NEWS
Find out more of what we have been doing.
November 9, 2020
Enrol Now in ACO’s 2021 Careers Program!
With the ongoing pandemic, you may feel uncertain and stressed about what the future holds for you as a student! ACO is offering under-resourced students from F.4 or above an all-expenses-paid Careers Program in the summer of 2021. This series of enriching workshops, counselling and job shadowing experiences will afford you the expert guidance you need for university preparation, career exposure and more.
Don’t wait! Submit your application now!
Deadline: 24 Jan 2021
November 5, 2020
Community Support: Mask Donation
As the pandemic continues unabated, it is taking a disproportionate toll on under-privileged families in our community. Through the generous support of a special donor, ARCH Community Outreach (ACO) was able to present Fu Yiu Kindergarten with 3500+ masks and ~140 gifts on 27 October 2020, the birthday party of the school.
ACO student volunteers found the experience distributing the items extremely valuable. Jay, who joined ACO on that day, said, “I see that materials and happiness don’t have a strong correlation. Today I recognised the importance of giving back.” Caroline, who enjoyed working with the teaching staff at the school party, said, “the happiness everyone felt that day was tangible. It was heart-warming to see.” Rocky, one of the volunteers, said, “through this donation, I realised that even in such a trying time, people give back and not everything is as bad as it seems.”
Special thanks to Fu Yiu Kindergarten for affording ACO the chance to serve their school and their community.
October 9, 2020
Info Session: UK/US University Applications
ARCH Community Outreach held a widely attended webinar on 24 September, 2020. In the online information session, Ms. Ophelia Chan (UK Admissions Consultant) and Mr. Sean Massa (US Admissions Consultant) of ARCH Education shared the most up to date information on application requirements with participants online.
After the session, Ms. Lui, a teacher from Pui Ching Middle School, said she was grateful to learn valuable information regarding “pre-interview tests and aptitude tests when applying for UK universities.” Xu, a student of Baptist Lui Ming Choi Secondary School, added it was important to discover “how US universities prioritize continuous assessment over HKDSE.”
Special thanks to St. Paul's School (Lam Tin), our supportive, long-term partner, for providing expert technical support for this event.
October 7, 2020
CV Workshop for St. Paul’s School (Lam Tin)
On 23 September 2020, ARCH Community Outreach hosted a successful online CV Workshop at St. Paul’s School (Lam Tin). The entire F.5 class participated in the Zoom session led by Mr. Albert Ma, Associate Director of Education Services, ARCH Education, who discussed the format pillars of a professional CV. Mr. Albert Ma shared with students the content bullets necessary for building a stand-out CV, an important part of the college application process.
The students were thankful to have the opportunity to enhance their resumes. Tiffany C. found the workshop “extremely constructive” while Bridgit L. enjoyed Mr. Albert Ma’s “detailed explanation” of each specific example given.
Thank you to Mr. Albert Ma and ARCH Education for their support and for making this event possible!
September 28, 2020
Hong Kong Inter-School Mock Trial Championship (HKISMTC) 2021 -
Postponement Notice
Given the uncertain COVID-19 situation, we regret to inform you that the Hong Kong Inter-School Mock Trial Championship 2021, co-organized by ARCH Community Outreach (ACO) and Empire Mock Trial, has been postponed until further notice. Please take precautions to safeguard your health during this unprecedented time. For any questions, please feel free to contact ACO at / +852 3568 0406 (Ms. Kylie Ng/ Ms. Hilda Lam).
September 24, 2020
Careers Program 2020: Evaluation & Networking Day
Careers Program 2020 ended with the successful Evaluation & Networking Day on 5 September, co-organized by ARCH Community Outreach (ACO) and ACO Alumni Association (AAA)! The students actively engaged in presentation sharing and discussion sessions. As the organizers, we were glad to know that the cohorts learned great lessons from all the industrial partners, mentors and alumni guests!
Despite the pandemic situation, it was a relief to hear that the cohorts continued to enjoy amazing experiences at various webinars and different job shadowing opportunities! ‘This has been a very odd summer due to the coronavirus but you all have made this hard time a bit more enjoyable,’ said cohort Kevin Hui, offering sincere thanks to all the corporate partners for their collaborative efforts!
Special thanks to Dymon Asia and Union Medical Group for their time and effort investing in the sessions and sharing helpful insights!
Every ending is just a new beginning. More events are being organised by the AAA committee. Stay tuned for updates!
The UBS Private Bank Hong Kong (UBS) Workshop 2020
August 13, 2020
How do professionals cope with difficulties while working in competitive environments like the private banking industry? And how do they maintain a healthy lifestyle in a stressful environment? ARCH Community Outreach (ACO) was thankful for UBS Private Bank Hong Kong (UBS) which organised this practical workshop for our students from the Careers Program on 31 July 2020. Marco Lee, a member of the 2020 cohort, expressed that ‘the professionals have cordially shown their generosity in sharing tips which are valuable to adolescents like me, who are worrying about the future and feeling stressful.’
Through the online interactive breakout sessions on different themes, students not only learnt about the private banking industry but also received some useful advice from the professionals. ‘I have learnt how to deal with a problem in a group project as well as time management skills. I would like to apply them whenever I need to work with others in the future and even now,’ said Tiffany Mak, also from the 2020 cohort. Miffy Mok, another student, also expressed that ‘I have learned to be more understanding and rational when helping to solve others’ problems by trying to provide solutions.’
August 10, 2020
Allen & Overy Workshop 2020
Besides solicitors or barristers, there are a variety of other careers options available in the legal field. On 28 July 2020, the legal professionals of Allen & Overy (A&O) shared their insights with ARCH Community Outreach (ACO)’s students. ‘The workshop has granted me insights on how Law is essential not only to the criminal aspects but also to the commercial world. The stories they shared are very interesting and can remind us that a career path can be dynamic instead of being linear.’ said Dennis Hui, a student from the Careers Program 2020.
This virtual workshop was kicked off by Ms Yvonne Siew, the Partner of A&O HK, who delivered a welcome speech to the students. Following the Panel Session, the students got a chance to ask the professionals questions about their jobs. They also explored different roles and career paths in the legal industry in the group discussions. ‘I have learnt to be open-minded to different job opportunities in the legal career path. I will look for different possible jobs related to Law in the future.’ Ovi Cheung, another student said.
Special thanks to Allen & Overy for running this insightful workshop for our students!
August 7, 2020
Great Success at the Global Aspiring Medic Conference 2020
In this unprecedented moment, ARCH Community Outreach (ACO) successfully organized the Global Aspiring Medic Conference (GAMC), the largest student medical conference in Asia, on July 25, 2020. In collaboration with the University of Hong Kong (HKU), nearly 400 participants virtually met our incredible speakers. The students learnt about the evolving impact of AI on healthcare, gained insights into current trends in various medical specialities and received practical advice on how to begin their path towards a future career in medicine.
Professor Peter Mathieson (Principal and Vice-Chancellor, the University of Edinburgh), one of the Keynote Speakers, talked about 'Ways in Which AI and Data Analytics are Transforming Medical Care'. He reminded the medical students of the future to have some understanding of technologies, while still remembering the importance of empathy, compassion, and clinical judgement. Students also gained insights on the latest medical school admission trends from another keynote forum delivered by Dr. Angus Hsu and Ms. Jennifer Ma of ARCH Education.
Students thoroughly enjoyed the interactive Clinical Lectures delivered by Ms. Amy Tso (Honorary Research Associate, Department of Paediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, HKU Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine; Co-Founder & Advisor of ‘oneclick.hku.hk’) and Dr. Wilfred Wong (Senior IT Manager, Department of Paediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, HKU Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine) on the topic of 'A New Aspect to Improve the Quality of Life of Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in 10 Years and Onwards'; Dr. Harriet Stuart-Clarke (General Practitioner, General Health Medical Practice) on 'Looking to the Future – Women’s Health'; Dr. Caryn Wujanto (National University Cancer Institute, Singapore) on 'Recent Advances in Radiation Oncology'; and Dr. Joseph MK Lam (Specialist in Neurosurgery, Honorary Clinical Associate Professor, the Chinese University of Hong Kong) on 'The Next 10 Years of Neurosurgery'.
We look forward to organizing next year's GAMC and hope many of you will be able to join us again!
June 24, 2020
Careers Program 2020: Critical Thinking Workshop
ARCH Community Outreach (ACO) was delighted to host a skills training workshop for the 2020 cohort of the Careers Program on 14 June, at ARCH Education. Mr. Albert Ma, Associate Director of Education Services at ARCH Education, delivered a Critical Thinking Skills Workshop and practiced several group interviews with the students. They were amazed by his presentation and the skills he taught. One of the students, Miffy Mok, said that it was “such a comprehensive workshop.”
The students found the workshop inspirational and practical. Sapphire Wong learnt how to “think broader from different perspectives” while Anthony So discovered “the ways to answer an abstract question.” Apart from applying these new communication strategies in school discussions, Marco Lee expressed that he was “going to apply them in real life.”
June 21, 2020
Global Aspiring Medic Conference (GAMC) 2020
The Global Aspiring Medic Conference (GAMC) is the largest student medical conference in Asia which aims at showcasing innovations that are transforming the healthcare industry. ARCH Community Outreach (ACO) has invited professionals to share their expertise in the fields of Medicine, Chinese Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Psychology, Biomedical Science and Medical Technology - reflecting the multidisciplinary nature in clinical practice and research.
GAMC strives to give students the opportunity to learn about the evolving topics of how AI impacts healthcare. This year, the conference will be conducted virtually by leading academics from highly ranked research institutes and admissions experts. Students will discover requirements and strategies for putting together successful medical school applications. Additionally, there will be a Q&A session for students to gain insights and practical advice from our guest speakers on how to begin their path towards a future career in medicine.
Through interactive e-lectures, GAMC provides a platform for students to explore the potential and challenges of AI in the healthcare industry. Stay tuned for more exciting announcements and our line-up of incredible speakers for GAMC 2020!
For more information and registration: https://www.gamchk.com/
June 15, 2020
CAREERS PROGRAM 2020 - ORIENTATION DAY AND CV WORKSHOP
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, which has swept across the world, our determination to strive for a better future has not been affected. Instead of a usual in-person meetup, ARCH Community Outreach (ACO) successfully held the Orientation Day for Careers Program 2020 online on 31 May.
In this hard time, the executive committee of ACO Alumni Association is pleased to have connected ACO’s previous cohorts and industry guests for Alumni sharing. They were here to share with the students about their experience in the Careers Program, their journey to university and career paths.
During the session of UK & US Sharing, Jeff Cheung (2016 Cohort), studying at Wesleyan University in the US, told students to be brave and seize every opportunity as it might be a life-changing decision. Shannon Chau (2018 Cohort), studying at the London School of Economics in the UK, gave practical advice to those who would like to study abroad. Christine Kun, one of the 2020 cohorts, said this session was her favourite, as the ‘informative sharing is definitely useful’ to her because she is considering applying to overseas universities.
A CV workshop delivered by Mr Albert Ma, Associate Director of Education Services, ARCH Education, was held to kick-start the program. This CV workshop helped students to ‘have a clear mind on how to write a simple, concise but detailed CV’, as described by Tiffany Mak, another student of this year's cohort.
ACO would like to take this opportunity to thank ARCH Education, ACO’s alumni and corporate guests for their continuous support to our program. Also, we appreciate our students for their patience and the flexibility they have shown, and we admire their willingness to learn about ways to continue working towards their goals even in such a difficult time.
Be safe and be well! We look forward to meeting again soon!
June 5, 2020
INFORMATION SESSION: UK/US UNIVERSITIES APPLICATIONS AND SCHOLARSHIPS
ARCH Community Outreach (ACO) hosted 2 online information sessions on the 3rd and 4th of June, 2020. We are deeply hounoured to have ARCH Education’s UK/US Admissions Consultants sharing their insights with our participants online. They talked about the recognition of HKDSE and the application and preparation of UK/US universities at the beginning of the live webinars.
During the session of the UK/US scholarships, our guest speakers from The D. H. Chen Foundation Scholarship (University of Oxford, UK), Prince Philip Scholarship (University of Cambridge, UK) and Freeman Asian Scholarship (Wesleyan University, US) gave a brief introduction about the scholarships and reminded what should the participants prepare before applying.
ACO aims to provide assistance to the students with financial burdens to realize their potentials through our University Application Support Program. You are able to dream big too. Submit your application now: https://bit.ly/35NcaDe
May 4, 2020
Announcement on Careers Program 2020
ARCH Community Outreach (ACO) has completed the Super Day Interview Online event for Careers Program 2020. We are delighted to meet all the brilliant candidates. Hope they enjoyed this interview experience, engaging with your interviewer one-on-one or in a small group format, and found the feedback useful.
Despite all the inconvenience the pandemic is putting us through, we just witnessed a record-breaking number in participating schools joining the Program. For that, we sincerely thank the schools for their continuous support and involvement.
Special thanks to our volunteers and the Executive Committee of ACO Alumni Association (AAA) who tirelessly screened applications and conducted interviews with the candidates.
Results will be announced by 7 May, 2020. Once again, thank you very much to everyone who had contributed and participated in this event.
March 20, 2020
Super Day Interview 2020
First part of the Super Day Interview 2020 had successfully completed on 14th of March. In response to the recent public health situation, ARCH Community Outreach (ACO) conducted the individual interviews online this year. We want to take this opportunity to thank all the students and schools for their participation.
Special thanks to the Board of Directors of ACO, the ACO Alumni Association (AAA) and our industry partners for being our voluntary interviewers. Without their continuous support, this interview would not have been successful.
The second part of the interview will take place soon, so please stay tune. In the meantime, stay healthy everyone!
