USJ Social Work Students hosted day camp for Saint Paul School Students
A 2-sessions day camp organised by the Social Work students was held at the Ilha Verde Campus on April 2 and 9 for Saint Paul School senior high students to learn more about USJ.
A two-session day camp for Saint Paul School senior high students was held on campus grounds on April 2nd and 9th. Led by Adam Chan, Katherine Lei, and Charlie Lei, the third and first year Bachelor of Social Work students co-organized and co-designed fun activities based around campus facilities.
The event served to introduce Saint Paul students to the University of Joseph (USJ). Year 1 Social Work students also assisted throughout the day camp by acting as group leaders and accompanied the Saint Paul students as they explored the campus. The Social Work Department invited three guest speakers to host workshops based around the concept of self-discovery: “Unlocking Self” by Stella O, “Mindfulness” by Annie Wong, and “What the Future Means to You?” by Jayson Lou. Participants were encouraged to discover their own potential through dynamic activities and personal sharing. The activities also highlight that the students are not alone in their confrontation with future challenges, thereby creating a stronger sense of belonging.
A total of 84 Saint Paul students participated in the day camp. The event began at 10:00 AM with icebreakers for the Social Work students and participants to familiarize themselves with one another. The participants were divided into separate groups to foster stronger bond building. The afternoon activities were conducted in six separate locations within the campus including: the classrooms, the library, the student lounge, and the Kent Wong exhibition gallery. Each group had the opportunity to explore their own unique route through the campus. In particular, the library activity encouraged participants to search for books containing a card introducing local social services. The purpose was to increase the participants’ awareness of local services. Social Work student, Cater Chon, also elaborated on the meaning of the activity and the importance of social services to the participants at the end of the camp activities.
Overall, the day camp was a refreshing new experience for the Social Worker students. It was a rare chance for the students to develop their leadership, planning, collaboration, and communication skills. The students also took the opportunity to serve the community by promoting social work values and ways for high school students to disclose themselves and practice self-care. At the same time, the event helped prepare the students for the field work practice in the summer by strengthening their skills and sense of responsibility when organising public activities.