CSC Challenge (Diversability Week 2024): Seeking Help When Lost in an Unfamiliar Environment

诶CSC Challenge？常熟挑战？这是什么？谁要来做挑战？要在CSC寻宝吗？如果你也有着这些好奇，那就读下去，跟我们一起看看10月11号，在UWCCSC校园里发生的CSC挑战吧！

What is the CSC Challenge? Who is doing the challenge? Is there a treasure hunt in CSC? If you are curious about these questions, read on and join us in discovering what happened on October 11th during the CSC Challenge at the UWCCSC campus!

2024年10月11号，在Diversability week的最后一天，Flowers for Algernon（FFA）Zhixing迎来了和常熟市特殊教育学校合作的第一次活动。这次活动，我们怀着激动的心情，邀请了11位有智力障碍的天使宝宝们及他们的家长和老师，一同来到我们的校园（UWCCSC）。下午4点左右，校园处处洒满了明媚的光线，阵阵秋风带着凉爽的气息吹拂着每个人的脸庞，舒适而宁静。这样美好的天气和我们一起迎接着尊贵的客人们，校园瞬间充满了欢声笑语，热闹非凡。“啊啊啊啊我好紧张！但好期待！”志愿者们和我们的Zhixing成员也早早地在校门口准备好，紧张、兴奋但开心地微笑着迎接每一位小朋友，并等待着与他们分组，开始今天的活动。

On October 11th, 2024, the final day of Diversability Week, Flowers for Algernon (FFA) Zhixing hosted its first collaborative event with Changshu Special Education School. With great excitement, we welcomed 11 children with intellectual disabilities, along with their parents and teachers, to our campus (UWCCSC). Around 4:00 PM, the campus was bathed in bright sunlight, with cool autumn breezes gently blowing across everyone’s faces, making the atmosphere comfortable and peaceful. In such beautiful weather, we warmly greeted our distinguished guests, and the campus was instantly filled with laughter and joy. “Ahh, I’m so nervous but also excited!” The volunteers and Zhixing members were already waiting at the school gate, nervously, excitedly, and happily smiling as they welcomed each child and prepared to group up with them to begin today’s activities.

校园参观与折纸活动
Campus Tour and Paper Folding Activity

4点钟，按照预先设计好的名单，孩子们和志愿者迅速组队。然后一行人一起首先进行了一次简短的校园参观。孩子们对新环境充满了好奇，但也还有些忐忑。最开始我们的志愿者们也很是拘谨，但慢慢地在漫步中和介绍里，大家开始有说有笑，慢慢了解了彼此。4:40左右，我们来到了Glasshouse，活动的第二环节——折纸活动正式开始。

At 4:00 PM, according to the pre-designed list, the children and volunteers quickly formed teams. The group then embarked on a brief campus tour. The children were curious about the new environment but also a bit nervous. At first, the volunteers were a bit reserved, but as they strolled around and made introductions, everyone started chatting and laughing, getting to know each other. Around 4:40 PM, we arrived at the Glasshouse, and the second part of the event—paper folding—officially began.

这一环节，主要是为了让小朋友们跟志愿者更加熟悉，也让我们的志愿者对小朋友们有一个更全面的了解。每组志愿者负责教孩子们折不同的纸艺，有的小组制作了可爱的小动物，有的小组做了纸飞机，有的组还举办了一场纸飞机比赛，小朋友们努力跳起丢出自己做的纸飞机，看着飞机飞在空中，Glasshouse充满了大家的欢声笑语，气氛非常活跃。

This part of the event was primarily designed to help the children and volunteers get more acquainted and allow the volunteers to gain a better understanding of the children. Each group of volunteers was responsible for teaching the children different paper crafts. Some groups made cute animals, others made paper airplanes, and some even held a paper airplane contest! The children enthusiastically threw their paper airplanes as high as they could, watching them soar through the air. The Glasshouse was filled with laughter and excitement.

令人惊喜的是，我们发现其中有几位小朋友在折纸上展现出了极高的天赋，不仅迅速学会了复杂的折法，还开始反过来教志愿者们如何折出更好看的纸艺。随着活动的进行，孩子们和志愿者们逐渐熟悉起来，有的小朋友也开始用纸和画笔创造自己喜欢的作品，现场充满了创造力与欢乐。晚上活动结束，回去收拾东西的时候，我们才发现小朋友们创造出了很多很特别，很有趣的小作品。这些作品有些也成为了后面小朋友们在做CSC Challenge的时候，送给志愿者们的小礼物，通过这个，我们也在试图让小朋友们知道在接受到他人帮助的时候，表达感激的重要意义。

To our surprise, we discovered that some children showed an exceptional talent for paper folding. They not only quickly mastered complex folding techniques but also started teaching the volunteers how to make even better paper creations. As the activity progressed, the children and volunteers became more familiar with each other. Some children even began using paper and markers to create their favorite designs, filling the room with creativity and joy. By the end of the event, when we were cleaning up, we realized the children had created many unique and interesting artworks. Some of these pieces later became gifts the children gave to the volunteers during the CSC Challenge, helping teach the children the importance of expressing gratitude when receiving help from others.

CSC Challenge: 如何在陌生环境中（走丢后）寻求帮助
CSC Challenge: Seeking Help in an Unfamiliar Environment (If Lost)

在折纸活动后，大家彼此更加熟悉，氛围也更加轻松，我们便开始了此次活动的核心环节：教孩子们如何在陌生环境中寻求帮助，比如如果在外面走丢了，找不到路了该怎么向路人寻求帮助找到方向。CSC Challenge——也就是一个模拟了孩子们“走丢”的场景，让他们通过向路人询问路的方式，找到自己想要前往的目的地。

After the paper folding activity, with everyone feeling more at ease, we moved on to the core part of the event: teaching the children how to seek help in an unfamiliar environment. Specifically, if they got lost or couldn’t find their way, how could they ask passersby for help and find the right direction? The CSC Challenge was a simulation where the children acted as if they were lost and needed to ask strangers for directions to reach their desired destination.

这次我们邀请的小朋友中，很多是无法独自出门的，因为家长们会有的一个很大的担心就是，如果孩子们走丢了或者找不到方向了，他们可能不知道该怎么办，不知道该怎么向他人寻求帮助。这次来到CSC，对小朋友们来说就是一个很好的锻炼这项技能的机会，因为CSC的校园对这些孩子们来说是一个陌生但又相对安全、包容性强的环境，这也是我们FFA在听说Diversability week有机会邀请小朋友们来到我们的校园的时候，想到这个活动的原因。

Many of the children we invited cannot go out on their own because their parents are deeply concerned that if they get lost or lose their way, they won’t know how to ask for help. Coming to CSC provided a great opportunity for the children to practice this skill since the campus was unfamiliar to them but also a relatively safe and inclusive environment. This was why, when we heard about the opportunity to invite the children to our campus during Diversability Week, FFA thought of this activity.

在活动前期准备时，我们制定了详细的活动计划，设计了7条路线，在每条路线上可能走错的岔路口都安排了志愿者。而小朋友们将会被带到不同的起点，通过问路，找到最终的目的地-大草坪（Grass circle）。于是，随着“折纸活动结束！”的口令。我们的FFA成员开始教孩子们如果走丢了该怎么办，如何礼貌地向陌生人询问方向，表达自己的需求。Glass house处处弥漫着孩子们尝试问路的话语声，FFA的成员们也在通过有趣的方式告诉着孩子们要勇敢的上前去说：“你好！我想请问一下草坪该怎么走？”孩子们和FFA的成员欢快地学习着应该做什么，而志愿者们则在这时领了有辨识度的号码衣，根据提前安排好的位置，去不同的岔路口等待孩子们来问路。

During the event planning, we designed seven routes, and volunteers were stationed at each possible wrong turn. The children were taken to different starting points, and through asking for directions, they had to find the final destination—the Grass Circle. After the call of “Paper folding activity ends!” our FFA members began teaching the children what to do if they got lost and how to politely ask strangers for directions. The Glasshouse echoed with the voices of children practicing asking for directions, while FFA members used fun ways to encourage them to bravely say, “Hi! Could you please tell me how to get to the Grass Circle?” The children happily learned, and the volunteers put on numbered vests and headed to their designated spots to wait for the children to ask for directions.

挑战开始：勇敢地寻求帮助
Challenge Begins: Courageously Asking for Help

五点左右，美丽的夕阳缓缓洒落在校园的每个角落，金色的余晖透过树叶斑驳地照在小路上，整个校园仿佛被镀上了一层温暖的光辉。正是在这如诗如画的美景中，我们正式拉开了CSC挑战的帷幕。孩子们被带到各自的起点，“大草坪，大草坪”一些小朋友小声地念叨着，在志愿者们一次次的强调后，他们知道今天的任务就是找到最终的目的地——大草坪！

At around 5:00 PM, the beautiful sunset gently bathed the campus in a golden glow, and the entire scene seemed to be covered in warmth. It was in this picturesque setting that the CSC Challenge officially began. The children were taken to their respective starting points, and some whispered “Grass Circle, Grass Circle,” remembering that today’s task was to find the final destination—the Grass Circle!

“你好！我想问一下大草坪该怎么走？”
“Hi! Could you please tell me how to get to the Grass Circle?”

”你看到前面的那棵大树了吗？直走到那里然后右拐！”
“Do you see that big tree up ahead? Walk straight to it and then turn right!”

一路上，孩子们勇敢地向志愿者们询问方向，我们FFA的成员则在一旁默默确保他们的安全。令人惊喜的是，孩子们表现得比我们预期更好，他们很勇敢，几乎每个人都很快找到了正确的路。

Along the way, the children bravely asked volunteers for directions, while our FFA members quietly ensured their safety. To our surprise, the children performed even better than we expected. They were brave, and almost everyone quickly found the right path.

当孩子们到达草坪时，我们为每位小朋友颁发了他们的“CSC挑战完成证书”，孩子们脸上洋溢着自豪和喜悦。活动接近尾声时，我们跟小朋友们开心地击掌，庆祝着他们的成功。一位小朋友兴奋地对我说：“以后如果我再走丢，我敢去问别人怎么走了，因为我发现大家都很愿意帮助我。”

When the children reached the Grass Circle, we awarded each child a “CSC Challenge Completion Certificate.” Their faces beamed with pride and joy. As the event neared its end, we high-fived the children, celebrating their success. One excited child said to me, “Next time I get lost, I’m not afraid to ask for directions because I realized people are happy to help me.”

活动结束：吃饭时间
Event Conclusion: Mealtime

带着成功的喜悦，所有人一起前往学校的食堂共进晚餐。在用餐过程中，大家聊起了今天的活动，分享了许多温馨而有趣的故事，整个活动在轻松愉快的氛围中圆满结束。

With a sense of accomplishment, everyone headed to the school cafeteria for dinner. During the meal, we chatted about the day’s activities, sharing many warm and funny stories. The event concluded in a relaxed and joyful atmosphere.

6点多，我们在校门口跟小朋友们说拜拜，约好下次要一起做更多有意思的事情，很多小朋友也跟我们讲了他们想做什么。这次活动对我们FFA来说是一个全新的起点，也是一次宝贵的体验。通过这次活动，我们不仅为这些孩子们提供了帮助，也更加理解了他们的需求和潜力，看到了他们与我们想象的不一样的一面，每个小朋友有的很多不一样的独一无二的闪光点。未来，我们将继续去组织更多类似的活动，在帮助孩子们更好地融入社会的同时也拓宽自己对这个世界的了解。

Around 6:00 PM, we waved goodbye to the children at the school gate, promising to do more exciting things together next time. Many children also told us what they’d like to do in the future. This event was a new beginning for FFA and a valuable experience. Through this event, we not only provided help to these children but also gained a deeper understanding of their needs and potential. We discovered their unique strengths, many of which were different from what we had imagined. In the future, we will continue to organize similar events, helping the children better integrate into society while broadening our own understanding of the world.