Brush painting workshop at Haydn Primary School
11/2/2019
January and February have seen Nottingham Confucius Institute staff busy delivering Chinese language and cultural workshops in local schools and various University departments as a major part of Chinese New Year celebrations. In line with our commitment to offering development opportunities and enhancing the UoN student experience, we recruited and trained six student volunteers to work alongside our staff. Recent shortages in full time staff has meant we need volunteers more than ever. We’re glad to offer opportunities to UoN students whilst covering our needs: a win for all!
Here listed below are just a few examples of these events:
25 Jan - Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Catholic Primary Academy
Over 120 year three to six students enjoyed cultural workshops led by two NCI teachers and one student volunteer from Nottingham's School of Education. Topics covered included the Chinese Zodiac and legends surrounding the Chinese New Year. Students also had fun attending paper cutting and Chinese calligraphy taster sessions.
28 Jan - Haydn Primary School
240 year three to six children had a fun day celebrating Chinese New Year with a variety of workshops delivered by NCI staff and student volunteers. Pupils particularly enjoyed learning to count from one to 10 by using a catchy rap song and having a go at drawing pandas with brush and ink on rice paper.
31 Jan - Social Sciences and Arts Graduate Centre, UoN
Two NCI teachers and one student volunteer ran drop-in Chinese New Year celebration activities during lunch time. A good number of UoN students and staff happily joined in and tried their hand at Chinese calligraphy and opera mask painting.
5 Feb - Sutton Bonington Graduate Centre, UoN
Another round of lunchtime drop-in Chinese New Year celebration activities took place at the Sutton Bonington Campus, led by NCI teacher Miss Yiran Gu and two student volunteers. Students and staff particularly enjoyed Chinese Zodiac animal paper-cutting. The Vet School students were reassuringly capable!
Feedback from the events was very positive. “The staff were punctual, friendly and polite and came fully prepared. The activities were exciting and the children really enjoyed them. The children were fully engaged and interested and as a result, behaviour was good and they learnt things they didn’t already know, such as counting to 10 or using a Chinese paintbrush” said the event organizer from Haydn Primary School, adding “great experience had by all, thank you for coming. Please come back again next year!”
Our student volunteers enjoyed the volunteering experience too. One of the students is studying for a Masters in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages (TCSOL) at Nottingham’s School of Education. She said “I am very grateful to Nottingham Confucius Institute for this amazing opportunity. This is the first time ever I visited a local school in the UK. I truly enjoyed working with NCI teachers promoting Chinese language and culture to local young people and putting theories I have learnt during my course into practice.”
~ENDS~
Posted on Monday 11th February 2019