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8th Graders Visiting Community Service Park

November 25, 2014

8th Graders Visiting Community Service Park

On the afternoon of Nov. 16th, a group of twenty-three 8th graders and their parents visited Shanghai Gongyi Xintiandi (Community Service Park). We first had a tour of the site which used to be Shanghai City Orphanage.

Now, after some renovation, the old style two floor buildings became home for non-profit organizations and social enterprises such as “Habitat for Humanity”. One of the organizations named “Discovering Van Gogh” helps children with disabilities to develop their potential and interest in drawing. We were impressed with their talent in art. After the tour, we learned sign language with a young girl with hearing and speaking impairment. While the sign language seemed funny, we also realized it was not easy to memorize the signs and do them accurately without causing confusion. We hope with what we learned, we might be able to help others one day.

We then tried an interesting way of making your own gift by drawing on rice paper or Xuan paper. We were told it was a cultural heritage of China. The teachers who taught us how to do the drawing are trying to promote this unique Chinese art. During the visit, we also had the opportunity of meeting with Mr. Liu who started his own social enterprise aiming at solving the water pollution issue in Hengsha Island, Chongming and Shanghai by planting fig trees. The afternoon ended with a brainstorming on what we had learnt and what we could do to participate in more community services and an idea came up that we should go and help plant fig trees in Hengsha Island!

(Written by 8(3) Matthew Shen Picture by 8(3) Matthew Shen)