Students Develop Soft Skills and Strengthen Civic Awareness through an Intensive Service-Learning Programme in Sichuan

Stanley Ho East Asia College (SHEAC) organised a service-learning trip to Sichuan for 14 days from 22^nd May to 4^th June, during which 18 student and teacher participants visited the 2008 quake-stricken Wenchuan County, including Shuimo Town, Xian Feng Yan Village, Sanjiang and Yingxiu Town. Through voluntary teaching, activity design and execution, community service and cultural tours, students have developed various aspects of knowledge and skills, as well as strengthened their civic awareness.

This programme was collaborated by SHEAC and Qichuang Social Work Service Centre, and led by Resident Fellows Dr. Sancia Wan and Mr. Edmond Yeung. In order to equip the participants with the background and necessary communication skills, they learned to listen to and speak the Sichuan dialect and attended a tour to the old town to gain an understanding of the main destination of Shuimo Town, communicated with local residents, and took photographs of scenery and aspects that would represent the town. They also took part in a career experiential activity to serve for a few hours as street sweepers, town management officers, helpers at food shops, and pop-up entrepreneurs.

After gaining basic ideas about the community of Shuimo, the students delivered a lesson titled “The Outside World” to three classes of middle school children mixed with Han and Tibetan ethnics. They also designed and held game booths for “June 1^st Children’s Day” in Sanjiang Primary School, and a fun fair for the celebration of Dragon Boat Festival for the Shuimo community. Students had genuine communication with local children, and felt the enthusiasm of local people.

Students and teachers had an unforgettable three-day stay in Xian Feng Yan Village with their host families. During that period, they visited the elderly, helped villagers do basic farm work, and organised parent-child games, a film-screening activity and a food festival for elderly and host families. Through these activities, students enhanced their skills in communicating with children, established sincere friendships with villagers, improved their understanding of the local community, and experienced the joy of helping others. The final sharing session about their volunteer service experiences between SHEAC students and volunteers from Aba Teachers’ University helped them further broaden their horizons and improve communication skills.

During the cultural tours, the delegation visited the Sanjiang Scenic Area to get a glimpse of its vibrant natural scenery. They also went to Yingxiu Town, the epicentre of the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake, to feel the shock and grief of earthquakes at a close distance, the greatness of life, pay respects to the deceased, and learn to cherish the opportunity to be with families. The group then moved on to the World Cultural Heritage Dujiangyan Irrigation System, and finally the city of Chengdu to study the deep history and culture of Sichuan.

Social worker Ms. Yu said that the students were very serious about designing and executing the activities, and achieved personal growth during the service-learning programme. Ms. Hao, one of the SHEAC students, expressed that the service-learning trip had given her a lot of touching memory, and she learned how to get along with people from different backgrounds and how to consider different issues when organising activities. Another student Mr. Zhao was most impressed by the village life, as only the elderly and young children were staying at home in most of the families; and he missed the children in his host family very much.

Overall, the Sichuan service-learning programme has brought unique experiences to both SHEAC students and the local communities. Students became aware of the different facets of Sichuan, along the way filled with both joy, laughter and fatigue, but it was well worth it.

學生通過四川暑期服務學習計劃發展軟實力並強化公民意識

何鴻燊東亞書院師生一行18人於本年五月廿二日展開了為期十四天的四川服務學習之旅，期間拜訪了於2008年四川大地震受災最慘重的汶川縣，包括水磨鎮、銜鳳岩村、三江鄉、映秀鎮等等。同學們在參與義教、活動設計、服務社區、見學旅行中提升了自己許多方面的知識和技能，也加強了他們的公民意識。

此次活動由何鴻燊東亞書院導師溫慧珊博士和楊偉剛老師帶隊，書院導師和汶川縣啟創社會工作服務中心共同組織策劃。書院師生首先參觀了解水磨鎮，並學習四川話分享「我眼中的水磨」。

然後進行了街道打掃、宣傳叫賣、城管、創業等職業體驗，同學們踴躍參與並賺取相應的報酬支付晚餐費用。接下來同學們分成小組在水磨中學開展了“外面的世界”教學活動，在八一小學開展了六一兒童節活動，在古鎮社區開展了 「端午節」活動，同學們與當地學童熱情交流，感受到了當地人的熱情。師生一行人與銜鳳岩村村民們共同度過了難忘的三天兩夜，進行村落探訪，幫助村民做農活，開展村落親子活動，播放鄉村電影和準備鄉村酒席等等，在這次活動中，同學們增進了與小朋友們的感情，與當地人民建立了誠摯的友誼，讓同學們對當地社區有了進一步的認識，體會到助人為樂的快樂。最後書院師生與阿壩師範學院的同學們交流志願服務的心得，收穫頗多。

在見學旅行的部份，一行人遊覽了三江景區領略到生機盎然的自然風光；又到映秀鎮參觀2008年四川大地震遺址，近距離感受到了當年地震的震撼和悲痛，生命的偉大，為死者默哀，並學會要更珍惜與家人相聚的機會。然後大家參觀了世界文化遺產都江堰，最後抵達成都市，感受四川歷史文化。

余姣社工表示，同學們都非常認真的設計和舉辦活動，看到了大家在服務學習中成長。參與者郝同學表示，此次服務學習讓她感觸良多，學習到了很多與人相處的方法和舉辦活動時應該考慮的問題。另一位趙同學表示，對於村落生活非常難忘，大部分家庭只有老人和小孩留在家裡，非常捨不得他們家的小孩子。

總括來說，四川服務學習之旅給當地群眾和澳大書院同學們帶來了不一樣的體驗，同學們認識到了不一樣的四川，一路上笑過累過，但都是非常值得的。

 

撰寫：何鴻燊東亞書院學生會通訊工作組

工商管理二年級學生 李穎祺（中文）