Service Learning in China

Out trip to Hubei is not completely altruistic in nature. Being university professors, part of the motivation for taking our university students on this trip is to help them broaden their horizons, to be more caring persons, and to know themselves better – to learn through community service. Judging from what we can observe, and what they have said, I think it was successful. Here are some of the things that they said:

• Many of them do not ever leave YX. However, they do not ever complain. I think HK’s students need to learn from YX’s students.
• What I saw was their hardworking, their enthusiasm and their efforts. That is far more important than the movie that they produced.
• When I saw students standing outside the bus … crying and saying goodbye to us, this was so touching.
• I was tired. But when I saw my students, I became energetic and used my best effort to guide them.
• They were not only concerning themselves but also others.
• My students … praised me sincerely. … I will never forget my feelings in that night.
• We are all united and harmonic, like a family.
• What impressed me weren’t the presents themselves, but the letters that came along with them.
• This trip really makes me learn a lot, from communication skills to thinking method, which cannot be taught in lessons … hope that I can participate in more such kind of meaningful activity in the future.
• I can see many good personalities from them which is what I would like to learn from them.
• Looking forward to go there again.
• … students are active and willing to answer questions in a polite way. This make me think of the difference between HK students and them.
• I am sorry sometimes I did not behave properly, and I hope to learn not to do that again.
• Why do I always have to regret only after I made the mistakes?

We have to admit that sometimes we get frustrated when things do not turn out the way we expected, and we may be tempted to give up and say “no more!” But the response from our own students is encouraging us to keep going. Most of those who went last year wanted to go again this year, although not everyone made it in the end. And most of those who went this year are helping with our various projects and want to go again.

There are university students from Hong Kong and from Wuhan (and 2 professors from HK) in this picture. Can you tell who is who?