Recently, the Overseas Youth Cultural Ambassadors Association (FASCA) in San Diego, Washington D.C., and Boston branches held an online social event with Taipei Matsuyama Commercial and Industrial Vocational School. The event was jointly organized by the Director of Foreign Languages Department at Taipei Matsuyama Commercial and Industrial Vocational School, Xu Yuting, counseling advisors Lee Hsin-yi from Washington D.C., Tao Zhanxiang and Dong Shuyuan, as well as counseling advisors from San Diego, Serene Tseng, and Boston, Jacky Lu. Overseas Community Affairs Commission and FASCA San Diego branch consultant, Xie Jiashu, also participated online to exchange with youth ambassadors and Taiwanese youth.
On the evening of April 12 (Friday), the event was hosted by FASCA San Diego branch youth cultural ambassadors Ellie Chen and Fred Yang; besides the counseling advisors, 33 FASCA youth cultural ambassadors and 66 students from Matsuyama Commercial School participated in the exchange. The event focused on high school life and cultural differences between Taiwan and the United States, as well as discussing current campus issues and sharing future academic and career pathways and personal career planning.
The activities started with warm-up activities designed by the hosts and an introduction to American culture. Following this, youth from Taiwan and the United States moved to breakout rooms for discussions before returning to the main room to share insights. Ellie Chen mentioned that this was the second online exchange between the FASCA branch and Matsuyama Commercial School students. She found it clever and fun that Matsuyama Commercial School students started the breakout room activities with “dad jokes”, which quickly warmed up the atmosphere and made the event lively.
Despite the language barrier, both Taiwanese and American students made great efforts to communicate in each other’s familiar languages, which was a significant breakthrough. Chen believes that this kind of training can help young participants learn to express their opinions beyond limitations and broaden their horizons.
Serene Tseng stated that FASCA training focuses on “leadership, service, culture, and heritage,” and this cultural exchange not only helps Taiwanese and American high school students understand cultural differences but is also crucial for leadership training. Through pre-group discussions, planning, observation during the event, and feedback afterward, FASCA youth cultural ambassadors can improve their event planning skills, promote teamwork, and spark different ideas through the design of various group themes.
Through discussions on the differences in high school life, learning methods, and after-school activities, Taiwanese and American youth discovered that even though most of them aim for further education, their experiences differ significantly. While American high school students need extracurricular activities, volunteer services, and other experiences in addition to academic grades, Taiwanese students can easily commute to school using public transportation, which makes American students envious. Moreover, the diversity of American culture, social freedom, and exotic cuisine also fascinate Taiwanese students.
This online social event not only fostered cultural exchange and leadership development but also allowed high school students from Taiwan and the United States to build friendships. Participants exchanged contact information and initiated online discussions, setting the stage for further engagement both online and offline, which they found very interesting. Counseling teachers and youth cultural ambassadors from FASCA branches expressed their commitment to continue planning and coordinating such online exchange activities, making learning an endless joy.