The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government's Bureau of Civil Affairs and Youth Affairs (DAB) announced on the 3rd the launch of the "Pilot Program for Grassroots Youth Overseas Exchange Funding", further supporting grassroots youth to participate in overseas exchange projects under the "Youth Mainland Exchange Funding Program" and "International Youth Exchange Funding Program" for the years 2024-2025. The Democratic Youth Bureau, in collaboration with the Youth Development Committee, has previously launched the "Mainland Youth Exchange Assistance Program" and the "International Youth Exchange Assistance Program" for young people aged between 12 and 35. Among them, the "Youth Mainland Exchange Subsidy Program" supports qualified non-governmental organizations to organize youth mainland exchange projects to help Hong Kong youth understand and understand the national conditions, strengthen communication with mainland people, and thereby enhance their national identity. The International Youth Exchange Funding Program funds qualified non-governmental organizations to organize overseas exchange projects for Hong Kong youth, allowing them to have a global perspective, understand the history, culture, and development situations of different regions. From 2024 to 2025, the first round of the Youth Mainland Exchange Funding Program will fund over 480 exchange projects, with approximately 30800 approved quotas covering different provinces in mainland China; The International Youth Exchange Funding Program will fund 96 exchange projects and grant approximately 2500 quotas, covering 44 overseas countries. Due to different factors such as the location, duration, and content of the exchange project, some non-governmental organizations still need to charge partial fees to participants even after receiving funding from the SAR government. To further support young people from different backgrounds in participating in the exchange projects funded under the two programs, the Civil and Youth Bureau has launched the "Pilot Program for Overseas Exchange Funding for Grassroots Youth", providing additional funding to grassroots youth in need. The beneficiaries include eligible young people who are currently receiving comprehensive social security assistance, as well as eligible young people who are receiving full funding from the School Book Allowance Scheme or full tuition funding from the income reviewed subsidy scheme. (Lai Xin She)