Year 10s EMB@RC on an Eventful Expedition

By Chi Yan Ng and Elaine Law

EMB@RC week was a highlight for many at RCHK. Students could undergo the annual week-long experience in many different places — no matter whether they stayed in Hong Kong or went on an international trip, 2023’s EMB@RC week was undoubtedly memorable for the vast majority of people.

Let’s look at what Year 10 students participated in during the week of November 13 to 17, 2023.

Most Year 10 students were given the opportunity to experience a week of fun and challenges at the Po Leung Kuk Tai Tong Camp, led by Mr Rhys Thomas and several other staff supervisors. The camp instructors organised a plethora of activities, hitting different skills ranging from team building to self-confidence. Some sports-based activities were even offered, which students found the most enjoyable.

On day 1, students had their first experience working with and spending time with others in their day group. Each group was challenged to complete four different obstacle courses: the Power Pole, Zipline, Vertical Challenge and Mohawk Walk. During these activities, the Year 10s showcased their bravery and perseverance, overcoming fears of various kinds. Many found it heartwarming to see students cheering each other on and having lots of fun whilst building their confidence.

In the evening, students were presented with several sports to participate in, including archery, basketball, soccer, badminton, trampoline and indoor rock climbing. The number of options ensured most students could join one of the sports they were interested in or at least felt comfortable doing.

On day 2, students continued to challenge themselves by participating in 3 main activities: the High Wall, the Assault Course, and rock climbing. The High Wall involved the most strength, teamwork and trust among the participating teams, as everyone in the group had to help and support each person to climb up and over a nearly ten-metre-tall wall. Although there were a few falls and minor injuries, everyone climbed over the wall by the end of their group session. The Assault Course was a long obstacle course where the instructors challenged two groups to a relay-style competition to see which group could complete all obstacles the fastest. The Rock Climbing wall involved students partaking in either a climbing or an assisting role, as students who weren’t climbing were tasked with pulling on the rope slowly to support the student climbing.

In the evening, Mr Thomas prepared a fun race between the four groups, where he listed different items — some broad and vaguely defined, some specific — and students had to retrieve them as quickly as possible and bring them to the front of the room. This activity built upon the students' relationships with one another, and it was interesting to see what creative ideas students had for some of the broader prompts.

On the third day, students were given the option to hike or stay behind, as the activities were passing by faster than expected, and a hike would be an excellent opportunity to get some fresh air. A majority of the students went on the hike that culminated with a view atop a mountain. The students were able to exercise their endurance skills and form stronger bonds with friends and peers as they traversed up the mountain together. The hike was a challenge, but the perseverance and encouragement from everyone helped the students reach the top to get the rewarding view.

Upon returning, the students participated in the activities planned for the day, such as swimming. After dinner, students experienced the usual activity buffet with the indoor gym and outdoor activities like archery. There was quite a lot of free time on this day, which students took advantage of to hang out in their dorm rooms, walk around the campsite or play sports with friends (if allowed and supervised).

The fourth day involved the “eco-tour” and revisiting the challenges from Day 1. The students could explore the process of life for plants and participate in a short walk around the campsite to observe native Hong Kong plants. The instructor provided magnifying glasses that students could attach to their phone cameras — they had a lot of fun zooming in on tiny parts of the plant. It was interesting to learn so much about something students thought they knew, and it would only exemplify how much the world of science has to offer students. In the afternoon, the groups returned to the first venue again, and due to all the activities being finished, there was a lot of free time.

On the fourth night, due to this being the last night of the EMB@RC week for the Year 10 students, Mr Thomas and the supervising staff members organised a fun scavenger hunt that sent students around the campsite and allowed them to visit the locations that they attended their day activities for the last time on this trip. Along the way, we were instructed to collect different objects, take silly pictures, participate in challenges and beat the other groups to win a large prize of snacks and fame. Unfortunately, a few groups failed to read and perform the detailed instructions correctly, resulting in a significant loss of points.

The energy was pretty low on the fifth and final day because everyone was tired and ready to go home. However, students nonetheless showed off their enthusiasm and teamwork for the last time during EMB@RC week as they participated in two sports-based activities – Kin-Ball and Flash Disk (also known as Dodgebee). Neither sport is commonly played at school or in Hong Kong, so the instructors were kind enough to explain the rules and teach us how to play.

The other activity was team-building, where students had to rely again on their team members because they were challenged to lean forward to collect Lego bricks, walk across a pipe bridge, move around via an A-frame, and play a memory game. These smaller activities were a great way to end the last day together because they were relaxed while continuing to establish and improve the students' bond with one another.

So, how did students feel about the trip?

Some students enjoyed the camp a lot. “I thought the activities were fun. I liked the zipline activities,” said Cliff, a Year 10 student. “The hike was worth it — the view was worth it, but they arranged the activities in quite a chaotic way. It wasn’t to the schedule at all.” Another Year 10 student, Justin, remarked: “The campus was expansive, which meant there was a lot to do, and the camp was pretty good, but the food wasn’t very good.”

However, not all students were in total agreement. The camp was “bad; my experience was better cause I got a good dorm, but it just wasn't great”, said an anonymous student.

Students agreed that there should have been more variety in the activities offered and for teachers/instructors to organise groups based on student choices. For example, the hike on day 3 allowed students to participate at will, and students who would rather stay behind and repeat the activities on Day 2 were equally allowed to. Even though most students chose to participate in the hike, they did not feel pressured, allowing them to enjoy the fresh air, observe breathtaking views and catch up with friends. Moreover, the sessions could have been shorter, and more activities could have been scheduled, seeing the pace of students moving through activities. Some activities were initially scheduled but changed in the end, which was a shame since some students looked forward to participating in those.

EMB@RC week was undoubtedly an eventful time and a trip that most Year 10 students will remember. Students’ relationships with each other grew significantly, and they had to discuss several compromises throughout the journey. (But hopefully not too many!) Many Year 10 students expressed their gratitude to Mr. Thomas for leading the camp, Mr. Chang for being a key organiser, the several staff members who accompanied them throughout the week and supervised their daily and nightly activities. Equally unforgettable were the wonderful PLK staff members who ran most of the activities, took the time to teach and support us, and allowed RCHK to stay and use their venue and resources.