Chinaway Volunteers Program Background

Chinaway Volunteers Program 缘起于2008年四川汶川大地震。那时汶川，都江堰周围地区的众多学校受到大地震的破环，非常需要社会的关爱与帮助，因为这个原因，加州华人社团，中文学校与四川及都江堰建立了公益资助联系，开始了暑假到四川地区公益支教并给当地学校捐赠教学用品的活动。这个活动到现在已经连续举办了十几年，这就是Chinaway Volunteers Program的由来。

Chinaway Volunteers Program的初衷是帮助中国灾区，帮扶中国贫乏的教育资源，但项目进行到今天，这个暑假义工项目的功能更多的是锻炼美国高中学生，拓展他们的国际视野，加强加深他们对中国文化，中国社会的了解。Chinaway Volunteers Program项目的口号是“帮助他人，提高自己”。在过去的17年里，该项目走进中国县镇学校，帮助中国孩子开口说英语，介绍惯用英语与美国文化；进入中国社区与农村，举办公益双语夏令营，让中国乡村的孩子可以感受国际的文化与视野，与中国学生一起编排英语表演剧，让中国学生可以更好的用英文表达自己，宣传中国的文化，讲述中国的故事。在这些活动中，可以大大地锻炼美国学生的领导能力，表达能力，极大地提高了他们的中文水平，演讲水平。参加义工支教增加了美国学生对中国社会的认识，开阔了他们的国际视野，学会了如何完成现实中的任务。因而参加这个项目的美国学生几乎都进入了美国名校，成为了非常优秀的青年。

当今世界，中国与美国是并行于世界之巅的两大文明体系与社会系统。它们在价值概念，治国手段，文化传统，管理规则，生活方式等等都有极大的不同。但两个国家的交流，合作，竞争，冲突在世界舞台上又扮演了非常重要的作用，所以了解中国，了解不同于西方体系的社会运作系统，对美国，对世界的发展都是非常重要的，对追求卓越人生的青年是必要的知识储备，而对于华人可能还是开托一方人生的未来舞台。因此当前这个义工项目，更多的是一个领导力培养项目，在教学实践中，锻炼能力，培养创造力，启迪人生，深入了解与认识中国体系，一个优秀的文明，为自己准备更完备的知识与眼界。

The Chinaway Volunteers Program originated from the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in Sichuan Province. At that time, many schools in Wenchuan and Dujiangyan areas were devastated by the earthquake and were in great need of social care and help. For this reason, California Chinese Association and Chinese School established a public welfare funding relationship with Sichuan and Dujiangyan, and began to volunteer teaching in Sichuan during the summer vacation and donate teaching supplies to local schools. This event has been held continuously for more than 17 years now, which is the origin of the Chinaway Volunteers Program.

The original intention of Chinaway Volunteers Program is to help the disaster areas in China and the poor educational resources in China. However, today, the function of this summer volunteer program is more to train American high school students, expand their international vision, and strengthen their understanding of Chinese culture and Chinese society. The slogan of Chinaway Volunteers Program is "Help others, improve yourself". Over the past 17 years, the program has entered Chinese county and town schools to help Chinese children speak English and introduce idiomatic English and American culture; Enter Chinese communities and rural areas, hold a bilingual summer camp for public welfare, so that rural Chinese children can feel the international culture and vision, and arrange English performances with Chinese students, so that Chinese students can better express themselves in English, promote Chinese culture, and tell Chinese stories. In these activities, American students can greatly exercise their leadership and expression skills, and greatly improve their Chinese and speech skills. Participating in volunteer teaching increases American students' understanding of Chinese society, broadened their international vision, and learns how to complete real-life tasks. Therefore, almost all the American students who participated in this program entered the famous American universities and became very outstanding young people.

In today's world, China and the United States are two civilizations and social systems that run parallel to each other. They have great differences in value concepts, governance methods, cultural traditions, management rules, lifestyles, etc. However, the exchanges, cooperation, competition, and conflicts between the two countries play a very important role on the world stage. Therefore, understanding China and understanding the social operation system that is different from the Western system is very important for the development of the United States and the world. It is a necessary knowledge reserve for young people who pursue an outstanding life, and it may still open up a future stage for Chinese people. Therefore, this current volunteer project is more of a leadership training project. In teaching practice, it exercises ability, cultivates creativity, enlightens life, and deeply understands and recognizes the Chinese system, an excellent civilization, and prepares more complete knowledge and vision for oneself.