Service Learning Project Brings Another Library Room to Shaoguan

Here at Morningside we regard service as a long-term commitment. This explains why for the second year in a row a group of students traveled to a rural village outside Shaoguan, Guangdong for a service learning project. The project, planned in coordination with members of the local village, works to convert a dilapidated vacant space in a different village within Renhua County into a new small library each year. In preparation for the trip, students were divided into groups to investigate issues surrounding education in rural China and evaluate ways to effectively address the community needs. This year happened to be the largest test yet. The project started with three vacant rooms, an overgrown outdoor area, and a modest budget for buying books. But, with the hard work of the 18 students, the space quickly became tidy, freshly painted, and stocked with hundreds of books. The students’ efforts were quickly rewarded as well! Before the small library was even officially opened, a crowd of over 40 children had gathered, curious and eager to get inside.

Upon their return to Hong Kong, students will enroll in the Service Learning course, which will ask them to critically analyze and reflect upon their service work through a journal, essay, and poster.