The Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF 2006 Service-Learning Project

By Ms. Levine

The month-long Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF 2006 service-learning project with the aim of raising both awareness about global poverty and funds for UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) culminated on Saturday, October 21 at the National Experimental High School, when students, parents, and teachers from six schools came together in Halloween fun for the last hoorah to promote service to humanity and fundraise for its cause.  Having had been advertised in four publications (in two national newspapers and the Science Park magazine) and on two different radio stations, the inter-school event welcomed close to a thousand participants.  Described by dozens of people as “an overwhelming success”, Carnival goers enjoyed 65 booths of games, food and drink, handmade arts, crafts and textiles, donated books, and flea market personals.  In addition to the fun and games were horseback rides, a costume contest, and a Silent Auction, a sophisticated event that featured higher quality items and services upon which to bid.  Everyone had great fun, and enormous amount of money was donated to UNICEF in the process.  At the time of this writing, from all month-long, inter-school efforts and personal donations, the total amount raised for the UNICEF 2006 project reached over 700,000NT (21,000 USD)!  What unbelievable success!

As UNICEF’s programs are funded entirely by voluntary contributions, participants can feel proud of their collective contribution to the ongoing efforts of an organization that is both reputable in its mission and excellent in its education. 

In addition to the fundraising success was the number of teachers who educated their students about UNICEF and the project in their classrooms.  Reports from teachers from all of the schools streamed in to Core Team members, especially towards the end of the project, telling how students and teachers alike had been touched by their learning about UNICEF.   A torch was lit, and as a result individuals began to see greater significance to the project.  What better seeds to plant and what better measure of success than this kind of appreciation and understanding?

Another successful aspect of the project, which deserves mentioning, was the inter-school connection and relationship-building.  This was the first time that the six schools joined together in partnership for something as noble as service, critical examination of the condition of humanity, and working for social justice and the betterment of the world.  In addition, new friends and new relationships between and among the schools were made.  Throughout the month-long project, participants from all of the schools commented profusely on how valuable and meaningful the project was to them and how they deeply appreciated the experience.  According to one of the participants:

This UNICEF experience will hopefully enrich our own school communities and will give our kids both an awareness of others and a sense of being able to help achieve something really worthwhile through individual and team effort. 

All in all, the UNICEF 2006 project was a significant and historical experience for all.  More than that, children in severe, life-threatening situations will benefit from the hard work and spirit of service that was given in this project. 

The UNICEF 2006 Core Team would like to thank all the participating schools, students, teachers, and administrators from the six schools who helped to bring this year’s UNICEF project to an unbelievable success.  We look forward to seeing the seed of the UNICEF project grow as it becomes firmly rooted in the soil of the hearts of all who touch it.

The Opening Ceremony

By Yue-Ting Cheng

The Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF 2006 inter-school project began with an Opening Ceremony on October 2nd Monday, where over 800 students from six different schools gathered in the NEHS gymnasium.  The people gathered together to learn something about underprivileged children in the world and the inter-school project and to develop the desire from the bottom of their hearts to help.  The atmosphere was lively and warm.

The Ceremony consisted of speeches, a power point presentation, a singing performance, and announcements regarding the project.  Ms. Levine and Cindy Chang of the Bilingual Department acted as the ceremony’s hosts, who spoke in both languages.  It was enjoyable for both English and Chinese speaking participants.  The participating schools and their principals included:  Long Shan Elementary School (Principal Liu Shiou-Mei), Ke Yuan Elementary School (Principal Huang Mei-Hong), Guang Wu Middle School (Principal Lin Chin-Chen), The Hsinchu International School (Principal Rowena Lines) and, of course, the Bilingual Department and Elementary Department of NEHS and Principal Dr. Wu Rong-Feng.  The sixth participating school in our project, The American School in Taichung, was unable to make it that day, but was acknowledged for their participation.  Also present at the Ceremony was a representative of the Hsinchu City government, who gave a speech at the beginning of the ceremony, along with the principals of each school.  Each of the speakers addressed the importance of helping others and being thankful for what one has.  The Task Force leader of the Education Team, Calvin Liou, presented a brilliant power point presentation that educated us about what UNICEF does in over 155 developing countries and outlined how we can help.  Towards the end of the ceremony the beautiful voices of The Hsinchu International School sang the song, “We are the world,” while showing off the new cool UNICEF t-shirts that they were wearing.  At the end of the ceremony reminders were made about the Halloween carnival and the photography contest.  Overall, the ceremony was a great success.

This one event was reported by two national newspapers -- the Chinese China Times and the Freedom Newspaper.  While it was a pleasant surprise, it wasn’t unexpected.  How often do you come across six schools gathered together under one common purpose:  to learn about the world and to do something about all the atrocities and injustices in the world?  Almost never, that’s how unprecedented our project was!

Bridging Over the Differences

By a Bilingual Department Student

Five Bilingual Department high school students had both the honor and challenge of introducing the UNICEF project to the entire Experimental High School Department on Wednesday, Oct. 4.  With some solemn expressions and heavy hearts with respect to the notoriously alleged animosity between the two departments, Bilinguals Kiki, Sarah, Sharyl, Julie and Anya from tenth grade Chinese regulars met their challenge at the gym, where the Experimentals gathered for their weekly assembly.  With a student-made clip ready to go and the lights off, the nervous girls gathered off-stage and made one last attempt to correct their pronunciations.  Despite their feelings of worry, the 20-minute presentation was a success.

For the month of October the tenth grade Chinese regulars class was involved in a special project.  Guided by Ms. Chu in preparing an all-Mandarin presentation introducing the UNICEF and advertising for the UNICEF project, the class helped educate two groups of students from the Experimental side—a fifth grade class in the Elementary Department and the entire Experimental High School Department.

No doubt the Bilingual students were a bit anxious to take on this task.

As students from the past ages to present can attest, there always has been tension between the two departments, being from very different cultures.  Complaints were constantly made from both sides about the other department for various behaviors and privileges, and the two departments seldom hold activities together.  This year, however, things have taken a turn.  The entire Experimental High School, including both departments, was invited to participate in the UNICEF project, which was brought into the NEHS campus by our very own teacher, Ms. Levine.

Last year, the Halloween Sale was such a huge success that had consequently led to the decision of the school-wide UNIFEC project for this year.  At the start of this year’s project, Ms. Chu came to the conclusion that the Bilingual students, being knowledgeable of international news and activities in general (through, for example, MUN), could explain what UNICEF is and how important it is for everyone, including the Experimental students, to become informed about our international project.  What Ms. Chu hoped for was for her students to give an introductory presentation to the Experimental students in Mandarin.  Through weeks of hard work and practices, the students dazzled the kids from the Elementary Department with their presentation, and were invited by Ms. Levine to present for the high school students.

Though speaking with good intentions, the girls still seemed a bit apprehensive before the presentation—for not only were they presenting in Chinese, they also only had one night’s practice!  Despite the little butterflies in their stomachs, the presentation went on smoothly; albeit with a few mistakes and technical difficulties, but the message was clearly delivered, and curiosity was piqued.  In fact, by the end of the hour, the Experimentals were looking for Ms. Wang already to sign up for a carnival booth.

Could this be a start towards a bond between the two departments?  The answer is hopeful.  Through future UNICEF projects, the two departments could very well learn to leave their differences behind, and work together for a better world.

Outreach Work

By Cindy Cheng

This year’s UNICEF project was a major success, would you agree?  It was a lot of work for all the Core Team members, including for the four senior students on the team, who were in charge of the UNICEF Task Force, a high school service club devoted to helping produce the project.   I was in charge of the Public Relations team, and part of our job was to do the outreach work—to go to other schools to help introduce UNICEF and our project. 

Members of my team and I went to Ke-Yuan Elementary School through the month of October and gave effective presentations about UNICEF to the students.  The purpose of these presentations was to raise their awareness about UNICEF and about our project.  We showed them a poignant slide show of children living in unsophisticated environments, without food to eat, water to drink, or even clothes to wear, not to mention the lack of medication and treatment.  The presentations seemed to motivate the Ke-Yuan students and teachers to learn even more UNICEF and to participate happily at the Carnival, on Saturday, October 21.  What was most exciting to me was to watch them develop interest and understanding to an extremely benevolent organization—UNICEF.

The Public Relations team enjoyed meeting with the students and teachers of Ke-Yuan Elementary School, as they were an enthusiastic crowd who gave us their fullest support each time we met with them.  Interacting with the students and teachers there certainly helped them to become so supportive of the program.  I encourage next year’s project to carry on the work of the outreach work.

Being on the Public Relations team and doing the outreach work was a brand new experience for me and my crew.  I enjoyed working with and helping others for this project.  It made me and the people I worked with feel extremely successful and proud because we knew that we had involved them and affected them in real ways. Through educating the kids in Ke-Yuan Elementary School, not only did they learn about UNICEF, we as educators did too; it was a mutual share and gain of love and learning.  We learned something more than just “donating money” to an organization.  We learned how to be involved and show care towards those in need of help.  More importantly, we learned how to be compassionate and caring towards others.  Love is not bound to certain group of people, let us always strive to spread the love, and reach out our helping hands to those who need it.