Overseas youth teaching English in Taiwan to learn more? On Sunday, June 2nd, 2024, at the Overseas Youth English Service Camp Volunteer Reunion, FASCA President Daniel Yu and SoCal YEA Youth Director Ethan Liang shared their experiences and insights as English volunteers from last year, attracting nearly a hundred youth volunteers, family members, and overseas youth cultural ambassadors from the FASCA OC Orange County Chapter.
Director Xiao Beiru of the Orange County Overseas Chinese Education and Cultural Services Center stated that the Overseas Community Affairs Council attaches great importance to overseas youth. She congratulated all the accepted volunteers and used the reunion as an opportunity for everyone to get to know each other. Xiao Beiru thanked the overseas youth for showing their love for Taiwan through volunteering as English service camp volunteers, encouraged everyone to strengthen their connections with Taiwan, and presented each volunteer with a “Overseas Community Affairs Council 90th Anniversary EasyCard” for convenient use of Taiwan’s public transportation.
FASCA consultant and Overseas Chinese Affairs Promotion Committee member Wu Junyi hosted the event. Besides facilitating mutual recognition and interaction among volunteers, preparations were made for the upcoming trip to Taiwan. Special preparations, including providing “zongzi” for the volunteers, allowed them to experience Taiwan’s traditional Dragon Boat Festival culture beforehand.
Daniel Yu mentioned that besides English teaching in Taiwan, they also participate in extracurricular activities with students. He shared videos of dance performances at Xisong Elementary School in Taipei, hiking with kids on holidays, taking boat trips on lakes, visiting Taipei 101, and other unforgettable memories with the volunteers.
Ethan Liang detailed the preparations for luggage, event registration, accommodation arrangements, and the closing ceremony. He shared his teaching experience at Nanxing Elementary School in Changhua, as well as a humorous story of helping his roommate do laundry to save money and hassle, igniting excitement among the volunteers for the upcoming experiences. Ethan Liang mentioned his almost daily visits to Taiwan’s convenience store 7-11, sharing a conversation with his mother that brought laughter to the room, highlighting how convenient the ubiquitous convenience stores in Taiwan are, leaving Americans marveling at the ease.
FASCA consultant Liao Meihui and volunteer parent Kristy Chen reminded parents that the most important thing is to let their children learn problem-solving skills and grow. They shared their children’s experiences during the activities and suggested contacting the assigned school teachers to stay informed about their children’s progress. Orange County FASCA consultants Li Meiru and Rong Yuxian also showed their support at the event. During the Q&A session, the participating volunteer students actively spoke up, reassuring parents and looking forward to the students going to Taiwan to learn and grow together. Apart from teaching English locally, they anticipate different valuable experiences.