Horizons // HKU and Glory Foundation Service Learning Opportunities 2017

The Glory Foundation (GF) is a non-profit organization established in California in the US with a mission to improve the quality of life of the underprivileged students in rural China by empowering them through various education projects and provision of scholarships.

In 2017, Glory Foundation will offer four youth education projects for HKU undergraduate students to serve as teaching assistants or counselors at their life education camp, migrant children camp, teaching training camp and children character building camp in various parts of the Mainland.

• Learning Outcomes
• Information Sessions
• Application Process
• Training/Meeting
• Important Dates
• Service Trips

[Please note that there will be regular religious activities during the trips e.g. prayers, to which participants will be invited to stay, though not necessarily to participate.]

Learning Outcomes:

1. The service projects offer an opportunity of exchange for the service team members and local people in rural China to enable them to share and learn from one another. It is a process-centered program that creates an environment where service team members can learn from people with a different cultural, linguistic, geographic, religious, and socio-economic background to develop a greater understanding and appreciation of differences – both at the service location and beyond. It is desirable for all involved to go beyond acceptance to promote inclusiveness within diverse, intercultural contexts.
2. The service projects endeavor to facilitate effective collaboration with a highly diversified service team, local school staff and students in a cross-cultural setting. In today’s increasingly complex business world, most work gets done within a matrix of internal teammates and external partners. Regardless of the model of internationalization – whether it be globalization, localization, Diaspora or migration, “collaboration” is a critical success factor for any winning teams. The word says it all: “Co-labor-ation” – that is, to work together. The diversity in the team can be age, culture, language, education/talents, life stage, religion, and personalities. The process of collaborating in the GF service projects is by itself a good platform to learn and grow. Circumstances often change as the program evolves and so programs (content, roles, etc.) should be flexible to allow for this change and, importantly, to incorporate teamwork around the value of flexibility within the context of collaborative dynamics.
3. The service projects raise social awareness and induce compassion for the needy. Bishop Desmond Tutu has said, “Compassion is not just feeling with someone, but seeking to change the situation. If you are going to be compassionate, be prepared for action!” In completing the service trip, it is hoped that the heart will be moved to compassion and the feet to action in service to those in the margins of society.

Information Sessions:

Application Process:

• Please submit the completed
  Application form,
  Emergency Contact Information Form,
  Liability Waiver & Parental Release Form and
  Medical Release Form
  and reference to service.hku@gloryfoundation.net on or before February 18, 2017 (6 pm HK time), copying to horizons@hku.hk.
• Position availability is open with rolling admission. Once all openings are filled, new applications will not be processed even before the cutoff date.
• Phone/Skype Interview for the purposes of clarification and calibration will be conducted within two weeks upon receipt of completed application with reference.

Training/Meeting:

All enrolled team members must attend at least 80% of all training sessions/team meetings:

• March 18-19 (Sat-Sun) – Overnight retreat at Breakthrough Youth Village in ShaTin.
• April to June – Three half-day training sessions/Team meetings (Dates to be announced)
• April to June – Small group weekly phone/Skype conference (30-45 minutes). The consensus on meeting time will be coordinated by each small group. All team members are recommended to activate/keep a no cost Skype account for teleconference purpose.

Important Dates:

Process	Date
Application	December 20, 2016 – February 18, 2017 (6 pm HK time)
Interview	Within two weeks upon receipt of completed application with reference
Notification of application results	March 18, 2017
Participants to sign “Notice of Acceptance”	TBC
*Overnight retreat at Breakthrough Youth Village in Shatin	March 18-19, 2017 (Sat-Sun)
*Three half-day training sessions or team meetings	April to June, 2017 (exact dates to be fixed)
*Small group weekly phone or Skype conference (Team members are advised to keep a no cost Skype account for teleconference purpose.)	April to June, 2017 (30-45 minutes each) (meeting time to be coordinated among group members)
Service Trips	June to July, 2017

Service Trips:

1. High School Life Education Camp

Tentative Date:	June 25 (Sunday) – July 8 (Saturday), 2017
Target Group:	Junior and senior high school students
Location:	Rural area in Hubei, a province in central China
Local Host:	The hosting school
Estimated Expenses:	HKD6,000 – 7,500
Openings Available for HKU Undergraduate Students:	10
Subsidy:	Participants may apply for the Mainland Experience Scheme through the HKU Horizons Office. Participants not eligible to apply for the MES may contact the Horizons Office for assistance.

The aim of the program is to promote personal growth on character formation and community service as well as some positive English learning experience. The activities are intended to facilitate experiential learning through games and exercises with effective teamwork. The primary roles of the HKU participants will be small group co-leaders to lead activities according to a theme-based curriculum, and key contributors to plan and lead games, music, and sport events. Weather permitting, we will usually organize visits to the homes of some of the students so as to enrich the cultural exchange experience.

 

Past experience shows that as service team members and service “clients” were on an equal footing, HKU students who took the initiative to reach out to local students were able to befriend them easily. The local students often look up to the HKU students as role models, watching the walk and talk of the HKU students out of curiosity and admiration. HKU students play a significant role in the camp and their participation can bring encouragement and inspiration to the local students.

2. Migrant Children Camp

Tentative Date:	July 22 (Saturday) – July 30 (Sunday), 2017
Target Group:	Elementary school age children of migrant workers at the hosting factory
Location:	Industrial area in Shenzhen Metropolitan
Local Host:	The hosting factory. HKU participants will work under the factory management as intern camp counselors.
Estimated Expenses:	HKD2,500 – 3,500
Openings Available for HKU Undergraduate Students:	5
Subsidy:	Participants may apply for the Mainland Experience Scheme through the HKU Horizons Office. Participants not eligible to apply for the MES may contact the Horizons Office for assistance.

We focus on more than activities and classes that are filled with fun. It is also our goal for the campers to grow to become responsible members of their families and citizens of their communities. We are keen to see the campers using the camp as an opportunity to strengthen family relationships (e.g. group activities, family education, art & craft, and games) with effective communication, expressive love language, and healthy EQ. Each camper will participate in a program element that focuses on the needs of others (in their family or community) and allows him/her to explain how (s)he can take action to make a positive difference.

The primary role of the HKU participants will be to work with other counselors to develop curriculum and lead the camp. They will have the opportunity to lead others (e.g. junior counselors and TAs) and demonstrate positive communication skills to encourage others (e.g. different demographic backgrounds), share ideas, and build friendships with the children, their parents as well as other factory workers. All adults in the service team will serve as role models and demonstrate proper behavior and attitude.

3. College Teacher Internship

The hosting college is the first and only non-profit college in China. The school aims to make quality higher education and vocational training affordable and accessible for underprivileged rural students in the vicinity, in hope of providing them with the tools to achieve social mobility. Instead of a grade-oriented education approach, the school emphasizes the learning of practical and employable skills. Students are expected to actively participate in experiential work and training for a high level of professionalism.
 

3A. College Teacher Internship (1 week) + Children Character Building Camp (1 week)

Tentative Date:	June 30 (Fri) – arrival July 1 (Saturday) – July 7 (Friday) College Teacher Internship July 8 (Saturday) – July 12 (Wednesday) Assistants in classes/office July 13 (Thursday) – July 16 (Sunday) Children Character Building Camp July 17 (Mon) – departure
Target Group:	High school English teachers Children in an age range starting from upper elementary school to middle school
Location:	A town in Guizhou, a province in southwest China
Local Host:	The local hosting vocational college under the leadership of Dr Max Hui-Bon-Hoa.
Estimated Expenses:	HKD3,500-4,000
Openings Available for HKU Undergraduate Students:	5
Subsidy:	Participants may apply for the Mainland Experience Scheme through the HKU Horizons Office. Participants not eligible to apply for the MES may contact the Horizons Office for assistance.

3B. College Teacher Internship (1 month)

Tentative Date:	Schedule as in 3A from June 30 – July 17 + July 17 (Sunday) – July 30 (Sunday) College Teacher Internship
Target Group:	High school English teachers Children in an age range starting from upper elementary school to middle school
Location:	A town in Guizhou, a province in southwest China
Local Host:	The local hosting vocational college under the leadership of Dr Max Hui-Bon-Hoa.
Estimated Expenses:	HKD3,500-4,000
Openings Available for HKU Undergraduate Students:	5
Subsidy:	Participants may apply for the Mainland Experience Scheme through the HKU Horizons Office. Participants not eligible to apply for the MES may contact the Horizons Office for assistance.

College English Teacher Training Camp 魅力英語教師營 – The college recruits a number of international volunteers to teach English to the students. The English language is regarded as a highly marketable asset particularly in the hospitality and tourism industry. Opportunity is available for HKU students to participate as teaching assistants in a summer program led by Dr Max Hui-Bon-Hoa (recipient of the 2006 Outstanding Teacher Award at HKU). Participants will work in a team environment and be expected to adapt to a variety of circumstances and assignments. They will have the opportunities to work in the backend as assistants in the school offices as well.

While applicants with high proficiency on Putonghua will be accorded priority in the selection process, it is important that each team member demonstrates sincerity, patience, positive attitude, self-motivation, self-management, and the spirit of service.

Children Character Building Camp 兒童有氧英語品格營 (1 week) – The same college is also hosting a summer camp for about 120 children from various rural area schools who are in an age range starting from upper elementary school to middle school. The camp is led by international college students to engage the children to discuss character building concepts using lecture, discussion, songs, games, videos, and art & craft in small groups. The camp is beyond about teaching concepts; it is about cultivating character proactively through planned actions and activities (basketball, soccer, etc.). HKU students will join the international college student team to lead the camp.