About 100 secondary school students join Building Safety Pioneer Programme (with photos)
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     The 2016-17 Building Safety Pioneer Programme (BSPP) has been officially launched. About 100 secondary school students from 19 schools will participate in various activities of the one-year programme to better understand the importance of building safety, the responsibilities of building owners and the duties of the Buildings Department (BD) and building professionals.

     Students participating in this year's programme attended the inauguration ceremony held at Zero Carbon Building in Kowloon Bay today (July 16). Participants of last year's programme were also awarded Building Safety Pioneer certificates at the ceremony. Award-winning teachers and students of last year's programme shared their feelings and experience gained from the programme at the ceremony.

     Speaking at the ceremony, the Deputy Director of Buildings, Mr Cheung Tin-cheung, said the programme aims to enhance youngsters' awareness of and their sense of responsibility towards the living environment. The programme will also arouse their interest in building-related professions.

     Mr Cheung encouraged the students to actively participate in every activity of the programme in the coming year, and urged students from last year's programme not to forget what they learned about building safety and to share their knowledge and experiences with families and friends to help promote building safety.

     Organised by the BD and co-organised by the Education Bureau and Hong Kong Education City, the BSPP targets secondary school students who have been nominated by their schools to join the programme. The event is also supported by the Hong Kong Institute of Architects, the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers, the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors and the Urban Renewal Authority.

     The theme of the one-year programme is to disseminate building safety messages via micro-film production. The Building Safety Pioneers are required to join a building safety day camp in September and a micro-film production workshop in December, and shoot a 10-minute building safety-related micro-film by February 2017 to compete for the Best Building Safety Micro-film Award. Participating students are also required to:
 
  • watch four short films (five minutes each) and prepare a write-up (200 words);
  • join workshops organised by the BD and building professional institutes;
  • pay visits to workplaces of the BD and related building professionals (architects, engineers and surveyors);
  • visit the BD thematic website's "Care For Your Building" page and play the three online games "Building Pioneers", "Defect Shooter" and "Minor Works Go Go Go"; and
  • organise activities in their schools to promote building safety and submit a school project report at the end of the programme.

     Participating schools and students who successfully finish the programme will be awarded book coupons and certificates. Book coupons and certificates will also be given to winners of the Best Building Safety Micro-film Award and the Best School Promotion Award.

     Meanwhile, all Hong Kong school students are invited to visit the BD thematic website's "Care For Your Building" page and play the three online games "Building Pioneers", "Defect Shooter" and "Minor Works Go Go Go". The school with the maximum number of students finishing the three online games and getting the highest score before June 30, 2017, will win the Most Supportive School Award - Online. Book coupons and certificates will be awarded to the winning school.

     For details of the BSPP, please visit the BD's thematic website (www.careyourbuilding.bd.gov.hk) and view related videos at the YouTube “BDGOVHK” channel (www.youtube.com/user/BDGOVHK).

Ends/Saturday, July 16, 2016
Issued at HKT 12:34

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