GHELF: Forms & Guidelines

Aims

Gallant Ho Experiential Learning Fund (GHELF):

1. has been set up to support activities/trips with substantial experiential learning elements¹ for undergraduate students:
   1. experiential learning activities/trips initiated by teachers, which may or may not be part of a formal course and which may be taken either locally or overseas;
   2. experiential learning activities/trips initiated by students, where trips must be held outside of HK for at least two weeks within a course of activity lasting no less than three weeks;
2. does not support activities/trips lacking substantial experiential learning elements, e.g. research projects, competitions, sight-seeing trips;
3. does not support experiential learning activities/trips that lack substantiated proof of appropriate level and amount of professional supervision/guidance to ensure satisfactory activity/trip completion; and
4. approves awards on an activity/trip basis for submissions from the co-ordinator/initiator for funding all participants, but not on an individual basis from individual participants.

Funding Criteria

In general, GHELF will fund, subject to marching fund from the Faculty/Department concerned equivalent to at least one-third of the GHELF award allocation:

1. undergraduate student participants with a maximum of HK$5,000 per student for airfare and accommodation (exact amount at the discretion of the GHELC Management Committee); and
2. one staff member to accompany overseas trips per each group of around 30 student participants at a maximum of HK5,000 for airfare and accommodation (exact amount at the discretion of the GHELC Management Committee),

on the basis that funding will be provided:

1. at the lowest practicable level, e.g. where possible, public transportation rather than designated point-to-point coach service, hostel accommodation instead of hotels;
2. on a per person basis, viz, should a student participant manage to organize his/her own flight at a discounted cost, balance from the amount awarded cannot be redirected for use by fellow participants or to other categories of expenses, whether approved or not, of the activity/trip concerned; and
3. on a co-payment model, whereby students are expected to, where possible, bear at least 25% of the overall cost to ensure commitment.

Ineligible Items

In general, GHELF will not fund, except for well-substantiated reasons:

1. the employment of personnel, in full or in part, to plan, execute, deliver or facilitate the planning, execution or delivery of experiential learning activities/trips;
2. the airfare/transportation and accommodation, in full or in part, of any additional personnel (e.g. academic/administrative staff or speakers/professionals, be they HKU staff or external personnel) to accompany local/overseas trips, or to deliver or facilitate the delivery of local/overseas experiential learning activities/trips;
3. teaching-learning materials/equipment, which should be covered by the relevant departmental course fund;
4. meals for participants or accompanying staff, or official entertainment;
5. administrative cost e.g. tour operator charges, full-time or part-time TA/EO/EA/RA salary or overtime compensation;
6. consumables e.g. learning materials (books/notes)/reading and writing kits; dental or medical kits/construction materials for beneficiaries on service trips; and
7. general expenses e.g. visas, souvenirs, printing/photocopying, mailing, display boards, pamphlets.