EN-US 
ZH 
In addition to providing educational services at Doi Tung Maesadadet School in northern Thailand, Yuan Ze University’s international volunteer team also visited Guang Ming Elementary School and Han Guang Elementary School, where educational resources and teaching staff were even more limited. Through reading education, language learning, creative activities, and follow-up visits to school libraries, the team brought both educational resources and companionship into remote mountainous areas, continuing to fulfill Yuan Ze University’s nearly 20-year educational mission in northern Thailand.
At Guang Ming Elementary School, the volunteer team conducted a three-day service program that included diverse activities such as Chinese language instruction, reading sessions, singing and movement activities, and creative drawing. In the first class, the song “Elephant Song” was used to guide children in learning Chinese through lyrics, rhythm, and movement. In the drawing class, children were encouraged to freely express their creativity and share the stories behind their artwork, thereby cultivating their expressive abilities and self-confidence.
For the reading program, volunteers worked in groups to accompany children in reading picture books, guiding them to recognize story characters and understand plot development. They also assisted with practicing Chinese texts and pronunciation. Through repeated and patient companionship, the volunteers aimed to enhance the children’s reading skills and language expression. In addition, the volunteers brought second-hand toys, candies, and biscuits, allowing children to feel care and warmth from afar while learning.
During the service period, the volunteer team also revisited Han Guang Elementary School, another remote branch school. In addition to reviewing the usage of the multifunctional toy library established during the winter break, the team continued to supplement the library with books, picture books, and educational toys, ensuring that reading resources would continue to grow. Encouragingly, the school’s teachers had already incorporated the library into their weekly curriculum. Through picture-book reading, hands-on interaction with toys, and interactive learning, students were guided to develop reading interest, creativity, and independent learning abilities. Seeing the library continuously play an educational role deeply impressed upon the volunteers that the true value of education lay in leaving sustainable resources for growth rather than providing only temporary assistance.
Mr. Kong of Han Guang Elementary School stated that the children greatly enjoyed the library and eagerly looked forward to its opening hours. The library had become the most popular learning space on campus. By integrating reading with play, it not only enhanced students’ learning motivation but also gradually made reading a part of their daily lives.
Ke-Ni Chen, a second-year student in the Bachelor of Business Administration Program, College of Management, Yuan Ze University, and deputy leader of the volunteer team, noted that she hoped to share knowledge and the joy of reading with children of different age groups through companionship. She also gained many valuable life insights during the service process. She believed that the greatest power of education came from companionship and care, and that the children’s pure smiles were the most precious reward of the service. This international volunteer journey also enabled her to understand different cultures with a broader perspective and to truly appreciate the meaning of service-learning.
Advisor Hsiu-Chu Lin remarked that every moment of reading companionship, every storybook, and every act of cross-cultural exchange planted a seed of hope. Yuan Ze University’s international volunteer team would continue to promote reading education and service-learning, accompanying more children in rural areas to see the future through knowledge, while also helping young students cultivate empathy and social responsibility through international service.
This year’s Northern Thailand educational service program was successfully carried out with the generous support of the Ministry of Education, the Taoyuan City Government, the ASUS Foundation for Education and Culture, and Sky River Book House. Through their joint efforts, educational resources, reading culture, and hope were brought to rural communities in northern Thailand. Yuan Ze University would continue to collaborate with partners from all sectors to deepen its commitment to rural education. It was hoped that every book, every lesson, and every moment of companionship would become a light illuminating the future of these children. At the same time, more young people were expected to learn empathy, responsibility, and dedication through service, collectively embodying the educational value of “life influencing life.”