The Inauguration of Yew Chung College of Early Childhood Education and the Grand Opening of Pamela Peck Discovery Space leading to a new chapter in Early Childhood Education in Hong Kong

Yew Chung College of Early Childhood Education (YCCECE) is built on Yew Chung Education Foundation’s (YCEF) proud legacy of cultivating meaningful Early Childhood Education (ECE) for over 86 years. The College is the first dedicated early education institute in Asia. It consists of Pamela Peck Discovery Space, Hong Kong’s first play-based learning lab, aiming to promote the best practices in ECE that Yew Chung firmly believes in, while at the same time create synergies between academic research, pre-service and in-service teacher training, as well as community engagement. To commemorate these milestones of ECE in Hong Kong, an Inauguration Ceremony of Yew Chung College of Early Childhood Education and the Grand Opening of Pamela Peck Discovery Space will be held on 31st May 2019, and an Inauguration Conference will be held on 1st June 2019, in which esteemed scholars and educators from all over the world will share their insights into ECE.

YCCECE offers different levels of ECE programmes, including Diploma in Early Childhood Studies (DECS), Higher Diploma in Early Childhood Education (HDECE) and Bachelor of Education (Hons) in Early Childhood Education (BEdECE). With unique curricula and scholarships suitable for interested students from all walks of life, the College is devoted to cultivating future ECE elites. Meeting the latest trends and needs of society, the College’s professional Bachelor Degree programme is now offering concentration in Special Education Needs (SEN), and concentration in Infant & Toddler Education (InTod), which is the first local Bachelor programme with focus on this specific study area.

Pamela Peck Discovery Space, designed for children from birth to eight, and their teachers, parents or caregivers, aims at cultivating a positive attitude towards learning, and challenging children’s cognitive, social-emotional and physical development in a stimulating and enjoyable environment, i.e. via play-based learning, a philosophy that has always been pioneered and promoted by Yew Chung. The facility will be open to ECE centres or children and their families.

It took YCCECE almost two years to construct, taking inspiration from South Korea, Singapore, and Australia, and seeking advice from many international and local ECE experts, including those from Special Education, Infant and Toddler, as well as professional artists. The outdoor area of the hub boasts an interactive garden where children can experience the nuances and textures of the natural world, see the world from different perspectives while playing on the climbing frame or wall, create a whole new city in the sand box or have a taste of archaeology, or learn about mathematics and science in the water exploration area. The indoor section offers a space where children can discover and develop their talents and interests. From the Aberdeen-inspired Junk Boat climbing frame, the Bamboo frame construction corner, the thematic role-play room, the MTR area with panels and a passenger car, the mini theatre where children can showcase their dramatic talents, to the instrumental wall that caters for musical creativity and performance, the possibilities are endless.

The Inauguration Ceremony of Yew Chung College of Early Childhood Education will take place on 31st May featuring the following officiating guests: Mr. Kevin Yeung, JP, Secretary for Education, HKSAR, Mr. Jiang Jianxiang, Deputy Director General, Department of Educational, Scientific and Technological Affairs, LOCPG, Dr. Betty Chan, Chairperson of the Board of Governors of YCCECE, Prof. Patrick Chau, Vice Chairman of the Board of Governors of YCCECE, Dr. Lydia Chan, Chairperson of Council of YCCECE, Prof. Shen Shir Ming, President of YCCECE and Dr. Gary Morrison, former Chairman of the College Governing Council of Yew Chung Community College. On the same day, the Grand Opening of Pamela Peck Discovery Space will be officiated by the Founders of its generous donors Heart to Heart Foundation, Ms. Pamela Peck and Mr. Paul Tse, JP, together with Mr. Kevin Yeung, JP and Dr. Betty Chan.

The Inauguration Conference to be held on 1st June will be officiated by Mrs. Chan Siu Suk Fan, Principal Assistant Secretary (Kindergarten Special Duty), Education Bureau, HKSAR. Five internationally-acclaimed scholars from Hong Kong, South Korea, Mainland China and the United Kingdom will share their insights into ECE at the Conference: Prof. Anthony Cheung, GBS, JP, Chairperson of Task Force on Review of Self-financing Post-secondary Education, HKSAR, will talk about the future of local self-financing tertiary education; Prof. Rhee Won Young, Professor Emeritus of Early Childhood Education, Chung-Ang University, will focus on the philosophical foundations of ECE; Prof. Feng Xiaoxia from Beijing Normal University will share the recent ECE developments in Mainland China. Prof. Kathy Sylva, Professor of Educational Psychology, University of Oxford, will reveal the delicate relationship between educational research and practice, whereas Ms. Carol Archer, Qualified Teacher and Co-author of Movement Environment Rating Scale (MOVERS), will introduce the Sustained Shared Thinking and Emotional Wellbeing Scale (SSTEW) and MOVERS, two scales that measure the quality of education that young children receive.

Inauguration Ceremony of Yew Chung College of Early Childhood Education and Grand Opening of Pamela Peck Discovery Space

Date: 31st May 2019 (Friday)

Time: 15:00

Venue: Yew Chung College of Early Childhood Education

Address: 2 Tin Wan Hill Road, Aberdeen, Hong Kong

Inauguration Conference of Yew Chung College of Early Childhood Education

Date: 1st June 2019 (Saturday)

Time: 09:00 – 13:00

Venue: Auditorium, Yew Chung International School

Address: 3 To Fuk Road, Kowloon Tong, Kowloon

Language: Putonghua and English

About YCCECE

Yew Chung College of Early Childhood Education (YCCECE), a registered non-profit institution, was established in June 2018. It builds on the former Yew Chung Community College (YCCC), which was started in 2008 by the Yew Chung Education Foundation (YCEF), also a non-profit association. The success of the YCCECE is founded on the impressive track record of YCCC and YCEF’s more-than 86 years of experience in Early Childhood Education (ECE). YCCECE aims to nurture passionate and innovative early childhood educators who can advocate for and bring about improvement in the field, and seeks to be recognised in Hong Kong and in the Asia-Pacific region as an ECE hub for its excellence. YCCECE boasts an impressive team of world-renowned ECE academics and local ECE leaders as advisors and consultants. Its teaching faculty hails from around the world, providing a wealth of international perspectives and expertise. Its student body is also multi-cultural and from diverse socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds. YCCECE offers Bachelor of Education (Honours) in Early Childhood Education (BEdECE), Higher Diploma in Early Childhood Education (HDECE) and Diploma in Early Childhood Studies (DECS). YCCECE is also committed to serving the wider community and sharing good practices with all who work with, care for, or care about young children. Thus, the College has established Yew Chung Early Childhood Development Centre (YCECDC) to provide interactive professional development programmes for ECE practitioners, parents and caregivers. Pamela Peck Discovery Space in its Aberdeen campus is an interactive play space specifically designed for children aged 0 to 8 years old. Through expert facilitation by Pamela Peck Discovery Space staff, children and adults learn through play. This innovative play space in the Aberdeen campus will be open to the public in June 2019.