Chengdu, the vibrant capital of Sichuan Province, is renowned as the “Land of Abundance” (“天府之国”). Blending profound history, unique culture and modern vitality, it is also the beloved home of giant pandas.
成都，四川省活力之都，素有“天府之国”的美誉。这座城市兼具深厚历史、独特文化与现代活力，亦是大熊猫的故乡。
From October 31 to November 5, Grade 11 students of SUIS Gubei embarked on an immersive “Me To We” CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) journey here. This journey combined volunteer teaching and cultural experiences, allowing students to break down barriers through teamwork, gain “comrade-like” friendship and truly achieve a growth transformation from “me” to “we”.
10月31日至11月5日，协和古北11年级学生在此开启沉浸式“Me To We” CAS（创造力、行动与服务）之旅。这段旅程融合支教与文化体验，让大家在团队协作中打破隔阂、收获“战友般”情谊，实现从“自我”到“我们”的成长蜕变。
CAS Trip Events
CAS 研习之旅
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Tracy Zhuang 11TT
The CAS Trip to Chengdu was a vibrant blend of service, adventure, and culture.
成都 CAS 旅行完美融合了服务、探险与文化体验。
We experienced a series of immersive activities, beginning with the Dujiangyan World Heritage Site, a hike on Qingcheng Mountain, and practicing real Tai chi as a group, which established a spirit of collaboration. Of course, most iconic activity to do in Chengdu: we observed pandas up-close and actually prepared bamboo for them, which was followed by our core project: volunteering to teach at the local Guangya School. We also immersed ourselves in local culture through a cooking class; exploring Kuanzhai Alley, the integration of modernity and tradition; and a hands-on Sichuan Opera workshop.
我们参与了一系列沉浸式活动：首先参观了都江堰世界遗产地，徒步青城山，还以团体形式练习了正宗太极 —— 这些活动共同培养了协作精神。当然，我们也体验了成都最具标志性的项目：近距离观察大熊猫，甚至亲手为它们准备竹子。之后便是我们的核心任务：在当地光亚学校志愿支教。我们还通过烹饪课、探索宽窄巷子（现代与传统的融合之地）以及参与实操性川剧工作坊，深度沉浸于本地文化之中。
The atmosphere was unimaginably energetic and collaborative. Although everyone was quite reserved at first, we got to know each other and develop a pathos of “comrade” from the activities. From the focused teamwork while planning for the lessons, to the joyful chaos of our talent show, every moment was filled with shared purpose and laughter.
旅途氛围充满活力、协作无间。一开始大家都比较拘谨，但通过各项活动，我们逐渐相互了解，建立起一种 “战友般” 的情谊。从备课期间专注的团队协作，到才艺表演时的欢乐喧闹，每一刻都充满了共同的目标与欢声笑语。
I would highly recommend this trip for its perfect balance of meaningful service and deep cultural immersion. My favorite memory was the talent show, where everyone was so involved, dancing and singing together without reservation. It wasn’t a performance, but a pure celebration of our new community and high school life.
我超级推荐这次旅行，它完美平衡了富有意义的服务活动与深度文化沉浸。我最难忘的是才艺表演，每个人都全身心投入，毫无保留地一起唱歌跳舞。这不仅仅是一场表演，更是对我们新社群与高中生活的纯粹庆祝。
This experience also reinforced my love for cultural exchange. It taught me that the most profound connections are built not just through planned activities, but through spontaneous moments of joy and mutual support.
这段经历也加深了我对文化交流的热爱。它让我明白，最深厚的联结不仅源于精心策划的活动，更来自那些自发的欢乐瞬间与相互支持。
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Mia Yu 11MF
The entire CAS trip cohort was divided into two groups: Bus 1 and Bus 2. Within the buses, students were further organized into smaller subgroups (Groups A through L). As a member of Group K (otherwise known as Group Kobe), I experienced genuine teamwork and collaboration, through which we learned to solve problems and overcome challenges in joint effort.
整个CAS旅行团分为两组：1号巴士组与2号巴士组。每辆巴士内的学生又进一步分为更小的小组（A 至 L 组）。作为 K 组（又称科比组）的一员，我体验到了真正的团队合作与协作精神，也学会了通过共同努力解决问题、克服挑战。
An outstanding example in my memory would be Day 4, when all students were volunteers in teaching primary school children at the local school, Guangya. As dedicated and conscientious one-day student teachers, we had to devise a lesson plan in the two previous nights, constructing a one-day curriculum teaching about a creative subject: Art. We wanted to make it fun and enjoyable for our students — but also educational, so they can learn something meaningful in our tasks.
我印象最深刻的是第四天——那天所有学生都前往当地光亚学校，志愿教授小学生课程。作为认真负责的 “一日代课老师”，我们在前两晚共同设计了一份教案，围绕创意学科 “艺术” 打造了一整天的课程。我们希望课程既有趣味性，能让学生们乐在其中，又兼具教育意义，让他们能从活动中学到实用知识。
Looking back at a reflection I had written in the workshop that night after the teaching, the class was mostly a success. Students enjoyed our lesson and listened attentively. The atmosphere was light, yet everyone was engaged. However, there were challenges we came across: some students were shy to speak up and group with their classmates, the time was limited for all of us, and the students already did one of the drawing activities we planned before.
回顾支教当晚在工作坊写下的反思，那次课程十分成功。学生们喜欢我们的课堂，听讲十分专注。氛围轻松愉悦，且每个人都积极参与。不过我们也遇到了一些挑战：部分学生害羞不敢发言或与同学组队，时间对所有人来说都很紧张，而且我们计划的其中一项绘画活动学生们之前已经做过。
Nevertheless, our group communicated swiftly and effectively with each other to come up with improvised solutions. We demonstrated the rules of the games to everyone, we came down from the black board and talked to all the students, we asked them to draw as they please and with creativity fully released, and we zapped all our actions in perfect timing when the signaling bell rang. These actions and experiences has helped us improve in not only our understanding for CAS, but also the way we are as a team, as an individual, as a leader.
尽管如此，我们小组迅速高效沟通，想出了即兴解决方案：向所有人演示游戏规则，走下讲台与每位学生互动，鼓励他们自由创作、充分释放创意，还在下课铃响时精准收尾所有活动。这些经历不仅让我们对 CAS 的内涵有了更深理解，也让我们在团队协作、个人成长与领导力方面取得了进步。
CAS Trip Workshops
CAS 研习工作坊
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Hepburn He 11SED
Henry Ford once said, “Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.” This idea perfectly captures the spirit of our CAS trip in Chengdu, where each evening workshop (held after dinner) offered a new opportunity to connect, reflect, and grow as a community. Though every activity is designed to be playful and fun, each carried a deeper message about communication, compassion, and collaboration.
Henry Ford 曾说：“相聚是开始，相守是进步，协作是成功。” 这句话精准捕捉了我们成都CAS旅行的精神核心——每天晚餐后的工作坊，都为我们提供了新的联结、反思与社群成长的机会。尽管每项活动都设计得趣味十足，但背后都蕴含着关于沟通、同理心与协作的深刻寓意。
We began on the first day with “The Great Wind Blows,” a lively ice-breaker that had everyone rushing across the room to find new seats based on shared traits—like “everyone wearing black socks.” It was a fun way to break barriers and quickly discover unexpected similarities among classmates, creating a sense of belonging from the very first night.
第一天的活动是 “大风吹”，这是一个热闹的破冰游戏：根据 “穿黑袜子的人” 等共同特征，所有人需在房间内快速寻找新座位。这个有趣的游戏打破了人际隔阂，让我们迅速发现了同学间意想不到的共同点，从旅行第一晚就建立起归属感。
In “Fears and Expectations,” we turned inward, writing down personal worries and hopes before sharing them openly with the group. As our supervisors listed these fears on the whiteboard and addressed each one—such as guaranteeing safety during hikes—it reminded us that vulnerability is not weakness. We learned that many of our anxieties were shared, and that empathy builds stronger communities.
在 “恐惧与期待” 活动中，我们转向内心，写下个人的担忧与期望，再向小组公开分享。导师们将这些担忧列在白板上逐一回应（比如承诺徒步过程中的安全保障等），这让我们明白，脆弱并非软弱。我们发现许多焦虑都是大家共有的，而同理心能构建更坚固的社群。
On the second day, we started with “Mixed Mingle.” An activity consisting of two rotating circles of students sparking quick conversations about daily discoveries and favorite things—from foods to colors—encouraging us to step beyond our comfort zones and strengthen our communication and confidence.
第二天，我们以 “混合交流” 活动拉开序幕。学生们分成两个旋转圆圈，就日常发现与喜好（从食物到颜色）展开简短对话。这一活动鼓励我们走出舒适区，提升沟通能力与自信心。
“Frozen Pictures” challenged our creativity. Working in small groups, we used only our bodies to form scenes and objects from given prompts, blending imagination, cooperation, and nonverbal expression.
“定格画面” 挑战了我们的创造力。小组合作时，我们只能用身体摆出给定主题的场景或物品，融合了想象力、协作能力与非语言表达。
The most memorable activity for many was “Lock Box.” Blindfolded, we walked in circles within a rope boundary, told there was a way out. The truth—only revealed later—was that the “exit” came by simply raising your hand and asking for help. Watching others continue to struggle after finding the solution was a powerful reminder that independence doesn’t mean isolation. Sometimes, the bravest thing is to ask for guidance.
对许多人来说，最难忘的是 “锁盒” 游戏。蒙着眼睛的我们在绳索围起的区域内转圈，被告知有一条 “出路”。直到后来谜底才揭晓：所谓 “出口”，只需举手求助即可。看到有人找到答案后，其他人仍在苦苦挣扎，这让我们深刻意识到：独立并不意味着孤立。有时，最勇敢的事就是主动寻求帮助。
Later, “Shoe Tower” turned teamwork into laughter as we built the tallest possible tower using only the shoes on our feet within our groups. It taught us to adapt to different people’s strengths, flexibility, and ideas to achieve a common goal.
之后的 “鞋子高塔” 活动让团队合作充满欢笑：小组内仅用每个人脚上的鞋子，搭建尽可能高的塔。它教会我们利用每个人的优势、适应新想法、保持灵活性，从而实现共同目标。
Finally, our trip closed with “Touched,” a quiet reflection. Students sat in a circle with their eyes closed, while selected classmates walked around, gently tapping those who they thought had shown bravery, creativity, or kindness. The moment was both humbling and heartwarming, a reminder of the invisible ways we influence one another.
最后，旅行以 “触碰” 这一安静的反思活动收尾。学生们闭眼围坐成圈，几位被选中的同学在圈内走动，轻轻拍打那些他们认为展现了勇气、创造力或善意的人。这一刻既令人谦逊，又暖心不已，让我们意识到彼此之间那些无形的影响。
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Minju Rhee 11MF
Days without our phones were like artists without their paintbrushes, we all were anxious and impatient during our first day as we were not used to situations like this. Arguments were emerging from students accompanied by various reasons to use their phones, but all of that shattered away due to the workshops.
没有手机的日子，就像艺术家没了画笔——第一天我们既焦虑又急躁，因为从未习惯过这样的处境。学生间因各种想使用手机的理由引发了争执，但这些矛盾都在工作坊的影响下烟消云散。
The most impressionable activity was the “Lock Box”, in which the name sounded complex, but the solution was only simply raising our hands for help. All of us were overthinking and underestimating the game at first, all gathering around friends, but some brave students raised their hands to give it a try, eventually finding out that this simple action was the key to success. We learned that in life, sometimes simply asking for help could bring us back to light from dark.
最难忘的活动是 “锁盒”。名字听起来复杂，但解决方案其实很简单：举手求助。起初我们都想太多，低估了游戏难度，纷纷扎堆在朋友身边。但几位勇敢的同学主动举手尝试，最终发现这个简单动作就是成功的关键。我们学到，生活中有时只需主动求助，就能从困境中重见光明。
“Touched” was the activity that gave the most impact to the students. A simple tap received gave students confidence that they showcased bravery, kindness, and courage. We learned that sometimes warmness isn’t only expressed by words, but simple actions.
“触碰” 是对学生们影响最深的活动。一个简单的轻拍，就让学生们意识到自己展现了勇敢、善良与勇气，也收获了自信。我们明白，温暖不仅可以通过语言表达，简单的行动同样能传递力量。
In future CAS, I would use these takeaways, utilizing not only kind words but simple yet powerful everyday actions to create a vibrant community around me. I will also actively ask for help when I face difficulties, as that was the takeaway that made me grow during this CAS trip.
对于未来的CAS活动，我会将这些所得付诸实践：不仅用友善的语言传递温度，更以简单却有力的日常行动，凝聚身边力量，构建活力社群。同时，遇到难题时我也会主动寻求帮助——这正是这次CAS经历教会我的重要一课，也让我实现了自我成长。
