【2023 YINGXI ACADEMY LEARNING SUMMER CAMP】

by Annie Liu and Dr. Yi-Ching Pan

National Pingtung University (NPTU) has always emphasized the cultivation of college students' social responsibility and practical abilities. The diverse learning programs not only benefit rural students but also provide college students with opportunities to care for and serve their local communities. This, in turn, helps nurture the next generation of outstanding teachers who are willing to serve in remote villages. In line with our commitment to social responsibility and the goal of broadening our students' horizons, NPTU's USR program, the SUZAKU PIONEER Project, partnered with the Center for Teacher Education and Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) to organize a cross-organizational learning activity for remote areas.

The activity, named "YINGXI ACADEMY LEARNING SUMMER CAMP," was held at Shueicyuan Elementary School in July 2023. Notably, the team invited students from UTAR in Malaysia to participate in the operation. Before the learning camp commenced, NPTU and UTAR students collaborated with professors from the SUZAKU PIONEER Project through multiple online meetings. They underwent lessons and received course training, meticulously preparing for months.

During the summer camp, UTAR students employed dynamic and diverse teaching strategies to ignite students' interest in learning. For instance, they integrated picture books and utilized Kahoot!, a game-based learning platform, to enhance students' problem-solving skills. Additionally, they introduced Situational-Based Mathematics challenges to help students practice, and they combined colors with English vocabularies to foster children's engagement in learning.

The summer camp concluded after seven days of teaching events at Shueicyuan Elementary School. In-service teachers and professors expressed their deep appreciation for the hard work and dedication displayed by the pre-service teachers. Furthermore, team members shared their remarkable experience of cross-organizational and cross-national cooperation, which contributes to the global vision of the SUZAKU PIONEER Project and internationalizes rural education. The SUZAKU PIONEER Project eagerly anticipates future collaborations with UTAR and hopes to see continued interaction between the two institutions.