Service-Learning Trip to Remote Areas in Sichuan, China: Students Nurture Social and Self Awareness - Stanley Ho East Asia College

SHEAC students were holding a team activity for middle school students.
為初中學生開展的團隊活動

Stanley Ho East Asia College (SHEAC), following the success of the previous year, organized a service-learning trip to Sichuan for the second time in early June 2015. During the 10-day journey from 4th to 13th June, the delegation comprising 15 students and 2 Resident Fellows left their footprints in Wenchuan County which had severely suffered from the 2008 Great Earthquake, including Shuimo Town, Gaofeng Village, Sanjiang and Yingxiu Town. Through voluntary teaching and community service, the students have achieved personal development and cultivated civic awareness.

Group discussion on next day’s activities to be conducted for school children
分組討論第二天將為學童進行的活動

This service-learning trip was led by Resident Fellows Dr. Kevin Huang and Dr. Sancia Wan, and coordinated with Wenchuan Qichuang Social Work Service Center. Students were divided into groups of five to plan and execute various sessions of voluntary teaching and other team-building activities in Shuimo Middle School and Wenchuan Ba-Yi Primary School, including teaching on the topic “The Outside World”, organizing activities aiming at building up school children’s teamwork and collaborative skills, as well as conducting games for pupils under the theme of “fantastic multidimensional growth”. The SHEAC students were deeply impressed by the enthusiasm and soothing voices of the Tibetan Students and overwhelmed by the curiosity of the primary students.

Teaching on the topic “The Outside World”
在水磨中學進行以「外面的世界」為題的教學

In the late afternoon of the second day, the delegation went to Gaofeng Village, one of the much isolated mountainous villages in the region, for organizing activities for the villagers of varied ages. During the three days of their stay, students stayed in homes of local villagers, experienced rural life, helped with farm work, visited the elderly, and organized three big events: “community get-together”, “family activities and birthday celebration for the elderly”, and “food temptation”. All of these activities attracted many villagers and received positive feedback. Not only kids loved the activities but also older villagers enjoyed them a lot. The students even learned the traditional Tibetan dance “Guozhuang” with villagers, and thus felt immersed into the rich culture of the local area. The SHEAC delegation also visited Aba Teachers University and shared with their students about volunteer service as well as cultural and study experiences.

Career experiential activity: working in a wet market
職業體驗活動：在菜市場工作

Villagers were trying snacks freshly made by SHEAC students.
村民們品嘗書院同學們新鮮製作的小吃

Group presentation about service-learning experience in Gaofeng Village and schools in Shuimo Town
關於在高峰村和水磨鎮中小學服務學習的體驗小組匯報

After completing the voluntary teaching in Shuimo Town and community service in Gaofeng Village, the group visited various rural and urban areas to gain a deeper understanding of the culture and history of the region. The students felt and touched the natural power in Sanjiang, hiked through the “Asian Corridor in Heaven”, commemorated the losses the Yingxiu Town and Sichuan people sustained in the 2008 Great Earthquake, and learned the ancient wisdom of Dujiangyan Irrigation System now designated as a World Heritage by UNESCO.

By the end of the trip, the participants expressed their thought wholeheartedly. “The group has become more united. The students have grown up and built up a stronger sense to care about others.” said Resident Fellow Kevin. Meanwhile, one of the students thought that as time went by, their self-motivation to take up more responsibility has grown. Another student illustrated that the most suitable adjective to describe this trip is “warm”: the homestay was nice; the villagers listened intently while students were presenting; and so given the villagers’ enthusiasm, everything was worth it.

Stanley Ho East Asia College donated to Qichuang Social Work Service Center an amount of RMB 3,000, which was raised from a charity bazaar held in April by the House Association of the College, and five notebook computers offered by the University of Macau for the service center’s enhancement of community service provision and equipment needs.

By: Fong Hio I, Portuguese Studies Year 2 (English) &

Zeng Qianwen, Communication Year 1 (Chinese)

Big “family” photo for the village
為高峰村拍下大家庭照

四川服務學習之旅：同學們通過協作設計開展義教及服務山區村民收穫甚豐

何鴻燊東亞書院繼去年成功舉辦之後本年六月初再次組織第二次四川服務學習之旅，師生一行17人於六月四日展開為期十天的旅途，期間經過於2008年四川大地震受災最慘重的汶川縣，包括水磨鎮、高峰村、三江鄉、映秀鎮等等。同學們在參與義教，服務社區，見學旅行中提升自己，對服務學習有了更深的認識。

此次活動由何鴻燊東亞書院導師黃才試博士和溫慧珊博士帶隊，兩位導師和汶川縣啟創社會工作服務中心共同組織策劃。書院師生首先在汶川縣水磨中學、高峰村、汶川八一小學開展活動。書院同學們分成小組在初中部開展以「團結協作」為主題的活動，為藏族高中生講述「外面的世界」，舉辦「多元趣味成長」的小學活動，感受到當地學童的熱情和强烈的好奇心。師生一行人與高峰村村民共同度過難忘的三天三夜。與寄宿家庭的互動，村落探訪，幫助村民做農活，皆讓同學們對當地社區有進一步的認識，體會到助人的快樂。在高峰村社區開展的大型活動「社區大聯歡」、為老人慶生及親子活動、「美食大誘惑」得到村民的大力支持和好評。隨後，書院師生與阿壩師範學院的同學們交流志願服務的感想，收穫頗多。與村民圍成圈跳鍋莊，聽學生高歌藏語版《喜歡你》，書院師生與當地人民建立了誠摯的情誼。

Dialogue with students of Aba Teachers College 書院師生與阿壩師範學院的同學們進行交流

Dialogue with students of Aba Teachers University
書院師生與阿壩師範學院的同學們進行交流

Organizing fun games for kids in the mountainous village
為山村孩子們組織趣味遊戲

見學旅行於第七天開始。谷深峽幽的三江景區讓同學們領略到生機盎然的自然風光。師生們行走在茶馬古道上，不僅體會到歷史的韻味，也鍛煉了體力。十一日上午，一行人來到映秀參觀2008年四川大地震遺址，獻上菊花，深鞠一躬。逝者長已矣，生者如斯夫。同學們懂得要更珍惜每一天。及後大家參觀了世界文化遺產都江堰，最後轉抵成都市繼續感受和體驗四川地區的歷史文化。