Building practical skills and learning valuable knowledge during summer

As summer arrives, instead of making multiple daily trips to take their children to academic, talent development and life skills classes, many parents in Dong Nai City are enrolling them in the Summer Skills Training Program organized by the Dong Nai City Youth and Children's Cultural Center.

Children experience using powder fire extinguishers at the Dong Nai City Youth and Children's Cultural Center.

Here, children participate in talent development courses, life skills workshops, self-learning sessions and hands-on experiential activities. The program allows them to learn while having fun and develop essential skills for both school and everyday life.

Equipping children with essential life skills

Just over a month ago, after completing Grade 3 at Trinh Hoai Duc Primary School in Tran Bien Ward, Le Ngoc Cam Tu, who lives in Bien Hoa Ward, was enrolled in the center's summer skills program by her parents. Cam Tu said this was not her first time attending the course, as her parents have registered her almost every summer. "Joining the summer skills class is much more enjoyable than staying at home during the holidays. I get to make friends from different schools, choose extracurricular subjects that I like, learn many useful life skills and participate in field trips and hands-on activities," she said.

Among the various activities, Cam Tu was especially impressed by the "One Day as a Firefighter" program. During the session, participants learned about fire hazards, emergency response procedures and evacuation techniques, while also practicing using fire extinguishers and performing basic first aid.

According to the Dong Nai City Youth and Children's Cultural Center, around 200 primary school students from grades 1 to 6 are participating in this year's summer skills program.

In addition to fire prevention and firefighting, children also receive training in self-directed learning, problem-solving in the digital age, digital literacy, career awareness, international integration, accident and drowning prevention, child abuse prevention and road safety.

Among the learned skills, Khuong Bao Chau, a student from Class 5/1 at Tan Phong 1 Primary School in Tan Trieu Ward, found the 'Digital Citizen' module particularly fascinating. Bao Chau related: 'Previously, I encountered an incident where I lost my game login account. At that time, I did not understand why it happened. After researching and experimenting with various methods, I managed to recover my account. Therefore, when I found out I would be studying the Digital Citizen module, I was very eager.'

During the class, Chau actively discussed online safety issues with instructors and received answers to many of her questions. The course also taught her how to better protect personal accounts and use the internet more safely, helping her guard against online scams.

Expanding learning through real-world experiences

Truong Hai Thi, Deputy Director of the Dong Nai City Youth and Children's Cultural Center, said classroom education provides an academic foundation. Meanwhile, real life requires children to develop independence, critical thinking, communication, teamwork and problem-solving abilities. "These skills can only be effectively developed through practical experiences rather than classroom theory alone," he said. For that reason, the former provincial Children's House, now the Dong Nai City Youth and Children's Cultural Center, has organized annual summer skills programs to provide meaningful educational activities that combine learning with practical experience.

The 2026 program began on June 1 and is scheduled to conclude on August 10. It aims to create a comprehensive educational environment that promotes children's intellectual, physical, social and personal development through diverse experiential activities. Participants aged five to six receive preparation for entering grade 1, while children aged six to twelve strengthen self-learning habits and review academic knowledge. They can also choose from a wide range of extracurricular activities, including basketball, swimming, drawing, chess, martial arts and aerobics.

One of the new features of this year's life skills training program is that the City Youth Cultural House has incorporated content on digital citizenship, STEM, robotics, artificial intelligence and digital transformation into its teaching. These topics are highly necessary in the context of rapid technological development, as children are gaining access to the internet and social networks at an increasingly early age.

Beyond life skills training, the program has expanded its experiential learning activities. Participants study foreign languages with native-speaking teachers, visit the Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Technology Center at Dong Nai Technology University, and explore historical sites, Bien Hoa's traditional pottery village and other cultural and educational destinations. These activities allow children not only to acquire new knowledge but also to apply what they learn in practice while nurturing creativity and curiosity.

Nguyen Hai Anh, a grade 6/4 student at Nguyen Binh Khiem Secondary School in Tran Bien Ward, said she particularly enjoys the summer program. "While attending the class, I can review what I learned during the school year and prepare for the next one. At the same time, I get to learn new skills, take part in extracurricular activities and visit many interesting places. It is a great balance between learning and having fun, and it has made my summer vacation truly memorable," Hai Anh said.

By Nga Son – Translated by Mai Nga, Minho