A group of nine students from Cheong Kun Lun College (CKLC) of the University of Macau (UM) participated in a volunteer teaching programme organised by Central China Normal University from 5 July to 16 July 2023 in Hubei Province. This year marks the tenth anniversary of the programme. A total of 133 students from 26 universities in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan participated in the volunteer teaching activities in various primary and secondary schools located in Xuan’en County of Enshi City, Qichun County of Huanggang City, Yiling District of Yichang City, and Zengdu District of Suizhou City.

The volunteer teaching activities included unconventional lessons covering a wide range of areas, including personality exploration, career planning, introduction to careers, and how to use online resources to gain additional knowledge outside the classroom. Basic language courses in Cantonese, Portuguese, and French were also conducted to develop students’ interest in language learning. During the lessons, student volunteers from Hong Kong introduced the culture of neon signs, while those from Taiwan introduced milk tea and night markets, as well as the making of tea bags and indigo dyed towels. In terms of creativity, the student volunteers carried out activities such as the making of a page turning device, Chinese calligraphy, Zentangle, and other DIYs. In terms of health and fitness, there were activities such as aerobics, street dance, and dodgeball.

Initiated by Taiwan Normal University, the volunteer teaching programme brings together students from mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan to provide tutoring services to students in remote areas across the country. Since 2013, more than 1,400 university student volunteers have travelled to remote areas in Hubei Province and regions inhabited by ethnic groups to spread knowledge and joy to nearly 6,000 primary and secondary school students.