Twelve members of Global Service Learning will travel to China where they will spend two weeks participating in service work that will focus on education and migration.
Each year Global Service Learning takes an international service trip. In recent years students have traveled to Guatemala, Malawi, Nicaragua, and Swaziland.
“We believe China’s rich history, culture, rapidly developing economy, transitioning society and its unique position in the world today makes it an optimal choice for a group of motivated students who would like to broaden their horizons and deepen their understanding of the world,” said NWU student Michelle Zhang, who helped coordinate this year’s international service project.
Students will spend the first half of their trip in Shanxi, a rural province in northern China. NWU students will work closely with Green TaiHang, a local nonprofit environmental education organization and will teach English at village schools, make presentations about environmental protection as well as help with community projects including cleaning river banks, parks and communal centers, plant trees and flowers, and visit elders in nursing homes.
Students will spend the last half of the service trip in the historical city Nanjing where they will partner with Amity Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping the poor and serving disadvantaged groups. Service projects will include teaching at migrant schools and at special education schools for the blind and deaf, and work at a child development center, senior care center, and bakery.
“Staying in both rural and urban China will allow the students to get an insight into the changes, needs and challenges that rural and urban China face,” said Zhang. “They should gain a more thorough understanding of this rapidly changing country.”
Students will return on June 6.