The Ministry of Education has launched the "Youth Experience Learning Program" to encourage high school graduates to experience learning. Before entering the university there are many opportunities for them to explore aptitude and interest via “self-planning” in order to facilitate subsequent studies and career development. The youth experience programs include volunteer service, youth travel exploration, master traineeship, entrepreneurship and other projects. The participants will conduct self-learning for 2 to 3 years at home and abroad to further broaden their horizons, expand their knowledge, and explore themselves to develop their career in the future.
A year ago, Wang Jinjie, who was a senior at Haisheng Waldorf High School, learned that Ministry of Education was promoting the youth experience learning program, which coincided with the school’s ongoing “Exploration Year”, thus opening his journey of experiential learning. During the year of implementation of the project, Jinjie went to Nanhu Mountain to explore the magnificent beauty of the mountains, and also went to kindergarten to take internship and carried out various social services. In the meantime, she has found herself suitable for one-on-one and companionship work with people, also found her own interests - through the professional treatment of folklore therapy such as channel physiotherapy, combined with compassion to young children and senior citizens to conduct services of social welfare.
"One year of study is definitely not enough, therefore the design by Youth Development Administration of Ministry of Education is for two years. This is a great design." Jinjie said, "Because in the first year we may change direction and goals while there is no way to truly understand any single field in one year." Nowadays, Jinjie is taking master internship in the folklore therapy studio, while self-cultivating anatomy and physiology. She plans to use her second year of implementation to enrich her professional knowledge and become a physical therapist. At the end of June, she shared with the junior brothers and sisters who participated in the "Youth Experience Learning Planning Camp" in this (2018) year regarding "The planning of experiential learning should be in-depth and extensive, then substantially fulfill the dream step by step."
Xinghan Chen who also participated youth program in the same year (2017), has been hitchhiking around the island while he work-exchanged in past year, in addition to enjoying the unique beauty of culture at each place, he also hopes to break through his weakness in personal relationships through contact with different people, events and objects. "One month of hitchhiking around the island really made me grew up a lot." The process of hitchhiking around the island is not always smooth. He used to miss lunch on the road and stayed hungry and tired all the way, then raised a board of "hitch hiking" for more than a hour before he was lucky enough to meet a passionate big brother who shared the ride on the way.
Xinghan shared with the junior brothers and sisters that in the past he was afraid of being in contact with people and care very much about other people's words and eyesight, and he has less confident. "But I figured it out now. When I felt that I lacked self-confidence, I took out the spirit of the hitchhiking and encourage myself by telling me: "Come on, just do it!"." He plans to write a book about his experience on traveling around the island and working to exchange accommodation. While document his own growth, he would like to share it with more youth who would like to embrace a breakthrough. He believes that when one takes a step by step approach, one day people will have their own sky.
"The best way to learn is through the process of