Bridging Gaps to Success for Hong Kong Students

ARCH Community Outreach

We’re proud to have established in 2011 ARCH Community Outreach (ACO), a non-profit charity, which aims to broaden Hong Kong youth’s exposure to international education experiences and diverse careers networks.

ACO was initially funded by a generous donation from our founders. Now, when you sign up for any programs or services at ARCH, a portion of the fee goes toward funding ACO’s various outreach initiatives!

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Overview

Through ACO, we collaborate with local academic institutions, corporates and NGOs to organize and deliver various programs to widen access to and participation in international education and career opportunities.

Widening Access Programs

Widening Access Programs
Widening Participation Programs

Widening Access Programs

Recognizing that there are many high achievers in Hong Kong who, due to coming from an under-resourced background, may lack the support and guidance for academic and professional success. ACO helps to provide academic and professional guidance by offering free of charge programs including:

ACO CAREERS PROGRAM

We help students bridge gaps between their current academic preparation and their future career goals with mentorship and career exposure.

Annually, ACO identifies 20-30 academically high-achieving but under-resourced students who are proactively seeking mentorship and career exposure.

The ACO Careers Program helps those students to…

Bridge gaps between current academic preparation and future career success
Gain exposure and mentorship in diverse careers networks
Identify pathways towards their academic and professional goals
Prepare for applications to universities in Hong Kong or overseas
Feel inspired & empowered to believe in themselves
Understand how they can make a positive difference in their communities

To qualify for the ACO Careers Program, students must:

Study in a Hong Kong local school
Be in Form 4 or above
Provide ACO with background information and teachers’ recommendation to determine eligibility for program admissions

See on the left the partial list of industry partners for the ACO Careers Program.

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UNIVERSITY APPLICATION SUPPORT

We provide students who qualify to apply to overseas universities with support from ARCH Education’s team of expert UK & US admissions consultants.

The University Application Support Program helps high-achieving, under-resourced students reach their full potential and maximize chances for success in applying to top UK and US universities.

For a select group of qualified students, our team of expert UK & US admissions consultants and subject specialist tutors provide ongoing guidance that includes:

Standardized test preparation
UK/US university selection
Personal statement / essay guidance
Recommendation guidance
Interview preparation
Financial aid / scholarship application support

To qualify for the University Application Support program, students must:

Study in a Hong Kong local school
Be in Form 3 or above
Provide ACO with background information to determine eligibility for free university application support

Previous students have received admissions offers from the following overseas universities*:

Cambridge University
Imperial College London
University of College London
University of Chicago
University of California, Los Angeles
Wesleyan University

*Partial list

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SCHOOL WORKSHOPS

We equip teachers and counselors of government and aided Hong Kong secondary schools with the tools and information to support students applying to competitive overseas universities.

School Workshops are tailor-made for teachers and counselors of ACO’s partner schools (government & aided Hong Kong secondary schools).

Led by ARCH’s tutors and admissions consultants, the workshops aim to equip educators with the tools and information to support their students in applying to competitive universities overseas.

Through these workshops, ACO helps teachers and counselors with:

Training on how to review students’ personal statements and CV, help students prepare for university interviews, and draft recommendation letters for their students’ university applications
Organizing talks for the schools by inviting speakers specializing in scholarship funds to share insights on how students can find financial assistance for university studies via scholarship programs
Assistance on individual student applications to overseas universities

ACO’s partner schools* include:

Baptist Lui Ming Choi Secondary School
Christian Alliance S C Chan Memorial College
Ho Fung College
Po Leung Kuk Li Shiu Chung Memorial College
SKH Bishop Mok Sau Tseng Secondary School
SKH Chan Young Secondary School
SKH Lam Woo Memorial Secondary School
SKH Tsang Shiu Tim Secondary School
St. Paul's School (Lam Tin)
Tsuen Wan Government Secondary School
Yuen Long Merchants Association Secondary School

*Partial list. View full list here.

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SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT

We help our students find ways to fund their education abroad by offering advice, guidance and interview skills on scholarships granted by boarding schools, universities in the UK and US as well as other available sources.

Scholarship Support is how we help ACO students achieve a higher success rate on scholarship applications and afford the costs associated with studying overseas. We also actively line up with different overseas educational institutions to bring more resources to Hong Kong.

University Scholarships
With support from ARCH’s UK and US admissions consultants, our students have received university scholarships like:

Hong Kong Scholarship of Excellence Scheme (HKSES)
Freeman Scholarship
Prince Philip Scholarship
Lee Hysan Foundation Scholarship

Boarding School Scholarships
ACO is honoured to be the appointed partner of Radley College, one of the UK’s leading independent boarding schools for boys. The partnership allows us to assist one boy from Hong Kong per year to be awarded the Greater China Scholarship (GCS), which covers 100% of the cost to attend Radley College.

Boys from Hong Kong are eligible to apply for the GCS if they are:

Ages 13 to 14
From significantly less-advantaged background
Able to speak English well
Academically very bright, curious and talented
Ambitious, committed, resilient, and enjoy engaging with their peers at school

Other key considerations:

Musically strong is an advantage
Parental support

Value of Greater China Scholarship

5 years' education at Radley College, at up to 100% of fees
Any necessary coaching in Hong Kong prior to entry
Music lessons
UK guardian fees
English lessons if required
4 Economy return flights each year

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Testimonials

Kelvin Lam

GCS 2021 Scholar; S.K.H. Lam Woo Memorial Secondary School | Radley College, UK

It is my great honour to have received this scholarship. Thanks to the support of Radley College and ACO, I managed to overcome all the difficulties amid the COVID-19 outbreak. I really enjoyed the eye-opening screening and interview process as I have truly been inspired by all the challenging but interesting questions raised by the Warden of Radley College, Mr Moule, and the Senior Master, Mr Hammond. Not only has the wide array of questions helped the school access the eligibility of all candidates, it has also offered me a great chance to understand more about education in the UK and reflect on my learning. To me, it is certainly a dream come true. I am looking forward to more unforgettable and fantastic opportunities in the UK. Last but not least, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Radley College, ACO, my current school and all the important people in my life who have offered me guidance and encouragement throughout the journey.

Mr YY Pang

Vice Principal - SKH Bishop Mok Sau Tseng Secondary School

On behalf of our school, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to ACO for providing our students with the opportunity to join the summer program. The invaluable internship experience and mentorship scheme reinforce our students’ career aspiration, and the workshops empower them with the skills in pursuing their dreams.

Mr Chan Ka Yun

Former Principal - SKH Lam Woo Memorial Secondary School

We always encourage our students to start their career planning as early as possible. The reality is that secondary schools and teachers have very limited resources to help the students with the whole process. We are extremely fortunate to have the support from ACO. Throughout these years, those lucky students who participated in ACO Career Program had broadened their horizon with a wide variety of activities, like mentorship and career exposure through which they gained a better understanding of their future career development.

Katie Mok

2019 Cohort; SKH Tsang Shiu Tim Secondary School

Careers Program has provided multi-pronged support focusing in academic and career aspects. It’s worthwhile since I have received first-hand experience in some industries and have also built social networks with my peers.

Conner Yim

2018 Cohort; Po Leung Kuk Centenary Li Shiu Chung Memorial College | Imperial College, UK (Aeronautical Engineering)

With the enormous support from the Careers Program of ACO, not only did I expose myself to a wide array of job shadowing experiences, which all cultivated to my most precious delight in gaining confidence in my field of interest, but also empowered me to go of my own volition. The tailored internship opportunity encouraged me to understand both of my virtue and drawbacks while also challenged my perspectives towards career and life. I am more than thankful to ACO by connecting me to like-minded people and it is a valuable experience not to be missed.

Widening Participation Programs

For all students in Hong Kong, ACO offers opportunities to explore interests in popular career paths with annual competitions and events including:

THE GLOBAL ASPIRING MEDIC CONFERENCE (GAMC)

GAMC is the largest student medical conference in Asia which aims at showcasing innovations that are transforming the healthcare industry. Throughout the years, 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.

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HONG KONG INTER-SCHOOL MOCK TRIAL CHAMPIONSHIP (HKISMTC)

With the mission of bringing a new form of debate and public speaking to Hong Kong students, the mock-trial competition is suitable for students who are interested in pursuing careers in law – winning team receives sponsorship to travel to the US for international competition.

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Testimonials

A.E.

Principal of Li Po Chun United World College

I wanted to say a huge thank you for supporting our students to attend the Mock Trial. I really appreciate this support, particularly with the large number of students we do have on scholarship. I understand you not only found ways financially to support our students, but you gave a lot of encouragement in terms of the preparation for the event and also in watching them participate.

A.C.

St Paul's Convent School

A good challenge is the spice of life; Inter-school Mock Trial is the spice of high school. Mock trial tests your ability to comprehend a sophisticated case, your ability to convince a jury and your ability to think on your feet. The best thing about the tournament, however, is the friends you make outside the court—they could be from opposing counsel who just objected during your direct examination. In a nutshell, Mock Trial was an unforgettable and glorious highlight of high school life.

Honorable Mr. Justice Jonathan Harris

Hong Kong

The Competition is a valuable opportunity for the participants to experience something of the trial process which is a fundamental component of our legal system. It is also an opportunity to compete in an event which requires a broad set of skills including flexible thinking and effective communication. Learning to master your nerves and developing confidence in public speaking is one of the benefits of taking part in moots.

T.M.

Maryknoll Convent School

I gained insight into medic studies from GAMC. This event was very informative yet interesting. I got to learn a lot about different specialties in the medicine field.

Brian

St Paul’s College

GAMC is an event that should be continued and the talks were extremely enlightening and informative. The conference was interesting and it was a great success, people were very enthusiastic and actively engaged in learning.

Learn More

If you’re interested to learn more about ACO’s initiatives, please visit the ACO website.

You can also take a look at our Events and Workshops to find information about upcoming ACO programs and photos from past events!

*IR File No. 91/11870