Great Joy Language School held the closing ceremony of the youth summer camp on July 12th, with hundreds of guests, parents, and students in attendance.
Established in 1998, Great Joy Language School has nurtured thousands of students in learning Chinese language and traditional Chinese culture. This year’s summer camp, lasting for a week from July 8th to 12th, offered a diverse range of activities for the students, including folk arts, folk dance, and folk sports. Specific courses included handicrafts such as lantern making, watercolor painting, rubbings, and magic fans, as well as activities like Diabolo, swordsmanship, staff skills, martial arts, chopsticks dance, and fan dance.
In his speech, Director of the Taiwan Office in San Francisco, Ming-Chi Lai, expressed that the summer camp serves as a place to blend Eastern and Western cultures. He emphasized how the youth not only acquire new knowledge and traditional cultural heritage but also strengthen their ties with the mainstream community. He hoped that the children would benefit from the knowledge gained during the summer camp.
Director of the Overseas Compatriot Education Center in the San Francisco Bay Area, Ya-Shu Chuang, expressed gratitude to the Overseas Community Affairs Council for sending two lecturers from Taiwan University of Sport to participate in teaching activities at Great Joy Language School’s summer camp. She aimed to provide overseas children with the opportunity to experience and enjoy Taiwan’s high-quality traditional culture through such activities.
Chairman of Great Joy Language School, Yun-Ho Yeh, mentioned that the school has been organizing the summer camp for 12 years, with an average of four to fifty students participating annually. The summer camp not only focuses on language learning but also enhances students’ understanding of Chinese traditional culture. The curriculum includes dance, folk art performances, and emphasizes nurturing students’ leadership and self-management skills. Additionally, moral education is incorporated, and free participation opportunities are provided for underprivileged students.
During the showcase, children presented captivating dances like fan dance and chopsticks dance, along with a sword dance performance entitled “Cloud Soldier Triumphantly Returns with the Sword” and a theatrical performance of “The Monkey King Wreaks Havoc in the Dragon Palace.” They also recited Tang Dynasty poems. Parents were busy capturing each performance on camera to preserve these precious moments.
Guests attending the event included Overseas Community Affairs Commissioners Dede Wei and Zheng-Yuan Lin, Millbrae City Council Member Gina Papan, Hillsborough City Council Member Marie Chuang, former California State Assembly Members and spouses Ganh-Sheng Chu, and the Director of the Confucius Memorial Ceremony, Shan-Chu Mou, as well as the President of the Northern California Chinese School Association, Saint Ling Shan, among others.