When art meets charity, love lights up dreams.
Tsinghua International School (THIS) hosted its 2026 Spring Charity Art Auction on the afternoon of May 22, on the sideline of its annual Art Festival. Partnering with Yunnan-based nonprofit "Prop Roots" charity organisation, the endeavour was to support vocational education for disadvantaged Jingpo youth.
The auction brought together over 150 artworks donated by students, faculty, and Jingpo youth, raising a total of 37,300 yuan that will used to support Jingpo youth in China's southwestern border regions of Yunnan province.
As THIS Executive Principal Renee Zhu said in her speech: "This auction is not just about raising funds. It conveys the belief that 'art warms the world, and love lights the future.' Every participant is a practitioner of the public good and a guardian of dreams."
THIS Bond with Prop Roots
Prop Roots is a nonprofit founded in 2009 in a Jingpo mountain village in Dehong, Yunnan, by Dutch linguist Dr. Anton Lustig and his Chinese wife, Li Yang. Leaving behind a comfortable life in Beijing, they poured their savings into building a home that is open to children around the clock, offering unconditional love and acceptance to Jingpo youth who lack companionship due to parental migration, addiction, or crime. The organization focuses on building confidence and self-identity by integrating Jingpo traditional culture into art, language, and life education — nurturing "rural youth with soul," helping them grow into changemakers who lead their own lives.
THIS' bond with Prop Roots began in 2014. Each year, THIS organizes a field study and community service trip for Grade 9 students to Dehong, where they engage with Jingpo youths and learn about public service. Many students return to become volunteers or raise funds. The "Art Lights Up Dreams" charity auction has since become an annual tradition, raising funds for Prop Root' s vocational education programs for many years running.
Collaboration and Heartfelt Details
A successful charity event is built on the quiet dedication and meticulous preparation of countless individuals. From planning in early April to the official event on May 22, teachers, parent volunteers, and student teams worked closely together over more than a month, demonstrating that "public good knows no boundaries — collaboration brings success."
THIS teacher Joy Zhou led the auction's executive team, coordinating student lead Vicky Wang and the appraisal, publicity, setup, and framing teams. Ellie Chen created artwork tracking sheets. Wendy Jiao and Zerlina Liu designed the slides. Lucius Geoxaviar and Loe Zhang organized the artwork labels. Lisa Cao designed the main promotional poster. The poster’s purple tones complementedthe frame style, and Lisa also co-designed the donation and volunteer certificates with Jadie Lian, who also designed the event program. Sissi Zhang contributed to exhibition planning and venue layout.
At the event, Iris Wang and Linda Jia served as hosts, smoothly guiding the program. Amelie Wu managed the silent auction area, offering appraisals and recommendations, lending strong support to the exhibition. Roan Guo photographed the event, capturing key moments, and co-edited the auction video recap with Zac Li. Amy Liu, Lucy Du, and Jason Zhang spoke as student representatives, sharing their personal connections and heartfelt ties to Prop Roots.
From behind-the-scenes preparation to on-stage presentation, from detailed execution to the spirit of giving, every member of the student executive team approached their tasks with dedication, embodying responsibility through action, making this charity auction even more meaningful and warm.
Augustina Droze, Head of the Visual Art Department, led the art teachers in collecting and selecting student submissions, choosing the exhibited works from many entries. The pieces included paintings, sculptures, car models, handcrafts, and more — ensuring both artistic quality and public value.
Ms. Droze also attended the event and painted live, creating an exclusive piece that started at a bid of 1,000 yuan and sold for 8,000 yuan, which was the highest price of the auction. Renowned calligrapher Duan Junping donated three collector-grade calligraphy works, and his second-grade daughter Helen also took the stage to share her own artwork, spreading the spirit of giving with childlike warmth.
Renowned calligrapher Duan Junping donated three collector-grade calligraphy works, and his second-grade daughter Helen also took the stage to share her own artwork, spreading the spirit of giving with childlike warmth.
Home and School: United in Heart
"Education is not a solo performance, but a chorus sung by home and school in unison." The success of this charity auction is a vivid testament to the selfless dedication of parent volunteers. Led by group leader Xu Nan, the volunteers arrived a day early to set up, and on the day of the event they staffed the refreshment and reception areas, warmly welcoming every guest. After the auction, several parents stayed behind to help restore the venue and transport artworks, using their diligence and sense of responsibility to support the event from behind the scenes.
The two-hour auction was both warm and lively. Attendees lingered at the silent auction area, carefully considering their bids. During the live auction, professional presentations by Vicky and Sylvia made the bidding both thrilling and heartfelt. Each raised paddle supported the dreams of Jingpo youth, and every artwork found a loving home.
The auction raised 37,300 yuan, all of which will go to the Prop Roots vocational education program for disadvantaged Jingpo youth, providing them with job skills training and helping them bravely pursue their career dreams. The applause at the end was not only a celebration of the event’s success, but also an affirmation of the love shown by everyone involved.
The auction has ended, but THIS' commitment to the public good continues. This fusion of art and charity not only brought warmth to Jingpo youth far away in Yunnan, but also planted seeds of "dedication, collaboration, and responsibility" in every participant’s heart.
Moving forward, we will continue to set sail with love, paddle onwards with kindness, and gather small acts of good in ever more diverse ways so that the power of compassion can change the world and light up the dreams of even more children.
Participants' Testimonies
Joy Zhou (Auction Organizer): As lead organizer, I coordinated between academic departments, students, and parent volunteers, managing the auction and forming the student executive team. I saw the students' passion and kindness, and felt even prouder watching them develop skills in coordination, communication, and emergency response through preparation, role assignment, rehearsals, and logistics. Truly learning responsibility through service. Years ago, I visited Prop Roots in Yunnan and saw the children's thirst for knowledge. That memory stayed with me, inspiring me to use this auction to channel everyone's generosity toward their educational journeys.
Amelie Wu (Grade 11, Silent Auction Appraiser): Prop Roots opened my eyes to a very different world, a world of pure, sincere, and talented people. It has been an essential part of my growth. So these past two years, I’ve been honored to contribute to Prop Roots through this auction. It brings me great joy and a sense of accomplishment. It feels like helping my own family.
Erbao Liu (Grade 5, Artwork Donor): I am very honored to take part in this charity sale. Using my own photographs to contribute to a good cause fills me with immense pride.
Jason (Grade 9, Student Representative): Through this Prop Root auction, I learned a lot about what goes into organizing such an event. Beyond the usual essentials, a set time and place, the art pieces, paddles for bidding, the gallery — even more important are the staff who help answer questions and assist attendees.
Amy Liu (Grade 11, Student Representative): For me, Prop Roots has always been a place full of warmth and care, a kind of utopia. Everyone there is full of passion, bravely pursuing what they love. They express their joy through song and dance, and celebrate every gathering and milestone with laughter. There is no coldness or distance, only mutual warmth and illumination. It’s a place where you truly feel what it means to live freely and abundantly.
Sylvia Wu (Auctioneer): This was my first time serving as auctioneer, and I was very nervous beforehand. But after hearing Mr. Qian Chao (head of Chinese Department) and a Prop Root representative share the decade-long mutual connection between THIS and the Prop Root children, and hearing everyone’s stories of giving, I was deeply moved. That public-spirited heart helped me shed my nervousness. Being able to convey the love of THIS family to the Prop Root children made me truly happy.
Jadie Lian (Grade 10, Artwork Donor): This is my second time donating artwork for the auction, and this time I also participated deeply in organizing the event. Moving from donating in front to preparing behind the scenes gave me a new perspective and let me feel the warmth of this act of kindness even more keenly. Being able to pass on warmth through art makes this kindness even more meaningful.
Iris Wang (Grade 10, Host): I had long dreamed of hosting a ceremonial auction. When I got the chance, I was nervous at first, afraid I might not transition smoothly. But as the artworks were presented and I saw everyone actively supporting the Prop Root children in Yunnan, I relaxed, found my rhythm, and moved through each segment with ease. This experience brought me face to face with the magic of art auctions and deeply moved me by everyone's kindness. It was incredibly rewarding, and I truly enjoyed every moment.
