Home » Supplement » Education
Global citizens providing help at local level
December 26, 2012, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
AT Shanghai United International School (SUIS) we value experiences that link our students to the community around us. We believe that education is not just an exercise in teaching traditional core subjects alone, but that we have a duty also to nurture values that are at the core of holistic education: thankfulness, caring and kindness.
It is with these things in mind that we partnered with the Giving Tree organization to give our students the chance to give back to their community. The Giving Tree charity is presented through the Shanghai Community Center. They partner with donors to provide essential items to children of migrant workers attending schools in and around Shanghai. The students sponsor a child and provide him with essential items such as a coat, shoes, school supplies and a toy. This year the Giving Tree group reached approximately 15,000 children. SUIS sponsored 476 of these children.
Our journey began when we were assigned a partner school. We were given information about the children attending the school, their needs, gender and their sizes.
Our students then received their giving tree bag or had the opportunity to donate money toward filling a bag.
It was exciting to hear the students in the hallway reading the information about their new friend who doesn't even know them yet.
By giving our students some personal information about the child such as their favorite color and hobby, a bond starts to form. They begin to shop and become excited about doing something special for someone they have not yet met, or might never meet.
This experience of kindness and giving begins to lay the foundations that we know are so necessary in a well-rounded individual.
The culminating event is the delivery of the bags. Selected students from Grades 3 to 7 were chosen to participate. Our arrival was hugely anticipated by all the students involved. When we arrived at the school you could feel the excitement in the air. One of the staff told me that for some of these students, it would be the first new thing they had ever received. I passed this onto our students and they could not believe it. It made the giving even more special for them.
Words cannot express the emotions of all students involved. We were able to connect some of our students with the migrant students they went shopping for. There was great anticipation as all receiving students had to wait until everyone to receive a bag before they were all allowed to open their own bag … then "1, 2, 3" - they tore into them! They were bouncing basketballs, donning new coats, hats and mittens. Transformers and Barbies were everywhere. The connection was felt by everyone involved.
Upon our arrival back at SUIS, the students shared with their classes and retold their experiences. We looked at picture after picture of the smiling faces of every student involved. As our students reflected upon that special day, one student wrote, "the most fun part was when the kids opened the bags. They were very surprised and happy. Some of them didn't even know what the things were in the bags. It was mysterious to them. We helped a lot with that. What a fun day!"
As our students strive to be global citizens and our world seems ever smaller, we must not overlook, ignore or dismiss what is immediately around us. Too often we fail to see the needs that are right outside our own doors. Our students have started a wonderful journey.
It is with these things in mind that we partnered with the Giving Tree organization to give our students the chance to give back to their community. The Giving Tree charity is presented through the Shanghai Community Center. They partner with donors to provide essential items to children of migrant workers attending schools in and around Shanghai. The students sponsor a child and provide him with essential items such as a coat, shoes, school supplies and a toy. This year the Giving Tree group reached approximately 15,000 children. SUIS sponsored 476 of these children.
Our journey began when we were assigned a partner school. We were given information about the children attending the school, their needs, gender and their sizes.
Our students then received their giving tree bag or had the opportunity to donate money toward filling a bag.
It was exciting to hear the students in the hallway reading the information about their new friend who doesn't even know them yet.
By giving our students some personal information about the child such as their favorite color and hobby, a bond starts to form. They begin to shop and become excited about doing something special for someone they have not yet met, or might never meet.
This experience of kindness and giving begins to lay the foundations that we know are so necessary in a well-rounded individual.
The culminating event is the delivery of the bags. Selected students from Grades 3 to 7 were chosen to participate. Our arrival was hugely anticipated by all the students involved. When we arrived at the school you could feel the excitement in the air. One of the staff told me that for some of these students, it would be the first new thing they had ever received. I passed this onto our students and they could not believe it. It made the giving even more special for them.
Words cannot express the emotions of all students involved. We were able to connect some of our students with the migrant students they went shopping for. There was great anticipation as all receiving students had to wait until everyone to receive a bag before they were all allowed to open their own bag … then "1, 2, 3" - they tore into them! They were bouncing basketballs, donning new coats, hats and mittens. Transformers and Barbies were everywhere. The connection was felt by everyone involved.
Upon our arrival back at SUIS, the students shared with their classes and retold their experiences. We looked at picture after picture of the smiling faces of every student involved. As our students reflected upon that special day, one student wrote, "the most fun part was when the kids opened the bags. They were very surprised and happy. Some of them didn't even know what the things were in the bags. It was mysterious to them. We helped a lot with that. What a fun day!"
As our students strive to be global citizens and our world seems ever smaller, we must not overlook, ignore or dismiss what is immediately around us. Too often we fail to see the needs that are right outside our own doors. Our students have started a wonderful journey.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
