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Grade 8: "Indigo Workshop" Service Learning Team

November 29, 2017

Grade 8: "Indigo Workshop" Service Learning Team

On November 25th, five 8th grade students went to the Indigo Workshop accompanied by Ms. Yan and Ms. Gao. Indigo Workshop was created for people who couldn’t find proper jobs because of autism or other mental disabilities. In the workshop they were taught to make handmade soaps as a speciality and they learned to adapt better to this society. We bought 100 handmade soaps from the workshop with money earned from charity fair of the 7th and 8th grade. As we entered the room, we were overwhelmed by the greetings from the members and the teachers. Before we came in they were working hard to finish making handmade soaps. The director of the Indigo Workshop，Ms.Zhang Man Zhu then gave a speech, from which we learned further about this program. After the speech, came the ceremony. Although the soaps weren’t completely finished yet but we still took photos with the soaps and all the members of the workshopt. We even discovered our school’s logo on the soaps.

For the rest of the time, we talked with the members there. Some of the members were over 30 years old,but because of their learning disability, they need large amount of practice and explanation to understand a thing which is easy to a normal person.Some of them are too shy to communicate,they have difficulty expressing themselves.

But they were optimistic. They don’t really mind their problem,they work hard on their learning,diligent on their working,and some of them even did a better job than normal people after their practices.For example,one of a woman is good at cooking,and she cook for her parents every night with earnestness.Normal people don’t have that interest and patience to do this kind of easy but troublesome work everyday.But she and other people in this workshop have more persistence than normal people.This amazed me.I realized that,they are not simply adults that have learning disabilities,they have their style to live and have their persistence to learn. We should show respect and kindness to them,we shouldn’t think we are stronger or better than them.Teachers who served in indigo workship are heartwarming too.They have more patience and kindness than others to help these adults.They teach these adults like teaching their own children.

This experience is heartwarming to me,and this made me think deeply about their living style.This was a precious experience.

(Written by Linda & Melvin 8(9) Directed by Ms. Gu Pictures by Ms. Gao)