YES | Mentor Training Review – Spring 2019

On the morning of February 16^th, volunteers for the YES project (Youth for Environmental Sustainability) and I gathered at 666 Fuzhou Road for a full-day training session organized by Shanghai Roots & Shoots. The day kicked off with ice breakers, followed by the Roots & Shoots organization introduction, class demonstrations, teaching skills workshops, and sample courses. The event was a success. As a participant, I found this to be a rewarding experience. I was amazed not only by what I learned but also by those whom I met.

During the training session, we learned about the founding of the Roots & Shoots organization, the various projects hosted by Roots & Shoots, as well as the teaching philosophies upheld by Roots & Shoots. The powerpoints and materials provided great support to the volunteers. Roots & Shoots emphasizes the importance of interactive learning models, especially those involving the five senses. As we learned, humans can only perceive 7% of auditory information. This remarkably small figure inspires us to also engage students through sight, taste, smell, and touch. Finally, nearing the end of the day we had the opportunity to practice these methodologies by leading the class through a sample course. The Roots and Shoots classroom allowed us to deepen our understanding of these less common teaching tools, further proving that the best learning outcomes are the result of an actively engaged classroom.

Even if the training only lasted one day, and I was only starting to get to know my fellow volunteers, it was a pleasure to also meet with plants and animals specialists on the Roots & Shoots team. I still have so much to learn from them.

This is just the beginning of my journey with Roots & Shoots and I look forward to their future activities!

Volunteer: Qile Chen

February 18, 2019