During 2023 Summer Vacation, in order to help promote education in China's central and western regions, SFB organized a volunteer teaching team consisting of 13 members (including faculty members, staff and students) to visit Sichuan Province in Southwest China, with the aim of facilitating cooperation in education, ecological civilization, urban and rural development, etc. between teachers and students in Shanghai Municipality and Sichuan Province. SFB Volunteer Teaching Team visited two towns: Xiangyan Town (in Pingwu County, Mianyang Prefecture-level City, Sichuan Province) and Hanwang Town (in Mianzhu County-level City, Deyang Prefecture-level City, Sichuan Province).
This Volunteer Teaching Activity is a part of SHNU's "Camphor Tree Friendship" Education Program, which SHNU has been running for eight years. Since the 20th CPC National Congress, SHNU "Camphor Tree Friendship" Team has gained a clearer understanding of issues related to the revitalization of rural areas in central and western China: it is necessary to aim at not only education, but also relevant industries for addressing unbalanced development at both the material and education aspects. Before SFB Volunteer Teaching Team set out, SHNU "Camphor Tree Friendship" Education Program Office organized a charitable fund-raising at SFB for this Volunteer Teaching Activity. As of the end of this Activity, the Office has received a total of 10,686.21 CNY (~1465.50 USD) as donation; among which, 7,650 CNY (~1049.11 USD) were from faculty members and staff, and 3,036.21 CNY (~416.38 USD) were from current students. The funds raised have been used to purchase school uniforms for 76 pupils at Xiangyan Elementary School, as well as sporting goods, stationery sets and other supplies for children in Sichuan Province. In addition, in full support for this Activity, SFB has purchased English picture books and financial literacy books for children in Sichuan Province.
On 18th July, the “Pre-trip Meeting and Departure Ceremony for 2023 SFB Summer Volunteer Teaching Activity” was held in Xuhui Campus of SHNU. Ms. ZHOU Yun (Deputy Secretary of CPC SFB Committee and Associate Dean of SFB), Prof. ZHAO Hongjun (Associate Dean of SFB) and other faculty and staff members engaged in this Volunteer Teaching Activity attended the Ceremony. 2023 SFB Summer Volunteer Teaching Activity to Sichuan Province has henceforth officially started.
With the support of multiple sides, including: the Communist Youth League Pingwu County Committee, the People's Government of Xiangyan Town, and Xiangyan Elementary School; and with assistance of Sichuan local officials and school staff members, including: Mr. LU Yu (Secretary of CPC Xiangyan Town Committee), Ms. LAI Luju (Deputy Mayor of Xiangyan Town), Ms. LIU Xiaoying (Principal of Xiangyan Elementary School) and teacher representatives of Xiangyan Elementary School, Mr. WANG Yao (Staff at the Communist Youth League Pingwu County Committee), and volunteers of the "Far West Program", SFB Volunteer Teaching Team has organized an array of activities to enrich local children's summer vacation.
At the ice-breaking ceremony, local children took the first step to make friends by introducing themselves; in ecological civilization protection classes, Prof. ZHAO Hongjun (Associate Dean of SFB) illustrated the importance of environmental protection with multiple cases and inspiring questions; in "Financial Quotient (FQ)" classes, Dr. JIN Zeyang (Lecturer at SFB) encouraged pupils to commit to development of their hometown, and enlightened their financial literacy by organizing them to operate the "Peach Market" in simulation; in English classes, local pupils learned how to call their body parts in English; in geography classes, SFB Volunteer Teaching Team members led the pupils to learn the terrain and topography of Sichuan Province; in biology classes, pupils learned "why children need to go to bed early", and gained general knowledge about healthy lifestyle; in "Red Culture" classes, pupils were taught to sing the song "Shining Red Star", henceforth the "Red Culture Spirit" began to take root and sprout in their little minds. With these classes, local children in Xiangyan Town gained new knowledge, and SFB faculty members' teaching experience has been enriched. Though face-to-face classes have come to an end, the connection between SFB Volunteer Teaching Team and Sichuan children will continue. In the future, SHNU "Camphor Tree Friendship" Education Program Office will keep organizing online classes, to promote education in China's rural areas and empower the nation’s "Construction of Beautiful Villages".
To gain a more in-depth understanding of local specialty industries in Xiangyan Town, SFB Volunteer Teaching Team members visited the "Pingwu Modern Industrial Park for Peach Planting" and a local specialty distillery in Xiangyan Town. By talking to Mr. LI (the person in charge of the distillery), SFB Volunteer Teaching Team learned about the historical heritage and production process of Xiangyan Local Spirits, explored marketing and distribution channels for the Spirits, and listened to Mr. LI's outlook for future promotion of the Spirits. After that, SFB Volunteer Teaching Team members travelled into the mountains where the "Pingwu Modern Industrial Park for Peach Planting" is located, experienced the excellent quality of local peaches, and offered advice and suggestions on production and sale of these peaches. After these visits, SFB Volunteer Teaching Team thoroughly realized: to consolidate achievements of poverty alleviation, to sell products of rural specialty industries to a larger market, and to promote brand visibility of these rural brands, there is still a long way to go. Student members in SFB Volunteer Teaching Team expressed their aspiration of applying professional knowledge to addressing real-life challenges, with an effort to contribute to China’s rural industry revitalization.
As General Secretary XI Jinping pointed out: "Protecting ecological environment is to protect productive forces, and improving ecological environment is to develop productive forces." Green growth and sustainable development have become main themes of the era, and ecological protection and harmonious development cannot be delayed. In addition to volunteer teaching activities, SFB Volunteer Teaching Team, as one of the teams participated in the "Green Long March", has delivered a series of green lectures and has carried out an array of ecological researches, including: lectures on waste sorting, micro-classes on ecological civilization, hard-working spirit education, etc. To apply theories to real-world challenges, and to nurture environmental awareness in Sichuan children, SFB Volunteer Teaching Team made efforts in guiding pupils to realize the importance of environmental protection, and to protect clean waters and green mountains of Xiangyan Town.
This summer, SFB Volunteer Teaching Team has also visited Hanwang Town (in Mianzhu County-level City, Deyang Prefecture-level City, Sichuan Province), and discussed about future volunteer teaching activities with leadership and teacher representatives of Mianzhu City Sino-Singapore Friendship Elementary School, including: Mr. CAI Jian (CPC Branch Secretary and Principal of Mianzhu City Sino-Singapore Friendship Elementary School), Mr. LUO Jun (Deputy Secretary of CPC Branch of Mianzhu City Sino-Singapore Friendship Elementary School), Mr. LIU Yong (President of Labor Union of Mianzhu City Sino-Singapore Friendship Elementary School), Ms. XIAO Xue (teacher representative of Mianzhu City Sino-Singapore Friendship Elementary School), and Ms. LUO Tianhui (teacher representative of Mianzhu City Sino-Singapore Friendship Elementary School). Mianzhu City Sino-Singapore Friendship Elementary School was built after the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake. Mr. CAI Jian, CPC Branch Secretary and Principal of Mianzhu City Sino-Singapore Friendship Elementary School, said that over all these years, they dared never forget that disastrous earthquake, and had always kept in mind how this Elementary School was founded. The survivors had been grateful for rebirth, holding gratitude to the goodwill from all kind souls across the ocean. In 2008 summer, a volunteer team led by the head of SHNU Youth League Committee traveled thousands of miles to Gongxing Town, Deyang Prefecture-level City, Sichuan Province, to build a charity school on top of the ruins, just like a "small flower" reborn after the earthquake, bringing joy and hope to Gongxing Town. After that, Ms. SUN Yayan, Ms. CHEN Xiaohong and other SHNU faculty and staff members led one after another SHNU volunteer teams to contribute voluntary services at the charity school. This year, SFB Volunteer Teaching Team has stepped onto the path taken by previous SHNU volunteer teams, and continues to sow the seeds of love that have been fostered for 15 years in the fertile land of Sichuan Province. In the future, SHNU "Camphor Tree Friendship" Education Program Office will pass on this kindness together with teachers of Mianzhu City Sino-Singapore Friendship Elementary School, so that the river of love will flow forward.
Education is a fundamental task for China, and rural revitalization is key to the nation's all-round prosperity. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, along the path of adhering to and developing Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, to improve the quality of education in the central and western parts of China has become a problem that must be considered and solved. Since its establishment in 2015, SHNU "Camphor Tree Friendship" Education Program Office has been promoting "targeted poverty elimination through education", and has kept organizing cloud classes in an "Internet + Dual Mentoring" model. With its high-quality faculty team and teaching resources, SHNU has put "poverty alleviation through education" into practice.
SHNU "Camphor Tree Friendship" Education Program Office has been running for 8 years, offering voluntary education services for 7 provinces of China, providing 2,540 online lessons in 600+ hours, benefiting 876 pupils/middle school students (in the long term) and 35 rural teachers, and has made positive impact on 1,850 people in total. The Office has won the Bronze Award of "China College Students' Entrepreneurship Competition", the Bronze Award of "China National College Students' 'Internet+' Innovation Entrepreneurship Competition", the Best Voluntary Service Project of "Shanghai Advanced Exemplary Voluntary Service for Following the Good Example of LEI Feng". In the future, SHNU "Camphor Tree Friendship" Education Program Office will further its efforts in enhancing SHNU teams’ comprehensive abilities, endeavoring to offer voluntary education services to a wider range in China, and keep moving forward with goodwill.
(Contributions & Photography: SFB Student Affairs Office)
86-21-64322100