Summer 2026 News & Updates
Refugee Union Summer 2026 Camp
During July, our team decided to host an educational camp at Refugee Union (a Hong Kong charity) in response to parents seeking learning opportunities for their children. Because many of these families lack the financial resources for extracurricular activities, our goal was to make the most of the summer break by offering the children a truly memorable experience.
With hydroponics (growing plants without soil) becoming increasingly common, we decided to connect sustainable farming with a beloved childhood milestone: raising a pet. Drawing inspiration from Hong Kong’s famous Goldfish Street (金魚街)— a lively stretch of shops dedicated to fish, reptiles, and vivariums — we researched suitable household species. We eventually landed on Neon Tetras and small freshwater shrimp due to their steady waste production, which is ideal for hydroponics.
While topics like sustainability can sometimes feel dry, these young kids were genuinely thrilled—and a few were surprisingly well-informed! As we explained how the animals' waste acts as a natural fertilizer for the vegetables, they were just as excited about growing lettuce and onions as they were about getting their new pets.
Having spent time with the students beforehand, we wanted to design a fun, interactive session that would leave them with a lasting impression of a topic we care deeply about: sustainability.
With the sponsorships raised, we secured enough for our cohort of 12 students with fish tanks, oxygen pumps, food pellets, and various vegetable stems to get them started.
After plenty of time spent decorating their tanks and brainstorming names for their fish and shrimp, I can confidently say that every child left happy, with a memory they’ll cherish for a long time.
Other Recent News & Updates
UN STI Forum 2026
Since attending the 11th Science, Technology and Innovation Forum at the United Nations Headquarters in May as a youth stakeholder, I have reflected on how to scale the impact of Power4All.
The forum highlighted the importance of science, technology, and innovation as crucial and community-focused. As true innovation extends far beyond complex systems and massive infrastructure, it is ultimately about recognizing overlooked daily challenges and developing solutions that directly aid our planet and people.
With this project flourishing from the idea of Hong Kong’s issue of overconsumption and the challenges faced by its low-income community members and refugees, the presentations and chats from the STI Forum made clear that unsuitable practices and inequalities are relevant far beyond communities of my reach. Taking in the lessons from these interactions, it significantly guides my future steps in building upon the work of the projects.
Highlighting the connection between the engineering focus of Power4All and this forum, I especially valued the time and insight shared by Mr. Cameron Martin during the ‘Engineering a Sustainable and Resilient Built Environment and Infrastructure During and Through Technology Revolution’ side-event. With his expertise in nuclear power, he emphasized incorporating environmental impact and sustainability considerations when planning the evolution of next-generation technology. By referencing how to help industries and communities flourish, the event illustrated the importance of engineering input for the future of our planet, guiding my next steps for Power4All.
