Service Fair — A sensational experience!
By Sally Lee and Nadia Hung
The annual Service Fair is a phenomenal showcase of student-led initiatives and external NGOs in HK. On September 18th, 2025, students from Year 6 to Year 13 flooded the PAC to explore student-led clubs and activities that gave back to the wider community, also known as ‘service’ opportunities. This year, the event was a tremendous success, inspiring students to engage with causes that they are passionate about.
‘Service’ can be categorized into two types: indirect and direct service. Direct service includes students personally interacting with the beneficiaries. Indirect service sees students supporting a cause without direct contact, such as by raising awareness or organizing fundraisers. This year's fair was packed with diverse examples of both, offering students a variety of opportunities for every interest.
As Service Fair began, the energy was immense as students explored the various stalls. For many, Service Fair was an entrance to a variety of new passions and a deeper understanding of global issues.
“Service Fair was an excellent chance for us to understand the projects that people from not only the school, but also other charities have been working on to help build a better world for many families,” exclaimed Lindsey Hsu, a Y9 student. “We got the chance to get inspired by those taking action, and we could find ways to help.”
Echoing the sentiment, Karina Wong, another Year 9 student, shared, “It was really fun and gave a chance for others to find out what they're interested in! The stalls were really well decorated and matched the themes. They were also very friendly and encouraging!”
Mr Chiang, the CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) coordinator and one of the main organizers of the Service Fair, confirmed the event’s success, stating that it was “very well attended by a lot of different students. There were DP students, primary students, MYP students, and also a good variety of NGOs that supported the event.”
This year, the purpose of the Service Fair was to allow students to explore ‘service’oppoutunities and the successful student-led clubs, including extracurricular NGOs, mentoring oppoutunities, and interest-related activities. Not only were students from all across Secondary School able to showcase their initiatives and clubs, but external NGOs (Box of Hope, Kids4Kids, etc.) also attended and raised awareness about pressing global issues. These external NGOs deeply sparked interest in students, encouraging them to think about how they could further take action to help the wider community.
“I thought the Box of Hope was really cool because people could donate different items that homeless people needed, and not only does it help, it also seemed quite fun,” remarked Lindsey Hsu. “I really enjoyed the confident talks that the stands provided for students, which allowed us to gain a deeper understanding of the activities that other students have created, and this inspired more people to help and take action.”
(Photo by Sally Lee)
Girls Who STEM at Service Fair
“I was most interested in the arts & crafts themed services, since my passion is the arts,” explained Karina Wong.
Cedrik Yu, another Y9 student, highlighted the value of practical, role-model examples, stating he was most interested in "the stalls that were a practical example of good initiatives and examples," and affirmed that the event was a "good opportunity for service."
The 2025 RCHK Service Fair was a resounding success, a testament to the school's commitment to student leaders and giving back to the wider community. However, whilst the event was widely praised, students provided constructive feedback to make the Service Fair even better next year. A common suggestion was related to the logistics and flow of the event.
“I think that the Service Fair was a really good experience, although I wish that we could have spent more time to spend there,” commented Lindsey.
This was a sentiment supported by Cedrik Yu, who also suggested that the organizers should "make it not as cramped" to improve the overall experience.
With the feedback received, Mr Chiang added, “It was hard to coordinate the event, but we should also acknowledge that Mr. Julian and Ms. Whitehair did most of the work.”Looking forward, Mr Chiang expressed his hope that “more service ideas would be included in the curriculum. Service shouldn’t be regarded as just a ‘club’ or ‘activity’. I think we should integrate it into the subjects that we’re learning, such as PE, Maths, and Science.”
Ultimately, the interviewees all agreed that the Service Fair was extremely successful this year, with Cedrik Yu further highlighting that “the event was successful as everyone got a form of service.”
“Until you try, you don't know what you can do.” Perhaps next year, we’ll see you with your own stall at the Service Fair and your own club; in this case, good luck and have fun exploring your interests.