Shiu Pong College Shanxi Service Trip 2017

 

Led by Shiu Pong College (SPC) Master and Mrs. Leung, 21 SPC students visited Boai School in a service learning trip on May 23 – June 3. Boai is a charity school located in Fengcun, Xin Yuan County, Changzhi City, Shanxi Province of China. It is a school that has been receiving support from SPC for the past few years. So far, SPC has organized two service learning trips to Boai and two fundraising activities at SPC. This service learning trip aimed to develop SPC students’ problem solving ability, critical thinking skills and whole person growth. Through classroom teaching, visiting nearby elderly home, organic farming and related activities, students learned how to serve others with a heart of love, work cooperatively as a team, and contribute to the needy with their knowledge. In addition, the trip to ancient city Ping Yao also enabled students to have in-depth understanding of the ancient culture of Shanxi Province.

 

This Shanxi service learning trip was composed of three parts. The first part was the volunteer-teaching activity. As early as February this year, SPC students began designing and preparing course material for the students of Boai School on subjects of English, science, general education workshops, biographies, and window to the world. They created their own teaching materials, teaching aids, and strived to bring a different learning experience to the children there. In Boai, not only SPC students’ serious teaching efforts were much appreciated by the school teachers, they were loved by the children, and were able to foster a lasting friendship with the kids.

 

The second part was to visit the elderly – mostly single and widowed, in the region’s caves, or in nearby elderly home. Led by the School Superintendent at Boai, SPC students had cordial conversations with the elderly. Although SPC students did not understand the local dialect of Shanxi, they communicated patiently with their body languages, expressing their care and love. In thoughtful collaboration with Boai teachers, SPCers also brought to the elderly cleaning and food items as gifts. At the end of the visit, SPC students staged a magic show and sang to entertain the elderly.

 

The third part of the service learning trip was to visit the ancient city of Ping Yao, built in the Western Zhou Dynasty. Ping Yao is one of the UNESCO’s preserved cultural heritages and is also the most well-preserved ancient city in China today. At Ping Yao, SPC students experienced not only the architecture of long history, but also had better understanding of the traditional customs, history and culture of Shanxi. Surrounded by old city walls, antique security firms to provide escort services in the past, old vinegar shops and all kinds of cultural symbols, SPC students were brought back to the ancient Ping Yao city of more than 2,000 years ago, just like living alongside people who would enjoy the snow scenes by the fireside, making tea with the spring dews.

 

Towards the end of the Shanxi visit, many SPCers indicated that they had benefited a lot from this trip. Wing Liu, a year-3 SPC student, to retain that he learned a lot about teamwork through the preparation of this trip. He said that planning in advance is always important. He believes that the purpose of their activities lies not only in helping Boai kids acquire knowledge and learn more of the world outside of Shanxi, but also in gratefully internalizing Boai’s education philosophy. He witnessed quality education, seeing love and hope in action there. Wing’s reflections also echoed similar thoughts among other SPCers, who are already looking forward to the trip next year.

 

2017年度紹邦書院山西服務之旅

 

 

2017年5月23日至6月3日，紹邦書院一行22位同學在梁偉賢院長的帶領下來到博愛學校進行社會服務實踐交流活動。博愛學校是一所位於中國山西省長治市沁源縣法中鄉馮村山區的慈善學校，是紹邦書院長期以來關心和幫助的對象。紹邦書院曾經兩次組織學生來到博愛學校開展支教活動，並舉行義賣為其籌集善款。本次服務之旅旨在發展學生實踐和思考能力，使學生獲得全面的成長。通過支教、探訪老人、有機耕種等活動，讓學生學習如何奉獻自己的愛心服務他人，如何進行高效的團隊合作，如何運用自己的知識回饋社會。同時，平遙古城之行也使學生對當地的民俗文化有更深入的瞭解。

本次山西之旅主要由三個部分組成。第一部分是義教活動。早在今年的2月份紹邦書院的同學們便開始精心設計為博愛學校學生們準備的課程，包括英語、科學、工作坊、名人傳奇、世界之窗等。他們自編教材，自製教具，力求為小朋友們帶來最好的另類課程體驗。在博愛學校期間，紹邦書院的同學們不僅授課認真，獲得了老師們的一致好評，課後更是受到小朋友們的喜愛，與他們結下了深厚的友誼。

第二部分是探訪當地的孤寡老人以及敬老院。紹邦書院的同學們在博愛老師的帶領下，來到老人家中，與老人親切交談，詢問老人的生活近況。雖然同學們並不瞭解山西的方言，但仍耐心與老人溝通，用肢體語言表達對老人的關心。同時，博愛學校和紹邦書院也特意為老人們準備了慰問的食用物品。最後，紹邦書院的同學們為一眾老人獻上了一場歌唱和魔術表演。

第三部分是平遙古城之行。平遙古城始建於西周時期，是世界文化遺產之一，也是中國現今保存最完整的古代縣城。紹邦書院的同學們在平遙古城裏不僅參觀了古樸的建築，而且對山西的傳統習俗和歷史文化有了更深刻的瞭解。古城牆、舊鏢局、老陳醋……各色各樣的文化符號仿佛穿越歷史將同學們帶回到了2000多年前的平遙，置身於那個圍爐賞雪，春水煎茶的年代。

在本次山西之行的尾聲，紹邦書院的同學們對本次活動發表了總結感言，並紛紛表示自己受益匪淺。劉穎聰同學在接受採訪時說到，本次山西之行使他在團隊合作方面得到了很大的鍛煉，讓他明白了做事情應提前準備而非臨陣磨槍。他認為參加此次支教活動不僅是希望能夠幫助小朋友們學習到更多知識，多了解山區以外的世界, 更是對博愛學校教學理念的一種認同與欣賞。他在這裏看到了真正的素質教育，看到了愛與希望。其他同學也對劉穎聰同學看法表示贊同，並期待著來年的山西服務之旅。

 

 

SPC Student teachers were surprised by the enthusiastic response from Boai pupils

SPC student explaining in a small group discussion

The SPC city-dwelling students trying organic farming for the first time

SPC students visiting a nearby elderly home during the weekend, showing their love in action