CAPTClouds'16 is a pioneer Overseas Service Learning Project in Kunming and Lijiang (Yunnan) this summer. First and foremost, we intend to explore the alarming disparity between city schools and village schools, whether it is in the form of teaching resources, standard of teachers or the curriculum. We will therefore be visiting Jin Kang Yuan Primary School (city school) as well as Liangmei Primar
y Schoo (village school). Secondly, our team seeks to introduce the idea of a holistic learning environment to the schools through themed workshops and interest-based activities that are interactive in nature. The over-arching theme of our project revolves around the notion of holistic learning. The education system in China is largely academic-based and there has been little exposure of extra-curriculum activities to enhance the children's learning. Furthermore, much learning is conducted in a classroom setting and there has been minimal interactive-based activities. This is unlike in Singapore where there is a significant focus on all-rounded learning in our education system. The success of learning beyond the classroom has been apparent in recent years and there are social issues which formal education is unable to address. Our team has identified several key themes to shape our non-academic activities:
(1) Character Development: To guide these children to become morally upright and responsible citizens in the future. (2) Cultivation of passion: To expose them to various hobbies, such as the sports and the arts, with the hope that they would be able to generate interest in them. The aim of this is to contructively engage their time as well as for the children to find something they are passionate for in life. (3) Teaching of important life skills: To expose them to practical skills which they would not learn through their academics and would find useful in the future. All in all, we feel these themes would encapsulate what would be most essential for the children in Yunnan. Lastly, we hope that this page would serve as an effective platform for us to (1) raise awareness of the various communities in Yunnan, China and to (2) share our thoughts on the valuable experiences we will be gaining throughout this Youth Expedition Project (YEP) journey. (:
