From July 7 through July 10, the CFLC “English Language and Xiamen Discourse” student volunteer group ran an English summer camp for schoolchildren. The four-day summer camp featured a series of presentations on “clothing, food, shelter and transportation”, showcasing the remarkable changes and development of the PRC since its founding 70 years ago. The student volunteers highlighted the distant past, bright present and visible prospects for an even brighter future for a nation with a long and rich history in all spheres of human endeavor.

On the last day of the summer camp, the student volunteers taught the schoolchildren various English expressions about “clothing, food, shelter and transportation”, and encouraged them to have a dream, make goals, and live fulfilled, happy, productive lives in the future.

The schoolchildren answer questions enthusiastically

To keep the participating schoolchildren engaged and motivated, the student volunteers designed interesting games and incorporated them into their lectures to make learning fun for the kids. Many fun activities were held to break the monotony of learning and foster creativity in the children. The interactive lessons and learning games for the children stimulated learning and raise enjoyment.

A CFLC student volunteer talks to the schoolkids

Under the theme of “imagining the future”, the student volunteers introduced to the schoolchildren the concept of the “future tense” and compared it with other tenses. By watching interesting videos and English movie clips, the schoolchildren learned the differences between the differences between the past, present and future tenses. The student volunteers also designed the dialogue exercises to further improve the children’s ability to express their ideas in English.

A schoolchild confidently expresses his ideas in English

Led by the energetic and enthusiastic student volunteers who loved working with kids, the schoolchildren formed friendships and discovered the joy of learning new skills in a safe, supportive environment. At the end of the summer camp, the kids presented gifts that they had made to the student volunteers.

Gifts prepared by the schoolchildren for the student volunteers

The summer camp provided all participants the opportunity to explore their interests, build confidence, enhance self-esteem and meet new friends. The schoolchildren experienced new things, developed new skills and had fun along the way. For the student volunteers, the program was a great way to gain personal and professional experience while making positive changes in the community. It was an opportunity for them to get involved and develop technical skills and educational insights not taught in the classroom.

A group photo of the children in Class 1

A group photo of the children in Class 2

A group photo of the children in Class 3

A group photo of elder children from another class

For CFLC students, volunteering is one of the most effective ways to gain meaningful, hands-on experience in the real world. It gives CFLC students a chance to prepare for real-world work and to broaden or reinforce their experience. In addition to skills, volunteer experience always show that a student is willing to get involved in the community, take initiative, and make things happy. Volunteering shows qualities that are highly sought after in every industry. Volunteering opportunities can provide work experience related to a student’s academic program, while allowing the student to explore career options, as well as develop his or her personal and professional skills.