Regarded as the Oscars of ICT Awards, the Asia Pacific Information and Communications Technology Alliance (APICTA) Awards is an international awards program organised by APICTA, which aims to increase ICT awareness in the community and assist in bridging the digital divide. In the academic year 2024-25, the UMeta team from S4-S5 had the privilege of travelling to Brunei Darussalum for a 4-day overseas competition from 4th to 7th December 2024, after winning the Silver Award in the Hong Kong ICT Awards. We were ably led by our teacher-in-charge, Mr C.Y. Poon, to whom we are grateful for the guidance and care he accorded.
Our team embarked on this project in July 2024, inspired by the many difficulties in self-learning with online resources. As we began coding and sculpting our metaverse, we encountered a series of challenges, each one pushing us to innovate and refine our product.
We were fortunate to receive invaluable feedback from our judges in the HKICT, our mentor Dr. Louis Ma, Mr Stephen Lau and Mrs Agnes Mak from HKCS, and Irene from DOGA. Their collective guidance steered us towards improving both our pitching strategies and the quality of our end product. Through their mentorship, we not only overcame obstacles but also significantly elevated the standard of our work, ultimately resulting in a more polished and impactful final outcome.
When faced with unknown obstacles, we as a team were able to work together, providing support and exchanging ideas to enhance our educational metaverse. Each team member contributed a distinct perspective, which combined together to form a captivating and intriguing project.
Our time overseas also was an eye-opening experience. Brunei hosts some of Asia’s most beautiful examples of Islamic architecture. Exploring places like the Kampong Ayer water village, Gadong Night Market, and the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque gave us deep insight into the rich culture of Brunei. Since it was the first time for us visiting an Islamic country, we were captivated by the exquisite Islamic architecture and cuisines. Our excursion not only allowed us to admire the architectural marvels but also provided profound insight into the vibrant culture and deep-rooted traditions that define this remarkable country. It was a journey of cultural appreciation that left an indelible mark on our hearts and minds, fostering a deep respect for the rich cultural heritage of Brunei.
One of the most memorable aspects of APICTA was the chance to meet like-minded individuals from various countries. Through events like Hong Kong Night and the Student Networking Session, we connected with talented students who share the same passion for technology and innovation. These interactions were not only enriching but also eye-opening, as we got to learn about their projects and gain insights into their cultures, habits, and ways of life. It was amazing to see how creativity and technology transcend borders, bringing people together. These conversations inspired us greatly and encouraged us to think of new ways to improve our own project. Meeting such enthusiastic and skilled individuals motivated us to continue pushing ourselves and our ideas further.
Another key takeaway from this experience was the opportunity to improve on our presentation skills. Throughout the event, we presented our project to different audiences, including at Hong Kong Night, where we explained our ideas and the technical concepts behind them. These presentations challenged us to articulate our ideas clearly and confidently, even for complex technical details. One of the judges also gave us valuable feedback on how we could further improve our project, which was incredibly helpful and gave us new perspectives to refine our work. This process taught us the importance of effective communication and how to better present our ideas to others.
APICTA also gave us a chance to learn from other participants’ projects, which was a truly fascinating experience. We saw firsthand how ICT can be integrated into so many aspects of our lives, from solving everyday problems to addressing global challenges, for example using OpenSource code to create a text-to-speech chatbot. The creativity and innovation displayed by other participants broadened our understanding of the endless possibilities of technology, and it was deeply inspiring to witness the incredible work of our peers.
Overall, this experience has been incredibly fun and rewarding, and it will undoubtedly remain an unforgettable memory of our secondary school lives. We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to participate in such a prestigious event. We thank Mr. Poon for guiding and supporting our team throughout the trip to Brunei; Ms Carol Ho, Ms Grace Lo, and the HKCS team for organising this valuable opportunity and handling all the logistics, from flights to accommodations. We also owe our gratitude to the school and Mrs. Lau, for her generous support and unwavering guidance. Without her steadfast support, we wouldn’t have been able to grasp such an opportunity to represent the school and Hong Kong in participating in APICTA and achieving such amazing results. Lastly, we must extend our gratitude to all the APICTA committee members and judges for their hard work in making this event such a success.
DGS wins Inter-School Handball Competition (Girls Senior Grade) (12 Jan 2025)
On January 12, our team won first place in the final match of the Inter-School Handball Competition 2024-2025. With support from family members, friends and even passers-by, our team performed spectacularly in the harrowing, neck-to-neck match, which led to a tiebreaker 7-metre throw.
Team DGS clinched the victory in the end with our goalkeeper blocking 4 of the opponent’s throws. We thank our coaches and our teachers-in-charge for their support and encouragement as we strive for continued excellence.