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正體中文 
From June 22 to July 8, 2025, 13 young volunteers from Yuan Ze University’s International Volunteer Team, the Taoyuan Youth Association, and ASUS Volunteers carried out a 17-day educational service trip to Matthed Da Tong High School in Northern Thailand.
Led by Hsiu-Chu Lin, the mission continued Yuan Ze University’s nearly 20-year commitment to supporting education in Northern Thailand and was warmly welcomed by local teachers and students.
This year’s curriculum specially introduced basic AI instruction and presentation design classes to help older students master information applications and self-marketing skills, cultivating key abilities needed for the future. Team leader Chih-Sheng Huang, a student from the Department of Electrical Engineering at Yuan Ze University, explained that the program integrated creativity with educational value, featuring highly anticipated activities such as an English singing contest and the “English Art Corridor” class. In that class, students used the theme of “marine life” to collaboratively paint murals with image-based memory techniques, boosting their interest in language learning while encouraging awareness of the natural environment.
In addition to in-person classes, the team also used the “Roaming Cultural Bridge” online curriculum to enable real-time interaction and cultural exchange between students in Taiwan and Thailand, broadening their international outlook and multicultural literacy. Among these, the “Taste and Play Taiwan” cultural course, which introduced Taiwan’s landmarks and specialty foods, was especially popular. Topics such as the National Palace Museum and pineapple cakes sparked lively discussion among the local students.
Ai-Chia Chang, a second-year student at Da Tong High School, shared that English classes usually felt very stressful, and she had been too shy to speak, sing, or dance in English. But thanks to the teachers’ step-by-step guidance, she gradually became willing to try. She expressed gratitude for their encouragement, saying it helped her enjoy the learning process much more.
To promote environmental awareness and maker education, the volunteer team designed the “Paper Sprouts” class, using hands-on activities to reinforce concepts like waste sorting, recycling, and energy conservation, hoping to plant the seeds of sustainable development in the children’s hearts. Another class, “Hand-Carved Acrylic LED Lamps,” combined technology and art to inspire students’ hands-on creativity and innovative thinking.
Besides their service at Da Tong High School, the volunteer team also visited the more remote Taikwang Elementary School. They brought secondhand toys, candy, and cookies, spending time with the children building block towers and singing together, bringing warmth and laughter to the rural students.
“The most precious thing was seeing the children’s genuine smiles and feeling the warmth of our interactions,” said Tzu-Hsi Chen, a third-year student from the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management at Yuan Ze University. “In just a short time, we weren’t just teachers—we were more like friends. I hope they keep this spirit of service alive as they grow.”
Yi-Chun Lin, a first-year student from the College of Management, was responsible for the English singing contest and the butterfly pea flower chemistry experiment class. Watching the students eagerly discuss and get involved in making things gave him a deep appreciation for the value of teaching. He also reflected on the abundance of resources in Taiwan, realizing he needed to cherish them more and have greater empathy for others.
Team leader Hsiu-Chu Lin explained that Yuan Ze University’s International Volunteer Team embraced the spirit of “building bridges with love and serving as its foundation,” designing diverse curricula that combined information technology, creative English, cultural aesthetics, and environmental education. She emphasized that this cross-border education initiative not only brought knowledge and hope to children in Northern Thailand but also helped the young volunteers grow and transform through their service, together writing a warm chapter in humanistic exchange.
