Community engagement programs in Taiwan’s higher education sector often risk reproducing charity logics, manifested as high student turnover, short-lived field partnerships, and the unilateral determination of service content. This qualitative case study examines a long-standing, teacher-led student volunteer program focused on culturally responsive teaching, now operating as a University Social Responsibility (USR) initiative at a leading science and technology university in Taiwan. Drawing on participant observation and interviews, we apply a Schein-informed analysis to examine how a culture of reciprocity is cultivated through everyday practice.
Findings show that this mindset is sustained through: (1) Co-creation of knowledge, fostered by sustained field immersion and enacted through localized curricula that incorporate place-based revitalization, repositioning community partners as knowledge holders rather than passive recipients. (2) The validation of student participants’ self-interest, serving as a catalyst for long-term commitment, supported by step-by-step roles that build practical skills; autonomy-driven tasks that foster a strong sense of personal accomplishment; and playful program design that makes the service experience inherently fun, further supported by recreational local excursions. (3) Ritualization of engagement, enacted through structural designs ranging from Mock Teaching, theme songs, and Circle Debriefs to micro-habits like orderly shoe placement. These practices build stress resilience, scaffold emotional development, foster psychological safety, and cultivate collective agency, forming a framework in which strict boundaries coexist with a high tolerance for trial and error and playful, creative experiences. Through these findings, this study offers actionable design principles and replicable strategies for leaders and active practitioners in community engagement or service-learning.

Authors:
Ying Wang, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Ying 'Wannie' Wang is the Deputy Executive Director of the EMI Center at NTUST. Specializing in cross-cultural PBL and bilingual education, she leads the Project LET'S Go! USR project to revitalize rural education through service learning.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Sunday Schedule

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