Wisdom online: helping users acquire it Teens like to write about how they feel. Many of them use blogs and Facebook to express themselves. When staff at our Be-Netwise Support Centre find bloggers writing about unhappiness, depression and suicide, they offer timely help. Since the services began, twenty young volunteer Internet Ambassadors have written 26,000 encouraging, positive messages to help young people. It's not always easy to be sure how serious problems are, but online channels for communication provide an ideal way of asking, without being intrusive. As a result, in the last six months, our Web Positive! Youth Online Outreach Counselling Service have found 2,866 emotionally disturbed bloggers and left them tailor-made, caring messages. Almost 500 have responded well. Visit the Be-Netwise site at www.be-netwise.hk or the Youthline blog at http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/ youthline27778899 if you know anyone who needs help. We have also prepared guidelines for parents who are worried about what their children do online. Contact Phoebe, tel 2788 3433 of Web Positive, or Cecilia, tel 2788 3444 at the Be-Netwise Support Centre for Families. Recent news Princess Birgitta of Sweden visits HKFYG Creative Centre for Science and Technology On Thursday 3 December, Princess Birgitta of Sweden, accompanied by Mr Bo Ekander, Mrs Anna von Rosen Ekander and Ms Irma Silfverschiold of the Royal Sweden Hong Kong Society, visited the HKFYG Creative Centre for Science and Technology. They were joined by Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Chairman, Mr Nicholas Brooke, and its CEO, Mr E Anthony Tan, for an introduction to the centre and science activities by students from both the Dr Catherine F Woo Memorial School PM and HKFYG's Ching Lok Kindergarten. Contact Alice, tel 3755 7067 for more information. 500 HKFYG volunteer cheerleaders at East Asian Games launch VNET organized over 500 volunteers as cheerleaders during the launch of the games last weekend. They added to the gaudy atmosphere, handing out maracas, light fans, torches, toy drums and clappers to people in the crowd during the fireworks countdown. Then they all joined in the action on the Hong Kong Cultural Centre piazza and on the Avenue of Stars. Call Anna at VNET, tel 2169 0032 for information about joining the Youth Volunteer Network. Thank you partners Famous Amos Charity Cookie Sales Quick! Rush now to a Famous Amos Handmade Cookie Shop by 13 December and get a cookie gift box or a $20 candy pack to share with your family. 20% of the proceeds from cookies will be donated to support HKFYG and $5 from every candy pack. Hurry, while the offer lasts!! You will find Famous Amos at 3 outlets: B38, Basement 2, Langham Place, Mongkok, Kowloon tel 3422 8804 Shop 4, G/F, Sunning Plaza, 10 Hysan Avenue, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, tel 2890 6119 Shop 10, Level Two, The Peak Galleria, 118 Peak Road, Hong Kong, tel 2628 5539 Call Bonnie, tel 3755 7101 for more details. LEGO Mindstorms NXT from Dell through the China Youth Development Foundation The Federation has received a donation of HK$136,500 and 25 sets of LEGO Mindstorms NXT from Dell through the China Youth Development Foundation as a subsidy for 100 Primary 5-6 students at the HKFYG Lee Shau Kee Primary School. They will learn FLL (First Lego League) Robotics techniques and be able to enroll in FLL Robotics competition and activities. The donations will be used to provide training and activities for students, 10 of whom will be selected to join a summer camp in Shanghai. There, they will compete with other students from the mainland and have chance to visit the Shanghai expo. Call Iris, tel 3755 7107 for more details. The Hong Kong Jockey Club sponsors East Asian Games Tickets Many thanks to The Hong Kong Jockey Club for making tickets available to u21 youthnet members for the East Asian Games. For general enquiries about membership offers, please contact Marian, tel 3755 7072. What's new Youth Hong Kong on English: using it, or losing it OUT SOON! with a special report on drug testing in schools. Contact youthhongkong@hkfyg.org.hk to get your free copy. Visit youthhongkong.hkfyg.org.hk to read online. The Standard Chartered Hong Kong English Public Speaking Contest 2010 Contestants now invited for Junior Division, Secondary 1 to 3 (or equivalent) and Senior Division, Secondary 4 to 7 (or equivalent). Each spring, the Federation and the English Speaking Union (Hong Kong) organize this competition with sole sponsorship from the Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Ltd. The programme begins in late January, with preliminary rounds mid to late February, semi-finals on Saturday 13 March and finals on Saturday 10 April.* Deadline 6pm Monday 1 February 2010. Entry fee waiver for entries received before 6pm 18 January 2010. Further information from Ellsik, tel 2169 0255, or visit www.leadership21.hkfyg.org.hk * Dates are provisional