Jockey Club Expands Computational Thinking Program to Cambodian Preschools
The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust signed a memorandum of understanding with Cambodian education authorities to extend its CoolThink@JC program to early childhood learning. The program, originally designed for Hong Kong primary students, was already rolled out in Cambodian primary schools earlier this year. The new agreement builds on that to cover younger children.
The new agreement was formalized during the Philanthropy for Better Cities Forum 2026, extending the existing primary school rollout to cover younger learners. This follows the initial primary school partnership signed last year and implemented earlier this year.
CoolThink@JC dates back to 2016, developed collaboratively by the Jockey Club, two Hong Kong universities, and MIT. It integrates coding with problem-solving and logical reasoning, and has already been adopted in Hong Kong public schools since 2023 and through a mainland China partnership in 2025.
This expansion could significantly influence early childhood education in Cambodia by introducing foundational logic and problem-solving skills at a younger age. It may require substantial investment in teacher training and age-appropriate curriculum adaptation. The move could also strengthen regional educational ties, potentially setting a precedent for other Southeast Asian nations. However, its long-term impact will depend on local implementation capacity and sustained support for preschool educators.