From 25 to 30 July, supported by the Shanghai United Foundation for Charity and the generous donation of Mr. Wang Ling, the Tsinghua University High School Education Foundation launched the summer practice of the “Little Star” inquiry-based learning program. Twenty student and teacher volunteers from Tsinghua International School, Tsinghua University High School Yongfeng Campus and the University of Oxford travelled to Xincai Secondary Vocational School in Henan Province for a week-long service-learning project.
The volunteers offered a rich palette of classes—historical quests, artistic expression, scientific exploration, psychological support, and English conversation. Each one opened a window into a wider world for the local students. Before stepping onto the podium, the team rehearsed and refined every lesson under the patient guidance of their supervising teachers. Drawing on individual strengths and passions, they turned rocket launches into chemistry puzzles, improvised drama into creative sparks, biography into deep reflection, marine conservation into a global lens, and “how to fall in love with learning” into a practical toolkit.
In class, Xincai students jumped into every discussion, actively interacted with the volunteers. The fun kept rolling outside classroom: basketball game and talent show took over the yard and pulled the local students and volunteers much closer.
During the field-study, volunteers visited the Caijiu Liquor Museum to trace the ancient art of brewing and give the Oxford students a first-hand taste of Chinese heritage. All the volunteers felt the deep cultural sediment of Henan soil.
Participant Reflections
Cao Lingxuan, from THIS
Looking back, the week feels like a hurried, warm dream. Each curious question from the local students made me feel that our content mattered. Standing on the other side of the classroom let me watch learning itself from a new angle—an insight I’ll carry back to my own studies.
Li Runjia, from THIS
I ran a “rocket-launch lab” at the teaching program. From drafting the lesson to tweaking the model, every step was a challenge. The real payoff came when the students launched their own baking-soda rockets and their eyes sparkled. Good education doesn’t just transmit knowledge; it ignites curiosity. The locals’ creativity with limited materials inspired me in return. Service is mutual growth.
Li Nuoqian, THIS teacher
In a few short days the student volunteers learned to carry the weight of care. They folded their knowledge into every question, game and word of encouragement, hoping to kindle a small flame of curiosity in their peers. I heard them whisper, “How can I explain this better?” and saw them jot down a local child’s fleeting dream. This was no box-ticking exercise; it was an earnest wish to let their own faint light illuminate another soul. Education’s sweetest echo is not what we teach, but the simple kindness and responsibility it awakens between lives. When these young people look outward and truly see another’s need, their shoulders—still slight—already bear the promise of service.
Project Background
The “Little Star” inquiry-based learning program was launched in October 2021 by the Tsinghua University High School Education Foundation with joint support from the Shanghai United Foundation for Charity and Mr. Wang Ling. Aligned with China’s rural-revitalization strategy, it leverages the school’s proven integrated-practice curriculum and volunteer mentors to bring inquiry learning to county and village students. By exposing them to advanced educational concepts and methods, the program aims to spark a love of learning and of life, broaden horizons, sharpen minds and plant ideals—so that when these students grow up they will return to build and uplift their hometowns.
