ETA Michael Walsh co-led a Community Engagement Project (CEP) with ETA Angela Zhu for their students to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Students learned about the history of Valentine’s Day, watched the Oscar-winning short film “Hair Love,” created poems about what love means to them, participated in a speed-dating game to meet new friends, and watched “Shrek.”

The event highlighted the importance of self-love and love for friends and family, not merely romantic love. The speed-dating game had students randomly paired with another student from the opposite school. The pairs had five minutes to ask each other questions and then had to complete a questionnaire about their partner. The top three pairs were awarded chocolates. The two films focused on the importance of loving yourself and the importance of not judging people by their outward appearance. Students were receptive to these messages and captured these similar themes in their Valentine’s Day poems.

Michael Walsh is currently teaching at SMKN 1 Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi.