Code to Care
From Isolation to Inclusion for Special Education Needs (SEN) Youth
Code-to-Care is an innovative program that seamlessly merges a STEAM curriculum, encompassing Computational Thinking, Mobile App Development, Design Thinking, and Creative use of Media Technology, with a community mentoring initiative. Its primary objective is to empower students by fostering emotional management, enhancing their social and emotional well-being, and facilitating community integration.
The Framework
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Adopt a Positive Education framework with a special focus on "Social-Emotional Learning"
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The course is based on "Problem-Based Learning" and "Self-Directed Learning"
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Especially suitable for students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) to participate
Target: Secondary students (F1- F3) Content • 3 set of curriculum integrated with a Mentoring program
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ICT Coding Class
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Design Thinking & Problem Solutions
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Technologies application with media emphasis
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Mentoring Program
Mentors can be university students, professionals, and/or retirees
Deployment Mode
There are 2 approaches to deploying the course
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Full-year Form (P.6, F.1-F.3) -
As ECA interests classes
Expected results of the course
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For Students
- More enthusiastic, collaborative, creative and improved problem-solving ability
- Have better social skills, emotional management skills and mental health
- Be more open to differences, build peer relationships and care more about community and increase feelings of connection
- Promote interaction and integration between students with special educational needs and other students
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For teachers
- We provide interesting and engaging STEAM courses to a variety of students
- We help to make students become more motivated in learning and self-managed,
- We help to make classroom management better/easier
- We engaged students to be more motivated in learning and better in self-management
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Provide schools with
- Increased social capital, expanded volunteer network
- Get more exposure in STEAM competitions
- A more inclusive positive educational environment
Our Impact
Partner Schools
Up to 2024, 66 schools in Hong Kong are either using our youCodia platform or have been served by our youCodia programme.
More in-depth explanation of Code-to-Care
Code-to-Care aims to address critical societal issues
- The dire need for comprehensive mental health support and holistic well-being among young adolescents.
- Secondary schools’ students are grappling with various social-emotional challenges, an issue of increasing concern.
- Particular prominent among the growing population of Special Education Needs (SEN) students who face resource limitations, misconceptions, and exclusion within both educational institutions and the wider community.
Our Approach
- The program adopts the Social Emotional Learning model, which promotes the development of students' soft skills, resilience, and mental well-being.
- The program focuses on enhancing interpersonal and relational proficiencies, fostering emotional management, and cultivating a sense of inclusion and connection with the community,
- Code-to-Care endeavors to empower students on multiple fronts.
Results
- A program which allows students to collaborate with mentors who provide guidance, support, and valuable feedback.
- Mentors play a pivotal role in assisting students in identifying community needs and developing impactful projects that address specific issues faced by individuals within the community.
- Students work alongside their mentors to create meaningful solutions that positively impact the lives of those around them.
3 Courses Connected by a Holistic Development Program
What sets us apart is that we also offer a life development and mentorship program that runs concurrently with the three courses. All our mentors receive specialised and relevant training on how to engage with and support SEN youth.
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Coding Course
Time per session: 45 min to 1 hour & 20 min
No. of Sessions: Variable
Students & Mentors: 8-16
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Design Course
Time per session: 45 min to 1 hour & 20 min
No. of Sessions: Variable
Students & Mentors: 6-12
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Media Course
Time per session: 45 min to 1 hour & 20 min
No. of Sessions: Variable
Students & Mentors: 6-15
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Holistic Development
Time per session: 1 hour & 30 min to 2 hours
No. of Sessions: Variable
Students & Mentors: 15-35
Our Mentoring Approach
The mentorship program we offer involves a mentor working with two to three students. We also highlight the flexibility of the program and the services we provide. All lessons and components can be tailored as extra curricular activities to accommodate the specific schedule of your institution.
We believe social collaboration enhances STEM education by promoting real-world application, diverse perspectives, communication skills, engagement, innovation, and critical thinking. Our coding program includes a mentoring scheme that connects students with experienced mentors who provide real-world context, individualized feedback, and social and collaborative skill development.
To create a holistic approach to STEM education, we combine Positive Education and the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) model. Positive Education, based on the PERMA framework, develops cognitive, social, emotional, values, and perspective-based skills, fostering a positive mindset, meaningful relationships, emotional awareness, ethical values, diverse perspectives, and holistic skill development, enhancing their overall well-being and success in STEM disciplines.
Social interaction is a catalyst for personal growth. The SEL model is consistent with the PERMA framework, yet focuses more on social emotional development through interpersonal interactions. It has been shown to be appropriate for students with Special Education Needs (SEN). SEL cultivates self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.
Our mentoring scheme uses PERMA and SEL to enhance the following:
Cognitive + Social + Emotional + Values + Perspectives + Non-cognitive Skills
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Cognitive
Creativity, problem-solving skills, self-learning skills
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Social
Social awareness, conflict resolution, cooperative behaviour
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Emotional
Emotional awareness, emotional regulation and management, resilience
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Values
Ethical and civic values, generosity, caring for other and community
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Perspectives
Optimism, gratitude, openness, inclusiveness
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Non-cognitive Skills
Confidence,
growth mindset;
motivation, grit
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Positive Emotion
Mentors foster positive emotions by creating a supportive environment where students feel valued and encouraged.
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Engagement
Social awareness, conflict resolution, cooperative behaviour
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Positive Relationships
Emotional awareness, emotional regulation and management, resilience
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Meaning
Ethical and civic values, generosity, caring for other and community
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Accomplishment
Optimism, gratitude, openness, inclusiveness
Social and Emotional Learning
Our approach to holistic STEM education aims to be comprehensive and contextualized. So we include the person within the environment including the classroom, school, home and community:
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Self-Awareness
Recognizing one's emotions and values as well as one's strengths and challenges.
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Responsible Decision-Making
Making ethical, constructive choices about personal and social behavior.
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Relationship Skills
Forming positive relationships, working in teams, dealing effectively with conflict.
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Social Awareness
Showing understanding and empathy for others.
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Self-Management
Managing emotions and behaviors to achieve one's goals.
Evaluation
We take program evaluation seriously and collaborate with researchers from The University of Hong Kong and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Our evaluation process includes quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews to provide a comprehensive view of program impact. Surveys use standardized scales to assess changes in students' thoughts, well-being, attitudes, and behaviors. Interviews with students, teachers, and mentors are semi-structured, adding depth to our understanding. Through rigorous evaluation, we continuously enhance our programs for meaningful impact.
Services that we provide
- Coordination of Code-to-Care program at your school / organisation.
- We prepare both the curriculum and the material for the mentoring program.
- We assist with mentor requirement.
- We provide training to teachers, students, and mentors.
- Match supporting sponsors with respective schools / organisations.
Contact us if
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You want to implement a Coding and /or mentoring program but don’t have the resources to do it
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You want to implement a Coding and /or mentoring program but don’t know how / where to start
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You want a free trial to youCodia and start building your own app with the best in class learning software