The 3rd stage of "Children Smile" was started - A meaningful journey.

 

With favorable results in phases 1 and 2, the Children Smile project had moved on to phase 3. The project's primary activities in the new phase had piqued the interest of many UEF students, who sought to gain more required skills and experiences through community service activities. On November 25, the program continued recruiting members and planning for the following exciting, fascinating, and rewarding events.

Within 24 hours of the announcement, approximately 200 students from various disciplines had registered for the project. Following the selection, the Project Coordination Committee (PCC), comprised of UEF students, chose more than 50 students who provided the most outstanding and acceptable responses from registration information to face-to-face interviews.

NCET project phrase 3re recruitment interview
 

The first online interview assisted the Coordination Committee in better understanding the candidates' skills and identifying the most appropriate people for the project in its new phase.

After the interview, the PCC nominated 21 official members with skills and expertise relevant to the project's objectives. Furthermore, each of the members showed a learning attitude and a wanted to contribute to the community, particularly a willingness to aid and support the difficult-plight children at the Shelter.

Students taking part in the first training session

 

On November 28, the PCC had its first training session and a meeting with new members. The training session was intended to help you better grasp children's rights, rules, and project operation processes, as well as the importance of self-responsibility and the Service Learning model. In addition, the meeting was also an opportunity for you to bond with each other in the long journey ahead.

On November 29, the group had a second meeting to officially begin the project. This time, in addition to all members, members of the Service-Learning Center, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Hien Nhu - Lecturer at the International Institute, Ms. Chu Nguyen Hoa Anh Dao who is The representative from the community partner and a Manager of the Truyen Tin Shelter, and the children from the Truyen Tin shelter were also welcome to participate.

 

The second training session with the participation of Mr. Nguyen Xuan Hien Nhu

 

During the meeting, the members gained a lot from Mr. Hien Nhu's earnest sharing. "I can only spread fire if I own its heat" he reminded. This had immensely encouraged the project's participants, assisting them in better understanding their own goals in particular and the project in general.

 

The kids from the Truyen Tin Shelter loved communicating with project members through a little screen. 
 

Ms. Dao, a dear friend who has accompanied the children in the Shelters for many years, also shared and instructed the members at the end of the session. Her sharing had given the young people a better understanding of the circumstances and psychology of the youngsters here, allowing them to generate ideas for conveying the message in the upcoming teaching process.

 

The "Children Smile" had a purpose to help children improve their mindset, broaden their communication skills, and integrate into society, providing them the strength to face challenges in the future. However, it also provided intriguing experiences and significant lessons to the volunteers involved in the project.

 

"Children  Smile" is a project initiated by UEF students and managed in collaboration with the Center of Service - Learning (CSL) of UEF. The project began in May 2021 and has been implemented in two stages (each phase averages 6 weeks). The members of the initiative will instruct children in Shelters in a variety of activities such as crafts, cooking, sketching, and so on. The project activities provide a chance for students to practice skills such as planning, preparing lesson plans, interacting with children, working in groups, and enhancing community knowledge.