The closing ceremony of the training for the new batch of overseas youth cultural ambassadors of FASCA in the Golden Mountain Bay Area was held on June 7 at the South Bay Overseas Chinese Education Center, with a total of 72 students completing a three-day training course. Over the next year, the students will continue to engage in services for the overseas Chinese community and the broader community, harnessing the power of young overseas Taiwanese to showcase Taiwan to the world.
The Overseas Community Affairs Council is promoting the “Overseas Youth Cultural Ambassador (FASCA)” program to enhance the overseas community’s youth’s sense of identity with Taiwan and encourage their involvement in public affairs within the community. This year’s Golden Mountain Bay Area new student training, held from June 5 to 7 at the South Bay Overseas Chinese Education Center, focused on the core themes of “service, culture, leadership, and heritage,” aiming to cultivate the next generation of talent within the overseas Chinese community to continue the spirit of Taiwan’s culture and service.
The Director-General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco, Wu Chih-hsiang and his wife attended the ceremony. Wu Chih-hsiang stated in his address that FASCA students had learned diverse skills, cultivated teamwork, and made unforgettable friendships during the three-day training. He emphasized that young people are not just the future but are already bringing about change from the present. He expressed gratitude to the teachers, mentors, and parents for their time in nurturing the next generation. He encouraged the students to continue serving for a year after graduation, wear the FASCA uniform, engage with mainstream society and the Taiwanese community, maintain their commitment and curiosity, and promote Taiwanese culture to let American society see Taiwan.
The Director of the South Bay Overseas Chinese Education Center, Chuang Ya-shu, explained that the FASCA program has been promoted by the Overseas Community Affairs Council since 2011 to unite overseas Taiwanese youth, develop them into cultural ambassadors and future community leaders. Currently, there are 24 chapters globally, with the Golden Mountain Bay Area FASCA being one of the most significant chapters having trained approximately 900 students over the years. She expressed gratitude to the mentors, technical instructors, and leaders within the community for their support. After graduation, the new students will embark on a year of community service under the guidance of their mentors, with the expectation that they will promote Taiwanese culture and introduce Taiwan to the mainstream community.
During the ceremony, the students showcased their achievements from the three-day training, including the FASCA Ambassador Dance “I Believe,” lion dancing, diabolo spinning, and San Tai Zi drumming performances. The students were divided into Black Bear Team, Plum Blossom Team, Jade Mountain Team, and 101 Team. After each team presented their cheer, they proceeded with the team flag-passing ceremony and received their graduation certificates. The students’ impressive performances captivated the parents in attendance who eagerly recorded videos and took photos to capture their children’s confident and energetic moments on stage.
Student representative Jennifer Koo expressed her honor to join FASCA for the first time this year. She thanked the teachers and senior students for their warm reception, making the new students feel comfortable and welcomed. She mentioned that in the three-day training, she tried many new things and challenged herself with dances she wasn’t familiar with, experiencing inclusivity, acceptance, teamwork, and making new friends.
Another student, Audrey Hou, shared that the course content was enriching, with students taking part in over ten classes covering Taiwanese culture, specialty desserts, volunteering, map-making, as well as technical skills like San Tai Zi drumming, dragon and lion dancing. She expressed gratitude to the FASCA teachers, team facilitators Emily and Ethan, and the senior students for their engaging and enjoyable training over the three days.
The ceremony also announced the new leadership team for the upcoming academic year of the Golden Mountain Bay Area FASCA. The competition for the leadership positions was intense, with 18 new students vying for five vice president positions and 13 returning students contending for six vice president positions. In the end, a total of 11 vice presidents (VP) were elected, including five new students and six returning students.