This past summer a great group of students participated in the China Summer Teaching Program — three weeks in a beautiful and remote area of the Hunan province. They taught, traveled, hiked, made bonds, and ate a whole lot of wonderful food.
We were inspired by the memories they shared and touched by the impact on everyone involved… Don’t worry, the program will run again this summer so you can get involved with China Summer Program 2012!
“It might be hard at first getting used to conditions, but it’s really a wonderful and rewarding experience. Also, you should show the students that you actually want to be there teaching because it makes them a lot more enthusiastic about learning.” —Joyce Sun
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Some of the volunteers and students exploring during free time
What a great way to spend three weeks! Volunteers traveled from the U.S. and from other regions in China to this lovely and remote village. They stayed in a schoolhouse and taught English and environmental studies to local Chinese students during their summer vacation.
When they arrived in China they were touched to be greeted by a welcoming committee of students all cheering, playing musical instruments, and beyond thrilled to invite the volunteers into their program.
About 2 weeks into the program, we had the chance to check in on some of the volunteers. The group was enthusiastic as they talked about the culture, the students, and what it was like to teach for the first time in another language.
Perfecting the art of teaching
Each of the American volunteers, including the leader of the group, Anne, had some personal connection to China. Anne, who is 23 years old, has been traveling from her home in Boston, MA to China for the past four years to take part in this program; Carianne from Pittsburg is half-Chinese, but didn’t speak any Chinese before her trip this summer; Ross from New Jersey speaks Chinese–just to name a few.
The volunteers from America were all excited to learn more about the Chinese culture and language, but none of them expected to enjoy teaching as much as they did. It definitely helped that the students involved in their classes were all excited for the summer program; one of the students in Grade 6 wrote:
“Our happiest time of course is summer vacation! Because during summer vacation, we have China Summer! Because we have China Summer, we are able to develop our abilities. When we are at Chinna Summer, we study very happily, and in our studies we meet teachers from many places.”
A happy classroom
Once the volunteers got past the first day jitters, they each found the joy in connecting with their students. One volunteer who didn’t speak any Chinese struggled the first couple days and didn’t feel like she was making any progress. By the third day, however, she was excited to notice her students working on their commands and greetings–all things she’d been trying to get them to understand. She said at that moment she realized “oh wow, I finally connected with my students!”
Another volunteer, Katie, explained: “I learned a lot about the Chinese culture and also found that establishing a connection with the students was extremely important. With this connection, the students and I were able to get along nicely!”
One of the volunteers from China, Huang-Cheng, talked about his idea to teach students how to make balloon animals using a “how-to” video downloaded on his cell phone. He laughed as he said the kids learned how to make the balloon dog faster than him. Some of the other activities the teachers incorporated beyond the classroom included board games including chess, checkers, cards; basketball and other sports; arts such as painting and drawing; and most importantly, any form of exercise between classes to get out extra energy!
Bonding with some students
Volunteers had the unique opportunity to travel with some students from their classes to their homes in and around Haojiping. Julian Mu said of his visit to his student’s home: “my five hour walk to the home visit not only made me realize how out of shape I was, but also the obstacles the students have to overcome, just to learn. It made me understand how easy I have it in comparison.”
Volunteer Katie Li remarked that her home visit was one of the most memorable moments of the entire program for her:
“I will never forget the images I saw at their house and the amount of awards that Yang Qiao Hong (her student) has received despite everything she has been through. It is truly inspiring how determined she is and how much her family loves her.”
Each of the volunteers seemed to agree that the best part of the program was bonding with the kids and the other volunteers. Julian explained, “Volunteering with the group that I volunteered with definitely added to the experience, and I know that even after volunteering, we will always be very good friends.”
Teacher Ross helping students
Katie Li felt the same, explaining, “Not only were the students I taught amazing, the other volunteers I met were just as great. This program has given me memories that will last a lifetime and friends that I will continue to stay in contact with.”
Julian remarked on the program and the joy of volunteering in general in his evaluation survey:
“Just knowing that you have made a difference, no matter what size, in someone’s life is really an experience that everyone must have. Volunteering was great not only because of what I’ve accomplished, but also how the program changed me. I feel more confident and useful now in my school and life because of the volunteer work. The friendships made were also fantastic. Overall, this was possibly one of the best times I’ve had in my life and if I had to do it again, I would do it in a heartbeat.”
Beautiful view on a hike during their free time
We’ll leave you with some advice for future volunteers…
“Go crazy. Just go all out and have the most fun you could have. Don’t be afraid to be judged or don’t be reserved, because that takes away a lot from the experience.” —Julian Mu
“Future volunteers should show their enthusiasm by spending time with their students, not only in class, but outside of class too. The students love to learn about new games and they like personal stories as well.” —Katie Li
“Set a good example for students. Realize it’s a different culture and adapt. Don’t be negative about anything and see things positively. Interact with students outside of class.” —Carianne Lee
Thanks to all our volunteers, we love hearing about the amazing impact you have…
Find out more information about China Summer Program 2012 and how you can get involved!
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United Planet is a non-profit organization with a mission to create a global community, one relationship at a time. Established in 2001, United Planet offers volunteer abroad, virtual internships, internships abroad, gap year volunteering, and global virtual exchange in more than 40 countries.
