2025 Victorian Young Leaders to China Virtual Program
Amanda HUANG
Learning Area Leader - Languages
Classroom Teacher
This term, a group of our students have been proudly involved in the Victorian Young Leaders to China Virtual Program, an initiative supported by the Victorian Department of Education and Beijing Language and Culture University and facilitated by Meg Languages.
Although delivered virtually, the program has given our students an exciting, hands-on experience of Chinese language and culture.
As part of the program, students visited Melbourne’s Chinatown, where they toured the Museum of Chinese Australian History, competed in an “Amazing Race Treasure Hunt”, and joined cultural workshops to try kung fu, Chinese calligraphy, traditional painting, and dumpling making.
Online, students engaged in interactive language games and participated in live chat rooms with people in China, where they exchanged ideas and practised their Chinese in real time.
The program has helped our students deepen their understanding of Chinese culture and history, while also building their confidence, leadership, and intercultural communication skills.
We thank Meg Languages for their organisation and support in delivering such an enriching program. Congratulations to all participating students for embracing this unique opportunity with such enthusiasm.
Student reflections:
The VYLC program was an enjoyable two-week experience where we explored Chinese language and culture. My favourite part was the Amazing Race in Chinatown because it was memorable and exciting. I loved exploring Chinatown and working with my group while racing against the clock. I also enjoyed trying new things I had never done before, like calligraphy and dumpling making. It was tricky to fold the dumplings correctly, but I had a lot of fun learning, and calligraphy was a creative and relaxing activity that I really enjoyed. Overall, the program was memorable and gave me fun, hands-on experiences.
Zhi Han Chee
Recently, I took part in a Chinese language and culture program at school, where my classmates and I joined a Zoom call with Chinese teachers from Beijing, along with students from other schools. In class, we learned Chinese characters and sentence structures, while outside class, we took part in exciting cultural activities. These included Chinese Kung Fu lessons, dumpling-making, painting, calligraphy, and virtual tours around Beijing and the Great Wall of China. One highlight of the program was a trip to Chinatown in the city, where we participated in an Amazing Race-style game. Although our team didn’t win, it was a fun and memorable experience. We completed various tasks such as speaking to Chinese staff, finding historical meanings, reciting Chinese songs, and taking photos at important cultural sites. Overall, I really enjoyed the program and the chance to connect with Chinese culture. I would love to do it again with my classmates.
Gabriel Tan
