In 2025, AYF continued to focus on supporting young people in building up their profiles as future-ready changemakers, strengthening the bridge between classroom learning, community engagement, and early career exploration. Building on the foundations laid in 2024, the AYF further expanded its partnerships with NGOs, schools, and impact organisations to co-create educational and action-learning opportunities for youth leadership and social innovation.
DGen 2025: summer momentum
In 2025, DGen marked the culmination of its first five-year chapter as a talent development initiative supporting youth in their school-to-work transitions through co-learning experiences, capacity building, and action learning projects. Rather than an ending, this milestone serves as a deliberate pause for reflection, allowing AYF and its partners to review the programme’s strengths, effectiveness, and long-term impact so that its next phase can be even more meaningful and sustainable.
Over the past five years, DGen has offered students structured pathways into real-world community projects through blended training, internships, and project-based collaborations with impact organisations, helping them strengthen both technical and soft skills while contributing to youth development, inclusion, and urban well-being. Grounded in the Inner Development Goals (IDGs) Guide —a comprehensive model of five dimensions and 25 skills and qualities for personal and career development—the programme has combined hands-on placements with mentorship, tailored skills training, and dedicated coaching to help participants articulate their strengths and build future-ready profiles.
We were also honoured to attend the IDG Summit in Sweden in October, where we had the opportunity to exchange insights with international peers and deepen our understanding of how the Inner Development Goals can be applied in youth development, leadership cultivation, and education-to-work transitions.
Hidden Gems of Youth: Unveiling the Future
To further support underserved youth, AYF convened “Hidden Gems of Youth: Unveiling the Future” early in the year as an exhibition and research to spotlight emerging youth voices and unconventional life journeys. Additionally, in collaboration with Gratia Christian College, AYF published an initial research brief based on a survey of young people transitioning out of residential care, examining their views on post-care support and the development of related services. The study generated responses from the media, helping to bring greater public attention to the needs and lived experiences of this often overlooked youth group.
Participation in the social innovation sector
AYF also took part in the sector’s activities. For instance, the “Museum of Epic Failures”, a community initiative under AYF, concluded its presence at the “S+ Summit cum Expo 2025,” organised by the Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS), , joining policymakers, and practitioners to explore emerging trends at the intersection of youth development, financial well-being, and social innovation.
Since 2015, the “Museum of Epic Failures” team has been challenging the negative stigma surrounding failure through creative exhibitions and public dialogues that promote a growth mindset grounded in reflection and resilience, and we shall continue with a school exhibition in early 2026.
Deepening Regional Youth Connections
AYF also continued to deepen its regional collaborations in 2025, including the support for the “Dragons in Malaysia” youth exchange initiative. Designed to connect young people in Hong Kong with peers and partners in the region, the programme will create space for cross-cultural learning, dialogue on shared social challenges, and co-created impact projects that broaden youth perspectives beyond local contexts.
The team were honoured to have a meeting with Hannah Yeoh, Minister of Youth and Sports of Malaysia and conducted a fruitful dialogue on the common issues facing the issues for both places. During the visit, the team also visited a number of impactful organisations, including SEEd.Lab, a sustainability-focused initiative powered by PETRONAS and Tata Consultancy Services that nurtures changemakers to build and scale purpose-driven, sustainable enterprises.
Looking ahead, AYF will continue to carry forward its shared commitment to youth by consolidating what has been learned over the past five years and translating it into deeper, more targeted support for young people. Together with our partners and the young people we serve, we remain dedicated to building a future where every youth can be seen, supported, and empowered to lead change in their own communities and beyond.