Psychodrama courses to 50 left-behind teens

Prologue: The Curtain Rises

Nestled among the green hills and clear waters of Huaiji County, Shidong Middle School is a place where many students’ imagination of the “world beyond” is shaped by the receding figures of parents leaving for migrant work. This summer, the Guangzhou Panyu Shining Star Common Growth Public Service Center (hereinafter referred to as “Shining Star”) partnered with Keru Knowledge (Shanghai) Cultural Media Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Keru”) to bring a group of volunteer teachers from afar to Shidong Middle School. Driven by their passion for drama and a heart for service, they joined the eighth-grade students in launching a four-day “Unlimited Potential Growth Project — Drama Psychology Camp.” The camp revolved around the real lives of middle schoolers, exploring emotional boundaries in an accessible way and infusing their youth with energy for growth.

Act I: Breaking the Ice, Starting from the Heart

Most of the students participating in the program were left-behind children, accustomed to hiding their thoughts and feelings in silence. “What they lack is not the ability to express themselves, but a safely held opportunity to do so.” When volunteer teachers of a similar age stepped into their world as young directors with interactive games, these children gradually began to open their protective shells, letting their inner light shine through. During group sculpture activities, the students were initially somewhat reserved and hesitant to make bold movements. The volunteers quickly noticed this and encouraged the students to be brave, leading by example with exaggerated gestures that seemed to say, “Be bold, it’s okay!” Slowly, the students became more engaged, and their movements grew increasingly expressive.

Act II: Creation and Rehearsal, Reflecting the Inner Self

In the “Mind Maze” segment of script creation and rehearsal, the volunteers asked the students: “When you think about the future, what are you most afraid of, and what are you most looking forward to?” “I look forward to working in a big city one day; I’m afraid of being stuck in this village forever.” “I hope to always have good friends around me; I’m afraid of being alone.” “I want to be the kind of person who helps an elderly woman up when she falls. I’m afraid of becoming someone who not only looks away but even kicks her—I don’t want to be an idle loafer.” These answers were the genuine voices of the children, and deeply moving moments for the volunteers. They also affirmed the relevance of the camp’s four core themes: family, friendship, love, and future development. Through these layered dramatic experiences, the students gradually opened their hearts, weaving their real stories and emotions into a co-created script. Drama served as a medium to touch their souls, evoking reflection and resonance.

Finale: The Curtain Falls, but Growth Continues

At the final performance, the volunteer directors watched intently from below the stage as the children performed with utmost seriousness.Their lines were delivered fluently, without stumbles or unintended laughter—the result was a smooth and powerful performance that left a lasting impact. Drama is a mirror—it reflects oneself, and it reflects others.From The Line of Friendship, we learned about tolerance in relationships; From New Year’s Eve Dinner, we experienced how to express ourselves within family bonds;From Emotion Simulator, we reflected on exploring feelings amid confusion;From My Future Style, we found direction amidst uncertainty.These were the children’s real and tangible gains from the experience.Every story holds a code to growth; every performance is a dialogue between souls. Although the drama camp has ended, life goes on.Everything experienced during these days has planted a seed in the heart of every participant.The connection formed between the volunteers and the children possesses a power that transcends all barriers—enough to light the way forward on each other’s journeys.

First encounter Quiet, shy, tall, thin and dark-skinned is my first impression of Fay, who always sits quietly in the corner looking at you with her bright eyes. But she wasn't staring, she was listening intently to what you were saying. Even when everyone else was caught up in the laughter of the other groups' rehearsals, she was still listening intently. Although she was shy, she answered questions and expressed herself very well. I asked her, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Fay looked at me with watery eyes and shyly but firmly replied that she wanted to be a teacher when she grew up. Trust In our back and forth conversation I built a rapport with Fay and we began to talk about Fay's story; her mother stayed at home to look after 4 children and her father came home once a year. I asked her where her father worked. She told me Zhejiang. But she said her dad had also been to Guangdong. I said, "Did dad ever tell you what Guangdong is like? She said Guangdong was a place with a lot of sea. Her sister, who has just turned 18, has also been to Guangdong and I realised that they have such a deep connection with Guangdong. I told her that I think all the children here are very beautiful, although their skin colour is dark, but they have a kind of natural beauty without any alteration, she smiled shyly and said that it is because many of the children have to help the family with farm work, every year from April to October is the season for planting roasted tobacco, during this time they have to keep giving medicine to the seedlings, applying fertiliser, watering, weeding and so on. As the ultraviolet rays are very strong here, everyone is tanned. They choose to grow tobacco because there are only a few factories in nearby Huidong County, but they can't accommodate that many people, so most of the young and middle-aged people go out to work, and many of them even choose to pick cotton thousands of miles away in Xinjiang, just because the wages are a little higher. The old people, or the only workers in the family left behind, choose to grow the higher-income roasted cigarettes, and the land in the mountains is relatively fertile, so people will cut down all the trees in the mountains and open up a terrace to plant roasted cigarettes. Later we came to her dormitory, just as we entered the door she gave me a tangerine, I waved my hand and said "no, you eat it", she still pushed the tangerine into my hand. When we were talking to our classmates, she went to the balcony and brought the rubbish bin to the middle of the room so we could throw the orange peels in it. She would put on her shoes and comb her hair when it was still early for class. I think she must have been a very self-disciplined person. Mature During the drama rehearsals, I noticed that she was a handy girl. When she made the props for the Little Fairy group, she was very good and made a red cup figure which was very realistic; she also painted the eyes for the Great Sage group which was very realistic. She was very cooperative and attentive throughout the rehearsal and performed exceptionally well. Expectation When it was time to say goodbye, Fay turned her back. I patted her to see what she was looking at, not realising that her eyes were filled with tears and she was sobbing. I think this meeting is the beginning, not the end, and I hope she can look after herself as well as she looks after the crops in the field! I also hope that she can realise her dream of becoming a teacher!