Guang Ming College Integrated School Holds Culminating Activity — FGU Social Work Interns Grow Together with Students

【The Merit Times / Manila, Philippines】 August 14, 2026

On August 14, Guang Ming College Integrated School held its culminating activity, marking a meaningful conclusion to a period of learning and companionship between the students and overseas interns from the Department of Sociology and Social Work of Fo Guang University (FGU). Graduate student Wang Wei-Ling led fellow students Luo Wei-Ru and Yeh Chih-Keng as they entered the school for the final time in their role as “teachers,” guiding group activities and sharing the learning outcomes accumulated throughout their internship.

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When the FGU interns first entered the school, they faced the unfamiliarity and lively energy of the children, as well as the challenge of maintaining classroom order. For students standing in front of a class as teachers for the first time, it was an entirely new experience. How to build trust with the children, encourage their participation, and find a balance between learning and play became important lessons that they continued to explore throughout the internship.

Under Wang Wei-Ling’s guidance, Luo Wei-Ru and Yeh Chih-Keng worked together on lesson planning, activity preparation, and classroom facilitation, adjusting their approaches according to the children’s responses. As they spent more time together, unfamiliarity gradually turned into familiarity. The interns went from feeling nervous and uncertain in front of the classroom to interacting naturally with the children, playing and laughing together, and eventually becoming the familiar “teachers” the children knew and trusted. Behind this transformation were their patience, dedication, and sincere companionship.

During the internship, the FGU Social Work students conducted three Chinese-language classes, four arts and crafts sessions, and three outdoor activity sessions at Guang Ming College Integrated School. From language learning and creative activities to outdoor group experiences, each session provided an opportunity to build relationships and learn from one another. The August 14 culminating activity brought together the learning and growth accumulated throughout this period. The children’s bright smiles and the interns’ dedication became some of the most meaningful achievements of their overseas internship.

Venerable Yung Guang, Head Abbess of Fo Guang Shan Philippines, encouraged the interns, saying that an overseas internship is not simply about bringing what they have learned at university to another place. More importantly, it is an opportunity to learn through service and hands-on experience—to take responsibility, interact with others, and adapt to different cultures and environments. The transition from being a “student” to becoming a “teacher” in the eyes of the children is itself a valuable learning experience. Beyond sharing knowledge, they must also learn to accompany children with patience and care, while growing through the process of serving others.

Venerable Yung Guang also encouraged the students to treasure every encounter and experience during their internship in the Philippines and to carry home lessons that cannot be learned in the classroom. Education is a process of mutual learning. While teaching the children, the interns can also learn from them and truly experience the meaning of “teaching and learning from one another.”

For Wang Wei-Ling, Luo Wei-Ru, and Yeh Chih-Keng, the internship was not simply about “what they could teach the children.” More importantly, through each interaction, they witnessed the children’s growth while gaining a deeper understanding of themselves. From lesson planning and teamwork to facilitating activities and responding to unexpected situations, every challenge became a valuable opportunity to bring their social work training beyond the university classroom and into a real-world service setting.

The culminating activity marked a meaningful milestone in this journey of teaching and companionship. The classes they shared, the works they created together, and the moments of running and laughing during activities will remain treasured memories for both the children and the interns. Although the classes have come to an end, the bonds formed through education and companionship will continue, leaving an unforgettable chapter in the Fo Guang University students’ overseas internship experience in the Philippines.