保靖学校

保靖学校区

到2003年为止,我们在保靖农村地区建立的英语教学计划已经帮助9万多学生. 总共有15名来自美国,2名来自英国和1名来自德国的志愿者在保靖民族中学,前岭小学,保靖试验小学工作和教学.

保靖民族中学

保靖民族中学

2003年春, 基金会和保靖民族中学建立了一个十年的合同,帮助保靖民族中学教育拥有25万人口的保靖地区的苗族土家族学生. 保靖民族中学座落在中国中西部苗族和土家族自治区保靖县的羑河畔,那里是中国最贫困的地区之一,年人均收入200-300美元. 但是那里的人民竭尽全力通过投资教育来发展经济.

外籍教师从2003年2月开始来到保靖民族中学不但教授英语,还有电脑和创业.所有的学生将会从外籍教师那里了解美国社会和世界.我们还组织了才艺学习班,让边远乡村的孩子可以在学校学习英语,音乐,运动和文化.所有的学圣Teachers from the US went to Baojing Minority Middle School to teach computers, entrepreneurship, and English since February, 2003. All students at the school will learn American society and the world from those teachers. We set up a talent program so that village kids from far away could come to learn English, music, sports, and culture in the school. All students will make a pledge to help the school (by donating 10 % of their future income to the school) when they have a job in the future. We have provided tuition scholarships to 12 students from poor families. We have set up the first International Children's Choir where children can sing songs from different countries.

Qianling Elementary and Baojing Experimental School

We set up a Hawaii Cultural Program in Baojing hoping to create a Hawaii window. We encourage people from Hawaii to go to Baojing to teach music, Ukulele, Lei making, and Hula to local kids. Although we need volunteers all year around, the best time to go is between late July to late August when students have summer vocations.

There are dance and music students in both Qiangling and Baojing Experimental Schools .

The local people and the local government have been so friendly to Americans that many name their stores as American West, American Hotels and etc. A very touching story told by a local boy showed our success to breed the seeds of American friendless among those poor people. This boy said that before the American teachers came to his town, he had no interest when American sports teams played against other country's' teams. "But now, I am also cheering for the Americans. Of course, when they play against Chinese, I am on the China side. But I am on the American side when they play against others. American people are kind and nice. They came all the way to help us."

With these words, we know that at least at this place no one will become a terrorist against Americans.

In the Spring of 2003, Kate Zhou, took a delegation from Wo International Center at Punahou School (the largest independent school in the US ) to visit Baojing Minority School . The director was so impressed with the school that she signed a community outreach program with the school. Every other summer, Punahou will send 20 American high school students to learn Chinese language, culture and art at Baojing Minority Middle School while every summer, Punahou will invite one teacher and three students to attend Punahou summer schools for one month (see more about this on the web www.yifei.org).

Also in Baojing, we helped a local woman to set up an orphanage. The original idea is to set orphanage for abandoned girls for foreign adoption. But the central government did not approval the foreign adoption. The orphanage has become a regular kindergarten where orphans are placed in local residents forstarcare.

This summer, our organization has set up a Hawaii Cultural Program (a Ukulele Club) and a Choir (Western Music). Mr. Yong Zhang is in charge of the Hawaii Cultural Program. Mr. Qing Hong Wang is in charge of coodinating activites between China and Hawaii . He has successfully helped the Hawaii Cultural Program to enter into 2003 Olympics Performance Competition. Wang and Zhou have worked with the Center for Hawaii Studies to bring Hawaii music and dance students to go to China next summer.

We have also set up a lunch program.

Mrs. Barbara-Sue White, a Princeton Musician, helped to found the lunch program. The goal is to private free lunch for poor students so that parents are more willing to send their children to school. For 35 center, one student will get a free lunch, $ 35 for 100 students. White is in charge of fundraising in the US mainland.