🌍Happy Earth Village - Peaceful December at Yung-Ning International

This month, the fifth graders organized two online cultural exchange events as part of our "Happy Earth Village" initiative. We connected with Sri Sri Ravishankar Vidya Mandir School in Mumbai, India, and our Indian sister school, Vidya Bharati School, to share the beauty of calligraphy. The teachers from Sri Sri Ravishankar Vidya Mandir School led Yung-Ning students in learning meditation and chanting the Indian Geeta Chant. Before the exchange, Yongning students created presentations on Canva introducing the tools used in calligraphy, and they filmed videos on how to prepare and clean up calligraphy tools. These videos were shared with our sister schools in advance to prepare them for the activities.

On the day of the exchange, as soon as the cameras turned on, students from both schools were ready. Excitedly, our principal shared the beauty of calligraphy and the significance of spring couplets with the students from our sister school. Yung-Ning students then presented the introduction of calligraphy tools in English to help Indian children understand the essential tools of calligraphy. Following that, our art teacher, Mr. Chen, guided everyone in writing the characters for "peace" and "tranquility" stroke by stroke. Watching the focused and engaged expressions of students from both sides was truly touching. Finally, our teachers explained the meanings behind the characters "peace" and "tranquility." When we focus on calligraphy, we unconsciously adjust our breathing, calm our emotions, and set aside the complexities of life, benefiting our physical and mental well-being. The children of Yongning shared that Indian students, despite not having previous experience in calligraphy, surprised them by writing beautifully on their first attempt.

During the meditation session led by the Indian teachers, students quieted their minds, followed the guidance step by step, closed their eyes, and focused on experiencing the changes in their surroundings. The atmosphere was incredibly serene and peaceful. Another teacher then led everyone in chanting the Geeta Chant, a classic Indian literary work significant in Indian philosophy and spiritual literature. Although in the Indian language, Yung-Ning students attentively listened, repeated, and astonishingly kept up with the teacher's rhythm throughout the session. The Indian teacher praised the students greatly after the activity. One student from Class 5B expressed that the "meditation" activity made her feel calm and relaxed. Students were satisfied with learning to chant in an Indian language, even though they didn't understand it, as they could feel the tranquility it brought.

After these two exchanges, the feedback from the children was positive. They gained a deeper understanding of our calligraphy culture, learned about traditional Indian culture and language, and found meaning in collaborating with Indian students.