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Centers of Excellence

Introduction

Our Centers of Excellence at THS truly distinguish the learning experience for our students and set us apart from all other schools around the world. The COEs, as we call them, are on the frontier of STEAM education and learning is unbound by the conventional K-12 system. The integration of state of the art resources and specialized expertise can likened to collegiate level offerings. 

 

The COE Mission Statement:

What it means to be a COE is to “go across” all ages, accessible and open to all, integrated into the fabric of the curriculum; co-creating novel material, experiences and products with the teachers. COEs are place-based AND/OR experiential-specific areas of expertise identified by the HOS which greatly enhance the learner’s experience, school values, and professional development.

 

Model

 

Marine Science Center

Our state of the art Marine Science Center teems with Jellyfish, Bamboo Shark, Sting Rays, Eels, corals, etc from local Hong Kong Waters and beyond. The aquariums and touch tanks rival the best in the world and truly worth an admission price. Our Resident Marine Scientists are pre-eminent authorities in the field and collaborate with Hong Kong University to contribute to research on the local marine environment.  

Black Dolphin

We have our own tallship! There are a lot of boats that do education, but very few schools that do boats. Our 50' sailboat the Black Dolphin, was built during World War II and has a tradition of sailing all over the world. Maritime history is alive as well as learning navigating the Hong Kong waters under sail and overnight trips to the outlying islands. The Black Dolphin is an adventurous learning lab where teamwork thrives.  

Foundry

Our maker space, The Foundry is a bustling creative zone where student and teacher ideas materialize. Using the Design Thinking Model, the Foundry brings a careful and throughout interactive process to making crafts, products, instruments and more. The Foundry is known for thinking big and is involved with many school wide initiatives.

 

 

The synergy 

The COEs often work in tandem to co-create unprecedented experiences. Marine Action and Regeneration (MAR) Program is the exemplar. HK marine environment suffers from shipping, runoff water, overfishing, plastic debris, and micro plastics. Water temperatures continue to rise and coupled with acidification this has led to the loss of extensive marine life including bedrock coral ecosystems. MAR has taken a leading role in seeking solutions and finding successful models that are improving Hong Kong's marine flora and fauna. Our initiatives, such as artificial oyster reefs, seaweed farming, and plastics upcycling, have proven to positively impact the environment and have been heralded within our school, the HK community, and internationally. See the recent recognition as with the World’s Best School Prizes here. 

Over the last 1-2 years, our innovation has been growing with significant achievements. In 2021, we successfully deployed artificial oyster reefs, which supported the growth of 50 oysters and sequestered over 0.83 Kilos of carbon. Another reef was deployed in 2022, and we aim to continue scaling up the program over the next three years. In March 2023, we achieved proof of concept for our seaweed farming initiative, with 10 structures built by students in the Foundry and deployed at various locations in local Hong Kong Waters. Ulva seaweed grew exceptionally well, and we are in the process of scaling up the model with the support of the Hong Kong Government. Additionally, we received an in-kind donation of a Precious Plastics Machine in 2022 to address plastics in the ocean.  Watch the program in action here. 

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