In Fall 2023, the Millennial Global Youth (MGY) partnered with the Formosa Association of Student Cultural Ambassadors - DC Chapter (FASCA DC), and Princeton Day School in New Jersey (PDS) to launch a new project: Online English learning with Chengcheng Elementary School in Shuili Township, Nantou County, Taiwan (南投縣水里鄉成城國民小學). The mission of this new volunteering project is to assist young students in Taiwan in learning English outside the textbook and to introduce cultural diversity at the same time.

The online English learning series began in October, and the class has been meeting virtually on a weekly basis since then. The class usually begins with the U.S. high school students leading the class in reading English sentences from a storybook. They explain the meanings of different English vocabularies from the storybook then encourage students to make sentences and share their sentences verbally. During a recent class session, the class read a storybook called "A Trick Trike". The story describes a little boy named Ross who was sad because he did not have a new tricycle for Christmas like other children and all he had was an old hand-me-down trike. After sulking he decided to do something about it and made a "trick trike". With his mother's help, Ross rebuilt his old tricycle, attracting the attention and admiration of other children, bringing him great joy, and becoming the envy of the neighborhood.

The fall semester successfully ended in December, and after 3 months of learning, the students of Chengcheng Elementary School found the class very interesting and became more enthusiastic about learning English. The U.S high school volunteers who participated in this project also found that online English tutoring brought them a unique learning experience and a sense of accomplishment.

As the spring semester approaches, all participants are looking forward to continuing this enriching journey. The U.S. high school volunteers are committed to providing more engaging and effective English lessons, while the students at Chengcheng Elementary School are excited to further their English skills and broaden their cultural horizons. This project, bridging the gap between Taiwan and the United States, is a testament to the power of education and the impact of cultural exchange.

• OCAC News