YZU School of Nursing Students Enthusiastically Joined the “Lunan Team Volunteer Program”

To promote the philosophy of “urban–rural co-learning and shared service,” the Yuan Ze University Doctoral Management Society planned and carried out the recruitment of “University Volunteer Team Leaders.” On November 12, the third information session was held at the School of Nursing, inviting Chung-Hua Association for Digital Humanity Care founder Chih-Shan Lu (also known as “Papa Lu”) to share his years of experience and heartfelt journey in promoting education in Indigenous communities.

The event was hosted by Ying-Hua Su, Director of the School of Nursing, and Chien-Sung Chen, President of the Doctoral Management Society, with Academic Chair Chin-Tsang Tsai and volunteer Su-Chuan Chen assisting. The atmosphere was warm and lively.

With the theme “A Fantastic Journey,” Chih-Shan Lu guided students to rethink the meaning of “service.” He said, “When we bravely stepped out of our comfort zones and entered the villages, experiencing different cultures and ways of life, we realized that the world was broader and kinder than we imagined.” His words deeply moved the nursing students, who expressed their hope to transform the caring spirit they learned in class into real companionship and action through volunteer service.

President Chien-Sung Chen also cited Professor Pei-Jung Fu’s three dimensions of growth—physical health, intellectual development, and spiritual cultivation—encouraging students: “Only through serving and caring for others could true happiness and growth be achieved.” Since its founding, Yuan Ze University has continuously promoted humanistic care and local engagement. The IC Tribal Society had participated in tribal co-learning programs for 12 consecutive years and had received the Ministry of Education’s National Outstanding Club Award last year.

This year, in addition to continuing the “Zhiluo Team” collaborations with Spring Sun Elementary School in Yuli, Hualien, and Wanxing Elementary School in New Taipei City, the university also established the new “Lunan Team.” The team partnered with Chenggong Elementary School in Taoyuan and Koushe Elementary School of the Paiwan Tribe in Sandimen Township, Pingtung, jointly promoting a “Cross Urban–Rural Co-learning Education Program.” The program combined winter and summer camps with a digital interactive learning platform, guiding students through the journey of “seeing, caring, and transforming,” deepening the core values of service learning while realizing the importance of educational co-learning and cultural exchange.

Students from the School of Nursing showed great enthusiasm for participating in tribal service. They said that the person-centered care philosophy they learned in class could be genuinely practiced in the tribal communities. One student shared, “I wanted to understand the daily lives and health needs of Indigenous elders, and learn how to listen and accompany them.” Another student said with a smile, “I looked forward to finding the purest essence of nursing in the laughter of the children in the villages.”

At the end of the event, Director Ying-Hua Su remarked with sincerity: “Nursing was not only about caring for patients—it was also about seeing the diversity and strength of life. I hoped that on this learning journey in the villages, students would learn to respect cultural differences, cultivate empathy, and bring this spirit of humanistic care back to clinical practice and society.”

YZU’s volunteer team program was not only a service initiative but also a journey of life exploration—“from a bird’s-eye view to an insect’s-eye view.” It represented a shift from observing from afar to understanding up close, allowing young volunteers to see the beauty of Taiwan and a more mature version of themselves through every interaction and moment of companionship.