Disadvantaged children in Hong Kong often grow up under significant financial pressure, with limited access to educational, cultural and equal learning and development opportunities. This restricts their participation in arts, nature, and other experiences that nurture confidence, creativity, social skills, and wellbeing.
Many families struggle to afford activities outside school. A SoCO study found that about 60% of disadvantaged children surveyed had no summer activities arranged, and 93% said their families found the cost of summer activities difficult to meet. At the same time, 85% of parents in a large local survey felt their child did not have enough contact with nature, and over 40% visited nature with family only once every six months or less.
These challenges affect not only academic progress but also children’s sense of belonging, self-expression, and readiness for the future. In-depth arts involvement is linked to better academic outcomes for teenagers and young adults from low socioeconomic backgrounds, including higher grades and greater rates of college enrollment.
LumiVoce responds to these challenges by bringing inclusive, high-quality arts-and-nature based programs directly to disadvantaged students, creating supportive spaces where they can learn, create, collaborate, and build resilience. Disadvantaged students are not held back by a lack of potential, but by unequal access to learning and development opportunities outside the curriculum. LumiVoce is working towards closing this opportunity gap in partnership with schools and community organizations, so that all students can thrive.
香港的弱勢兒童往往在巨大的經濟壓力下成長,取得優質教育資源、參與文化活動及享有平等的學習和發展機會均大幅受限。這種資源缺口,進一步限制了他們接觸藝術與大自然,阻礙其培養自信、創造力、社交技能及健全身心的可能。
許多家庭難以負擔課外活動的費用。香港社區組織協會(SoCO)的一項研究發現,約 60% 的受訪弱勢兒童沒有安排暑期活動,93% 的兒童表示他們的家庭難以負擔相關費用。同時,一項大型本地調查顯示,85% 的家長認為他們的孩子缺乏與自然的接觸,超過 40% 的家長表示孩子每六個月或更少才會與家人一起親近自然一次。
這些挑戰不僅影響孩子的學業進步,也影響他們的歸屬感、自我表達能力,以及面對未來的適應力。研究指出,深入參與藝術活動與低收入家庭青少年及年輕人的學業成績密切相關,包括更高的分數和更高的大學入學率。
明音致力於應對這些挑戰,將包容性強、高品質的藝術與自然教育項目直接帶給弱勢學生,為他們創造支持性的空間,讓他們能夠學習、創作、協作並培養韌性。弱勢學生並非缺乏潛力,而是缺乏課外學習和發展的機會。明音正與學校及社區組織合作,努力彌合這一機會差距,讓所有學生都能茁壯成長。
Reference: Society for Community Organization (SoCO) (2023) Survey Report on the Participation of Poor Children in Summer Activities [Chinese-language report]. Hong Kong: Society for Community Organization. Available at: https://soco.org.hk/《貧窮兒童參與暑期活動情況調查報告》