Abstract

Impact of the Project P.A.T.H.S. in Hong Kong and China

Author(s): Daniel TL Shek

This article reviews the impact of a youth enhancement program entitled “P.A.T.H.S. to Adulthood: A Jockey Club Youth Enhancement Scheme” (Project P.A.T.H.S.) initiated and funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. The Research Team developed curricula-based programs for Grade 7 to Grade 9 students based on the positive youth development approach and trained over 7,000 teachers and allied professionals. To date, more than 320 schools and 284,400 students (with 601,198 man-times) participated in the project in the Initial, Extension and Community-Based Implementation Phases. Findings based on different evaluation methods showed that the program was well-received by different stakeholders and the participants changed positively after joining the program. Because of its overwhelming success, the project was transplanted to 30+ schools in mainland China with the support of Tin Ka Ping Foundation. Client satisfaction and qualitative evaluation findings suggest that the project has positive impact on holistic development in students in mainland China.