Shanghai High School International Division held its Global Citizen Day (GCD) Course for all G11 students at Wusi Farm on April 3rd and 4th, 2019. After their arrival, the students organized their rooms and unpacked their backpacks in preparation for the night they were about to spend at Wusi Farm. The managers and trainers of the Wusi Farm then held a ceremony that emphasized the specific rules that needed to be followed for students to enjoy activities safely during the days to follow.

After the ceremony, students participated in the first activity of their journey: grass rope making and rope skipping. The students gathered haystacks, twisted the long haystacks, and tied them together into a jump rope. Then, a jump rope competition was held to promote teamwork between the students. One homeroom teacher said that she was glad to see that all the students worked like one family to complete the task, which strengthened the bonds between each classmate.

After lunch, students participated in grain sticking and gourd carving, which provided a culinary experience paired with aesthetic delight. To prepare for dinner, students participated in the process of cooking Chinese dumplings. Even though some didn’t know how to make them, they were able to succeed with the help of their peers and teachers.

After dinner, all of the students gathered at the central square to watch the videos they made for Global Citizen Day. Each of the student-made videos were centered around the virtues and values emphasized at SHSID; for example, class 11-1 shot a video about hope. The video’s plot was a parody of a recent Chinese movie: Wandering Earth. Inspired by this plotline, 11-1’s video was about students in the desperate situation of being rejected by colleges and receiving low scores on standardized tests. This plot was very relatable to the student audience and aroused much laughter. Like the Chinese movie, even when confronted with a desperate situation, the student actors and actresses in 11-1 did not lose hope, which allowed the virtue of hope to stand out to their fellow students at SHSID.

After this busy yet rewarding day, the original objectives of GCD–promoting students’ awareness as global citizens, improving students’ teamwork and developing students’ capabilities in the face of hardship—were achieved. Students had time to relax after their exhausting day and went back to their dorms to recharge themselves for the second day of the annual Global Citizen Day event.

(Written by 11(1) Eric Park      Pictures by 11(4) Cindy Bu 11(6) Calen Weng 11(9) Niketa Kou)