, essential life skills, and safe home environments.
Family Health: Safeguarding and tracking both the physical and mental health conditions of the family unit.
Social Connection: Encouraging social involvement and empowering the family to contribute positively to the broader community.
Social Resources: Improving the accessibility of both informal support networks and formal institutional help.
Work-Life Balance: Creating strategies that mitigate the friction where work interferes with home life or home interferes with work.
(Note to Applicants: Funded projects are not required to apply all six domains simultaneously but must explicitly target and measure impact in at least one specific domain, and we would prioritize projects addressing the domains of the overlapping areas).
For further details of each domain, please browse at https://www.hkfws.org.hk/hkfwi/hkfwi-report (pp 41-43)