“Serve with love, let love be infinite; stay simple, truthful, firm, and persevere, and realize sustainability.” On June 25 at 9 a.m. in Room B713, the Extracurricular Activities Guidance Section held the 2024 Academic Year Summer Social Service Team Flag Presentation Ceremony. The event was attended by President Huan-Chao Keh, Vice President for Administrative Affairs Chun-Hung Lin, Vice President for International Affairs Hsiao-Chuan Chen, and other first- and second-level supervisors from various university offices. This year, 12 teams comprising 143 students will participate in service activities. Ten teams, including the Seed Tutoring Club, Fencing Club, and Computer Hardware Study Club, will organize camps throughout Taiwan. In addition, two international volunteer teams—the Cambodia Service-Learning Team (Extracurricular Activities Guidance Section) and the "Eco & Edu Explorer Team from the Department of Economics—will travel to Cambodia and Australia, respectively.

President Keh praised the students’ enthusiasm for service in his remarks, emphasizing that “service is a meaningful action that benefits both others and oneself, and a valuable learning-by-doing experience. It aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the vision of global well-being.” He noted that service not only brings happiness to others but also enhances personal growth. He encouraged the Office of Student Affairs to continue its role in supporting service teams during winter and summer breaks, helping students bring their knowledge to rural communities. He also reminded students to prioritize safety during their missions and wished them all great success. He then personally presented flags to each service team, followed by a pledge led by Cambodia team leader Chia-Chen Lin, a senior in Finance.

After the flag ceremony, He-Min Hsieh, counselor at the Counseling, Career Development and Learning Center, gave a talk titled “A Few Things About Gender Equality Education,” highlighting how to avoid gender-related disputes or misconduct during the camps and how to handle complaints if they arise. Te-Yu Chang from the Extracurricular Activities Guidance Section also held a pre-departure briefing, urging participants to carry the honor and responsibility of representing Tamkang, and to remain mindful of their conduct and service attitude throughout. The ceremony concluded with a video montage featuring encouraging messages from team leaders, sending their best wishes and hopes to each service team.

"The smaller the 'i', the greater the Power!" said Mei-Fei Ko, President of iPower Club and a first-year master’s student in Industrial Economics. She shared that from July 28 to 31, iPower Club will co-host a camp titled “EQ Players: The Emotional Survival Game” with National Taipei University of Education, bringing positivity and love to students at Binmao Elementary School in Jinfeng Township, Taitung County. The camp centers on emotional education, addressing emotions such as anger, sadness, and fear, and incorporates hands-on, interactive classes to help local children identify and express their feelings. “The team has spent nearly two months preparing. We hope everyone can grow and challenge themselves through this service experience,” she said.

Now in its 19th year, the Cambodia Service-Learning Team will continue contributing to education in Cambodia. Team leader Chia-Chen Lin explained that prior to the 17th team, Chinese lessons were taught using Zhuyin (phonetic symbols), but since last year, the team has switched to Hanyu Pinyin, which is more aligned with international language practices and improves learning outcomes. This year, they will visit the CTEP Education Center in Siem Reap, teaching in English with local teachers providing Khmer translations. The team has invested significant effort into lesson planning and practice to offer children a rich and meaningful learning experience. At the same time, the experience allows the volunteers to connect with local culture and traditions—and enjoy the deep satisfaction that comes with teaching.