nanzhuang Elementary school
ABOUT
Nanzhuang is a small village in MiaoLi, which is a more rural part of Taiwan. Visiting the largest elementary school there, there were only 100 students in total. I worked with the entire 5th grade, which only had two classes. The population in MiaoLi has been declining because people usually move out of the town. Nanzhuang Elementary School is a very welcoming place and I would definitely visit again!
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![Arts and crafts project where all the students made a paper butterfly and put it all together.]()
arts and crafts
Arts and crafts project where all the students made a paper butterfly and put it all together.
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![Handmade by students and teachers!]()
treehouse
Handmade by students and teachers!
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![The basketball court on the main campus.]()
campus
The basketball court on the main campus.
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![Famous place to visit in Nanzhuang, if you hike up the stairs, it takes you to the highest peak of the village.]()
landmark in nanzhuang
Famous place to visit in Nanzhuang, if you hike up the stairs, it takes you to the highest peak of the village.
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![Local chili being sold on the side of a road.]()
local chili
Local chili being sold on the side of a road.
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![Small restaurant in one of the alleys of the town.]()
restaurant in the village
Small restaurant in one of the alleys of the town.
CALLIGRAPHY
During my time working with the 5th graders in Nanzhuang Elementary School, I wanted to teach them how to write their names in calligraphy. English is a dead language in their world, similar to how we feel about Latin. I gave them practice sheets to learn how to write each letter of the alphabet with brush pens, and once they practiced, they tried writing their own names. Despite this being their first time trying calligraphy, they did such a good job. All of them picked it up so quickly and easily! The students there don’t have many opportunities to be exposed to other parts of the world, and seeing them so engaged with writing calligraphy was a very heartwarming experience!
