The Positive Leadership and Youth Scheme (PLaYS) programme is a volunteer programme organised by the Student Experience and Development Section. Providing free training workshops, planning social service experiences, and funding support allows CUHK volunteers to co-organize and participate in a variety of volunteer activities, in order to develop their leadership skills and contribute to the community.
To provide CUHK students with diverse volunteer service experiences, PLaYS recruited different service teams, including a Volunteer Team and SSeedS. The Volunteer Team recruited CUHK students through an open recruitment process to directly plan social services for partnering schools and organisations. SSeedS came from the ‘Shadowing Scheme for Secondary Students’, where CUHK students serve as peer mentors to accompany students from Caritas St. Joseph Secondary School. The two service teams respectively organised a fun day and an experiential learning camp, allowing children and youth to visit CUHK, experience a variety of exciting activities, and learn about The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Volunteer Team – Fun day with kids at CUHK
The activity planned and executed by the 13 volunteers of the team, ‘Fun day with kids at CUHK’ was successfully completed on 7 July 2024. The event featured a variety of exciting activities, including competitive games, making a herbarium, and creating animal-shaped towels. This allowed 28 children from the YMCA Hin Keng Centre to relax and experience a visit to CUHK.
All the activities were brainstormed and executed by CUHK students, who are passionate to serve those in need by contributing their talents. Jennifer Cheung, a first-year student studying Data Science and Policy Studies who was one of the activity organizers, shared that the most valuable experience she gained from this activity was learning how to cope with pressure and managing quite a scale of manpower. She realized that each person shines at different things, as a leader, she must find it and encourage them to use it to help the group.
The participants were very engaged throughout the activity. A participant, Wong, shared that she was very happy to join the activity because she could make a beautiful herbarium. She also really enjoyed interacting with the volunteers and hopes to participate in similar activities again. Another participant, Poon, also shared that this experience was very memorable for him, as he had such a valuable opportunity to visit the university and see what it is like.
SSeedS – ‘A taste of being a CUHKer’ experience camp
With support from PLaYS, the ‘A Taste of Being a CUHKer’ experience camp was successfully held from 25 to 27 June 2024. The activity was led by 16 CUHK students guiding 22 Form 5 students from Caritas St. Joseph Secondary School through a 3-day 2-night experience camp. The secondary school students were able to experience the real life of a CUHK student.
The exciting activities of the experience camp included exploring the campus with cameras, experiencing residential life, tasting CUHK cuisine, participating in a mock admission interview, and going through a presentation experience. The CUHK students also encouraged secondary school students to actively prepare for the HKDSE and set goals for their future development through various games and sharing sessions. The sincere sharing and exchange of experiences became an encouragement and support for each other.
Crystal Lao, one of the CUHK mentors who is also a second-year student studying Chinese Language and Literature, shared that the 3-day 2-night CUHK experience camp has greatly benefited the group members and themselves. From shooting CUHK on camera to team problem-solving activities, they explored and tried together, supporting and caring for each other. Looking back on the details of this journey, she can see the continuous progress of the group members, and see the confidence in their smiles, which may be the greatest meaning of being a mentor.
Leung, a student of Caritas St. Joseph Secondary School, shared that they spent a brief 3-day, 2-night stay at CUHK together with mentors. Although the weather was hot, they received support from mentors. Although the time was limited, the mentors did their best to take care of and accompany the mentees. Overall, in this 3-day, 2-night experience, they went through a process of mutual growth and accumulation of experience with mentors.”
The participants expressed that they enjoyed this activity, especially handicraft-making.
The CUHK volunteer and the participants spent an enjoyable day together, and they also built friendships through various activities.
The CUHK volunteer patiently taught the participants to make animal-shaped towels.
Under the guidance of the CUHK volunteer, the secondary school students went through their first presentation experience at CUHK on the last day of the experiential camp. After the activity, everyone enthusiastically shared their feelings about participating in the camp.
