The Overseas Youth English Service Camp orientation meeting for 2025 was held at the Gold Mountain Bay Area Qiao Jiao Center on February 8th (last Saturday). It invited past participants and their parents to share their experiences and also invited FASCA counselors and students, teachers from overseas Chinese schools and mainstream schools, as well as interested parents to join.
The Overseas Youth English Service Camp is jointly organized by the Overseas Community Affairs Council of the Republic of China, the Ministry of Education, the Hakka Affairs Council, and the Council of Indigenous Peoples. This year, it is expected to recruit 800 young people from around the world to come to Taiwan to teach English, with the event running from July 5th to August 1st, for a duration of 4 weeks.
Since the establishment of the Overseas Community Affairs Council’s English service camp in 2006, up until 2024, over 7,500 overseas Chinese youth have returned to Taiwan to teach English, benefiting over 50,000 Taiwanese students. Director Zhuang Yashu stated that the English service camp not only allows participants to learn teaching skills but also serves as a personal challenge, deepening their connection with their homeland of Taiwan. She mentioned that there was enthusiastic registration from Northern California last year and advised interested participants to register early to avoid missing the chance.
The Overseas Chinese Affairs Council’s English service camp is highly popular among overseas youth. This year, Northern California plans to recruit 100 young volunteers aged between 17 and 25. In addition to overseas Chinese youth, some spots are also open to students from Taiwan’s TCML (Taiwanese Chinese Mandarin Learning Center) or students recommended by mainstream school Taiwanese teachers. Upon completion of the service, the organizing committee will issue a certificate of 80 hours of service.
Former participants of the English service camp, Jeff Chen, Lilian Lai, Kendra Pang, and their parents, shared their experiences and gains at the camp. Jeff Chen said that the program was excellent as it allowed him to learn teaching methods, make new friends, and spend a month in Taiwan.
Jeff Chen’s father mentioned that his child had a great time at the camp, learned many things, and planned to return to Taiwan the following year after participating in the service camp. Moreover, parents only need to buy plane tickets, and their children can stay in Taiwan for a month, giving the parents a month off as well – “it’s really great.”
The orientation meeting introduced the qualifications for activity registration and application documents, and screened a short film showcasing the achievements of last year’s English service camp. In addition, Zhuang Yashu also shared two other youth projects of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Council, including the “Overseas Youth Language Study Class” and the “Top and Outstanding Scholarship for Overseas Students Studying in Taiwan,” encouraging overseas youth to actively participate and apply.
Registration for the “Overseas Youth English Service Camp” will close on March 9th in Pacific Time. Those interested should apply for an iQiao card first (website: https://icard.taiwan-world.net/tw/register), and then proceed to the Overseas Community Affairs Council’s activity registration system for online registration: https://register.ocac.gov.tw/cht/index.php?/sign/2025summer ◇