Hongkong Land Foundation “AI For Good” Hackathon
Commissioned by the Hongkong Land Foundation, the pioneering “AI for Good” Hackathon was successfully held on 21 and 22 March 2026. As the key programme partner, J.C.DISI provided professional support across conceptual facilitation, capacity building, project management, and student engagement. This collaboration empowered NGO teams to leverage AI and co-creation methodologies to transform complex social issues into concise, actionable solutions.
Under J.C.DISI’s guidance, participating teams utilised AI tools to develop “Pattern Books” that possess both investment potential and practical feasibility. These frameworks ensure that social innovation proposals not only align with the Foundation’s strategic pillars of “People, Place, and Culture”, but are also “investment-ready”.
Through this partnership, J.C.DISI has successfully bridged the gap between technological application and social impact. Guided by expert mentors, the four shortlisted teams have further refined their proposals for implementation.
Leveraging The Power of Urban Informatics for Policy Making
Through our train-the-trainer model, 15 passionate “young-olds” become trainers for JCDISI’s All-age Inclusive Community Assessment Indicators. These citizen scientists combine subjective lived experiences with objective place audits to pinpoint user pain points, evolving into active community co-creators.
Looking ahead, we aim to scale this approach across the sector. Want to use AI for data-driven planning, impact assessments, or ESG goals, but don't know where to start? Reach out at disi.enquiry@polyu.edu.hk.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust has commissioned J.C.DISI to conduct the “KeySteps@JC Local Case Study”, focusing on Sham Shui Po as its inaugural phase to examine how local social capital and support networks bolster child development.
In March 2026, the research team conducted a focus group with 12 social service representatives ranging from executive leadership to frontline staff. This diverse group provided profound insights into local family environments and parenting challenges, while also analysing key interactions within the community to assess the resilience of existing support networks.
By synthesising these multi-dimensional observations, the discussions successfully forged a shared vision for a “child-flourishing community”. This exchange has not only laid a solid foundation for subsequent research but has also facilitated a deeper dialogue among service providers, paving the way for a lasting and collaborative social support network.
Inclusive Social Innovation Day
The Inclusive Social Innovation Day, held on 20 March, gathered primary and secondary school principals and teachers, social enterprises, and non‑profit organisations to explore how cross‑sector collaboration can be effectively embedded into school practice. Co‑organised by J.C.DISI, Fullness Social Enterprises Society, and the Social Enterprise Summit, the event featured a series of themed training workshops that facilitated dialogue among educators, social enterprises, and NGOs.
Among them, the J.C.DISI Design Education Team led the workshop “Community Partners’ Dialogue – ‘Inclusive’”, providing a platform for meaningful exchange on building innovative and inclusive partnerships between schools and community partners. ASCEND youth‑led teams also presented their innovative projects through an interactive showcase, engaging participants in discussions on inclusive education and social innovation, and exploring opportunities for cross‑sector collaboration.
Through exchange and practice sharing, the event demonstrated the potential for schools and community partners to work together in connecting education with social innovation.
J.C.DISI is honoured to support the Hong Kong Council of Social Service’s "Secret Chat" Project. This initiative innovatively combines in-person services with online chat, breaking the traditional framework of social work to support the mental health needs of young people.
In December 2025, we participated in a sharing session to review the project’s outcomes and look to the future, joining forces with the sector to explore new opportunities for supporting DSE students’ mental health through both online and offline channels.
Supported by the Lee Kum Kee Family Foundation, HKCSS has spent the past two years working alongside frontline social workers from various organisations, youth advisors, and expert teams. By integrating data, practice, and youth voices, the project has successfully enhanced social workers’ capacity to support youth mental health on online platforms.
