In the summer vacation of 2024, many free-of-charge classes in Da Nang were open to hundreds of students, teenagers and children living in difficult circumstances, thereby, creating conditions for them to cultivate and improve their knowledge and skills, contributing to spreading love of humanity in the community.

Illustrative image. (Photo: DNO)

Improving foreign language skills

After more than 1.5 months of participating in the free summer English class organised by the Summer Activities Steering Committee, in coordination with the Centre for Culture, Sports and Community Learning of An Khe Ward, Thanh Khe District, the English communication ability of Le Anh Quan, a fourth grader at An Khe Primary School has improved positively. From a student who was poor at listening and speaking English, Quan has changed significantly and he is more confident.

Tran Khanh Van, a fifth grader from the An Khe Primary School, has also gradually improved her English listening and speaking ability through her participation in a free class. As reported by a representative of An Khe Ward Youth Union, the free summer English class is part of the 2024 summer youth volunteer campaign implemented by the Ward Youth Union.

The class started at the end of June 2024, organised every Sunday morning, taught by a team of volunteers who were teachers currently working at English centres. More than 50 students from grades 1 to 5 participated in the class.

The main learning content was English communication with topics about daily life. According to This was the first year that An Khe Ward had organised a free-of-charge English summer class for disadvantaged children. With the form of learning while playing in parallel, the English class integrated knowledge of vocabulary and grammar with attractive and interactive games, so the students were very excited.

The class not only helped children improve their knowledge and English communication skills but also provided a healthy, safe and useful playground to make their summer more meaningful.

Meanwhile, implementing the 2024 summer youth volunteer campaign in conjunction with the implementation of the programme ‘Supporting the improvement of foreign language skills and international integration for Vietnamese youth and children in the 2022 - 2030 period’, from the beginning of July 2024, Son Tra District Youth Union coordinated with AMES English Center to open a free summer English class for secondary school students in the district.

Every Thursday morning, 40 students gathered at the community centre of My Thanh residential area to participate in the class. During the study time, teachers of AMES English Centre help students review and consolidate knowledge, expand their vocabulary, improve communication skills, and help them improve their English proficiency.

Spreading love

Since mid-August 2024, from Monday to Friday mornings, the ‘Red Flamboyant’ Team, Ngo Quyen Senior High School has implemented a summer review support programme for children being cared for at Shelter No. 3 (the Street Children’s Protection Centre).

With the goal of helping children review their lessons and knowledge before the new school year, volunteers support primary school pupils in reviewing knowledge of Math, Vietnamese, English; and junior high school ones with natural science subjects. Youth Union members participating in the review are students with outstanding academic achievements and activeness in social work activities.

Similarly, the ‘Red Flamboyant’ Team, Hoang Hoa Tham Senior High School has deployed 2 volunteer teams to run free classes at the SOS Children's Village Da Nang and the Hoa Mai Orphanage Protection Centre.

By providing direct tutoring with a frequency of two sessions/week, 40 volunteers have helped dozens of children in difficult circumstances grasp the opportunity to improve and review their knowledge of subjects before the new school year.

According to Ms. Le Nguyen Hanh Nguyen, the Director of SOS Children's Village Da Nang, all the children being sponsored and raised at the two cited establishments are in difficult circumstances.

Meanwhile, these places does not have the conditions to hire tutors to teach the children here. Such summer volunteer classes are a valuable opportunity to help children review their lessons and improve their knowledge so that the summer does not pass by meaninglessly.

Meanwhile, the ‘zero-dong’ class initiated by the Women’s Union organisation of Hai Chau 2 Ward, Hai Chau District has been regularly open on Saturday and Sunday afternoons every week for more than two years now, including the summer.

As reported by Chairwoman of the Women’s Union of Hai Chau 2 Ward, Thi Thi Hai, the class currently has 25 primary and secondary school students, most of whom are children of poor households, , single-parent families and those in difficult circumstances.

In addition to mobilising teachers in the ward to teach Math, Vietnamese, English, and gifted education for free, the Women’s Union of the ward regularly mobilises resources to help students feel secure while joining the above-mentioned class.

“Before the new school year 2024 - 2025, the organisation mobilised philanthropists to award 25 scholarships, school supplies, and new uniforms to 25 pupils. At the same time, 25 health insurance cards were given to pupils in difficult circumstances, helping to share love and join hands with their families to take good care of them before the new school year," said Ms. Hai.

Reporting by LAM PHUONG  - Translating by A.THU