Dean’s Service Corps Gives Back to the City

Cleaning up marine debris, caring for rescue animals, and learning about the lives of the visually impaired were some of the ways that NYU Shanghai students spent last week’s Thanksgiving holiday. These community service trips were organized by the Dean’s Service Corps (DSC) in partnership with nonprofits and NGOs around Shanghai.

Ahead of their field trip to visit Dialogue in the Dark (黑暗中对话)--an enterprise that facilitates workshops and exhibitions around the social inclusion of people with disabilities, disadvantaged individuals, and elderly people--students spent some time in a workshop learning a bit more about visual impairments and interacting with people with disabilities.

At Dialogue in the Dark (黑暗中对话), 31 students and one staff member were led through a simulation of visual impairment. Equipped with only a cane, the students were asked to enter and explore a series of pitch black rooms and asked to complete a few tasks of daily life—crossing a road, walking over different surfaces such as bridges, grass, and other terrain.

Still in pitch darkness, they also tried their hand at writing postcards without relying on their vision. Many jotted down notes about what moved them during their workshop experience. On the back of the notes were different Braille messages that related to courage or bravery.

“This trip was also about interacting with people who are blind and about creating a dialogue around this topic, realizing that we should look at ability rather than ‘disability,’” said Isabel Brack, who facilitated the event. "One student realized that putting their Alipay bikes wherever they want when done using poses a great challenge to blind and visually-impaired people, as even if they are using a cane or device to guide them, it is easy to miss the bike and walk into it.”

The DSC group visited over 400 stray animals sheltered at Shanghai Animal Rescue (SAR), in Shaghai’s Jiading District.

They delivered a donation of over 252kg of dog food…

….created a festive atmosphere by setting up Christmas decorations…

...and spent time loving on their new furry friends.

Volunteers also set up a holiday photo shoot to help the adoptable pups look their best for adoption fliers.

29 students and 2 staff members drove to Dongtan Wetland Park on Chongming Island, where they did some bird-watching, learned about marine garbage, and cleaned up debris littering the beach of Dongwangsha Ecological Dike.