TLDR: The ninth CoolThink@JC Competition grand final, held on July 5, 2025, at City University of Hong Kong, celebrated primary school students’ digital creativity in solving real-world problems. King’s College Old Boys’ Association Primary School No.2 won the ‘App Inventor’ category, while St. Mary’s Canossian School secured the ‘Scratch’ category. The competition, funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, showcased innovative projects, including AI comics for financial literacy, and highlighted the program’s success in fostering computational thinking among over 100,000 students since 2016.
HONG KONG SAR – The grand final of the ninth CoolThink@JC Competition, a pivotal event encouraging primary school students to harness digital creativity for everyday problem-solving, concluded successfully on July 5, 2025, at the City University of Hong Kong. The prestigious competition saw young minds present innovative solutions, with teams from King’s College Old Boys’ Association Primary School No.2 and St. Mary’s Canossian School emerging as champions in their respective categories.
Organised by CoolThink@JC, a significant initiative conceptualised and funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, this year’s competition attracted an impressive pool of over 120 team entries. From these, 40 teams advanced to the finals, with eight outstanding teams earning a coveted spot in the grand final to vie for top honours. The shortlisted teams captivated the public and a distinguished judging panel – comprising experts from the education, information technology, and business sectors – by showcasing their app designs and creative concepts through engaging presentations and booth exhibitions.
Awards at the grand final were presented by prominent figures, including Tony Wong, Commissioner for Digital Policy of the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau of the HKSAR Government, and Winnie Ying, Head of Charities (Youth Development & Poverty Alleviation; and Talent & Sector Development) of The Hong Kong Jockey Club.
In her address, Winnie Ying expressed immense pride in witnessing the innovative ideas presented at this ninth edition of the competition. She specifically highlighted the remarkable creativity and innovation evident in student projects, citing examples such as applications promoting fitness in sports, interactive tools for learning Chinese through oracle bone script, and the development of AI comics designed to teach financial literacy. Ying affirmed that the event ‘stands as a testament to the Club’s collective efforts in fostering computational thinking and creativity among Hong Kong’s upper primary school students,’ underscoring the program’s profound impact on nurturing future digital leaders.
Since its inception in 2016, the CoolThink@JC program has made substantial strides, reaching over 100,000 students and providing training to more than 2,000 teachers, significantly enhancing computational thinking education across Hong Kong. The program has also garnered international recognition, securing three international accolades, including a Silver Award in the Engineering & Technology category and a Bronze Award in the Learning & Teaching category at the 2021 QS Reimagine Education Awards, as well as international standard certification from the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). Furthermore, the Hong Kong Education Bureau has refined and developed the program’s content into teaching materials, which were promoted for adoption by all aided primary schools in Hong Kong in 2023.
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Looking ahead, CoolThink@JC continues to expand its reach and impact. Students will have opportunities to participate in exchange activities with mainland schools through the ‘Computational Thinking Education Sister Schools’ program during the summer. Additionally, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was recently signed with Cambodia’s Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, signalling the program’s commitment to introducing the CoolThink@JC curriculum and educational model to primary schools in Cambodia, further fostering computational thinking and AI education regionally.
