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FIRST LEGO League INNOFest Launches Setting New Benchmarks in Hong Kong's STEAM Education

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FIRST LEGO League INNOFest Launches Setting New Benchmarks in Hong Kong's STEAM Education
Business

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FIRST LEGO League INNOFest Launches Setting New Benchmarks in Hong Kong's STEAM Education

2024-12-20 15:41 Last Updated At:16:05

HONG KONG, Dec. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- World Class Tests ("WCT") announced the launch of the 2024-25 FIRST® LEGO® League INNOFest ("FLL INNOFest"), a major STEAM education initiative in Hong Kong fully supported by Innovation and Technology Commission, officially launched today, injecting new momentum into Hong Kong's STEAM education! This first-of-its-kind large-scale international STEAM initiative in Hong Kong aims to champion STEAM education principles, cultivate innovative technological talent, and reinforce Hong Kong's standing as an international education hub through a thoughtfully curated programme of activities.

The launch is particularly timely as the Hong Kong SAR Government advances its robust educational reform and innovation agenda. The Government's ongoing commitment to promoting STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics) education in primary and secondary schools includes renewing the junior secondary Science curriculum and implementing AI-assisted teaching pilot schemes. This commitment, along with the formation of the Steering Committee on Strategic Development of Digital Education, facilitates the enhancement of students' scientific thinking and fosters innovation through the seamless integration of technology and education. Beyond the introduction of primary school science subjects in the 2025/26 academic year, the Education Bureau plans to modernise the junior secondary science curriculum whilst expanding partnerships with local, mainland and international technology institutions and tertiary establishments to deliver professional development for STEAM coordinators and teachers. FLL INNOFest's comprehensive programme will equip Hong Kong's education sector with more properly trained teachers whilst fostering international exchange and bolstering global competitiveness.

Scheduled to run from December 2024 through July 2025, FLL INNOFest encompasses competitions, training and hands-on activities, anticipated to draw more than 9,000 students, 700 teachers and industry professionals, alongside 350 competing teams from 20 countries and regions, creating an international STEAM education carnival. Moving beyond traditional competition formats, FLL adopts a carnival-style approach that emphasises both learning and enjoyment. FLL encourages students to apply scientific knowledge and technology to tackle real-world challenges, establishing itself as a vital platform for advancing Hong Kong's STEAM education whilst kindling students' enthusiasm for science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.

The FLL INNOFest training programme establishes a comprehensive STEAM teaching development ecosystem, enhancing current expertise through certification programmes designed to expand the talent pool. The initiative features nearly 100 training sessions and activities, including teacher seminars, STEAM experience activities, public workshops and team-building sessions. These are expected to attract thousands of participants from nursery, primary and secondary schools, including teachers, students and parents, thereby strengthening both the professional community and public engagement. The 2024-25 programme introduces the FLL Train the Trainer certification, with graduates receiving priority consideration for roles as FLL staff, judges, referees and course instructors at future FLL STEAM innovation activities. Through systematic and continuous training, FLL INNOFest aims to foster collective wisdom and innovative thinking, positioning Hong Kong as a centre of innovation and technology.

The FLL Hong Kong Championship will be held at AsiaWorld-Expo (AWE) in July 2025, with 350 local teams competing in three categories: FLL Discover (ages 4-6), FLL Explore (ages 6-10) and FLL Challenge (ages 9-16), fostering creativity, engineering design, programming, and problem-solving abilities through various challenges, providing them with ongoing STEAM learning and exchange opportunities. The FLL Asia Championship in August has already attracted 3,000 competitors from over 20 countries and regions, with 480 teams competing for the Asian championship title. Hong Kong teams that excel in the FLL Hong Kong Championship and FLL Asia Championship will be invited to participate in the FLL World Championship in the United States the following April, engaging in exchanges with teams from around the world.

About FIRST® LEGO® League
FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL) is a robotics-based learning programme formed by the US-based FIRST and the Danish LEGO Group in 1998. FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science & Technology) is a non-profit organization founded by inventor Dean Kamen. The purpose of the FLL alliance is to excite young people about careers in science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM) through LEGO bricks and educational products, in the form of various activities and competitions. The competition has held more than 3,700 competition events in over 110 countries and regions worldwide, attracting nearly 700,000 participants. To learn more at http://www.fll-innofest.com

About World Class Tests
World Class Tests is an international high-order thinking assessment that evaluates students' high-order thinking skills against internationally recognized benchmarks. Students who achieve excellent results (double distinction) in both the Mathematics and Problem-Solving Analysis subjects of the World Class Tests will have the opportunity to attend the World Class Tests Elite Invitational, where they can compete with students from Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and Mainland China. Students ranking in the top 10% of the Invitational will be invited to apply for the World Class Tests Scholarship. The World Class Tests Scholarship has funded students to participate in enrichment courses offered by renowned universities and colleges, including Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth, Imperial College London, and St Anne's College, University of Oxford.

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Lierence Li

Debbie So

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** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **

FIRST LEGO League INNOFest Launches Setting New Benchmarks in Hong Kong's STEAM Education

FIRST LEGO League INNOFest Launches Setting New Benchmarks in Hong Kong's STEAM Education

ALL-RISE Study Included Over 1,924 Patients in 59 Sites Across 
North America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Jan. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- CathWorks, a global leader in medical device digital health innovations, announced today the successful completion of enrollment of the Advancing Cath Lab Results with FFRangio Coronary Physiology Assessment (ALL-RISE) randomized controlled trial (RCT). This landmark study represents a significant milestone in the field of interventional cardiology, evaluating the clinical and economic benefits of the CathWorks FFRangio® System in diagnosing and treating coronary artery disease (CAD), offering potentially groundbreaking evidence that could redefine the standard of care.

The ALL-RISE Study included over 1,924 patients across 59 sites in North America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Participants presenting with coronary stenoses of intermediate significance and requiring physiology assessment were randomized to receive either FFRangio-guided treatment or invasive pressure wire-guided treatment. Notably, this was the first-ever randomized controlled trial in the United States to assess clinical outcomes using an angiography-based tool for physiologic lesion assessment.

In a joint statement, the ALL-RISE Study Chair, Dr. Ajay J. Kirtane (NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center) and Principal Investigators, Dr. William Fearon (Stanford University) and Dr. Allen Jeremias (St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center), stated, "On behalf of the study executive committee, we would like to congratulate and thank all the global investigators, study coordinators and patients who collectively enabled this incredible accomplishment. The high level of engagement and record speed of enrollment parallel the growing adoption of FFRangio globally. We look forward to sharing the results of this landmark study after clinical follow-up is completed."    

CathWorks Sr. Director of Clinical Affairs, Alex Froimovich M.D., added, "The completion of ALL-RISE enrollment marks a significant milestone for our company and team's mission to transform how cardiovascular disease is diagnosed and treated. We believe this study, adding to FFRangio's growing body of clinical evidence, has the potential to significantly advance the field of coronary physiology and close the gap between its current adoption and the appropriate use guidelines recommendations. FFRangio has already demonstrated higher diagnostic accuracy over all other angio-based technologies, highlighting the fact that not all angio-based technologies are created equal, and therefore technology-specific clinical data are needed."

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death in the United States. According to the American Heart Association's (AHA) 2024 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Update, CVD accounted for 931,578 deaths in the U.S. in 2021, and close to 18 million deaths globally. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the single largest contributor, responsible for over 40% of CV deaths. CathWorks believes the results from the ALL-RISE study will build on what the company refers to as a new era in physiology, underscoring FFRangio as the new standard of care with the potential to drive better patient outcomes while delivering tangible economic and resource utilization benefits to healthcare systems.

ABOUT CATHWORKS

CathWorks is the leader in digital health innovations that can improve the lives of patients globally. The CathWorks FFRangio® System combines artificial intelligence and advanced computational science, transforming how cardiovascular disease is diagnosed and treated. The FFRangio System obtains physiologic information from routine angiograms, eliminating the need for drug stimulation and invasive pressure wires. It provides physicians with quick and reliable intraprocedural FFRangio values for the entire coronary tree. For more information on CathWorks, visit www.cath.works and follow @CathWorks on  LinkedIn

Investors:
Mike Feher
mike.feher@cath.works

Media:
Sarita Monico
sarita.monico@cath.works

** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **

CathWorks Announces the Completion of Enrollment for Landmark ALL-RISE Randomized Controlled Trial

CathWorks Announces the Completion of Enrollment for Landmark ALL-RISE Randomized Controlled Trial

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