Project Description:

Sunflower Academy adopts one-on-one  teaching and provides children-centered, high-quality free online courses.

 

Target Children:

Children in Sunflower Academy are mostly legal and de facto orphans.

  

Project Origin:

In 2016, EWB started cooperation with Dalian Children Village and launched the first teaching site. Due to some external reasons later, the Children’s Village was dissolved. Dalian Social Welfare Institution adopted those who were originally in the Village. EWB thus continued the cooperation with the Institute. In 2017, EWB established cooperation with Fujian Ningde Tashan Love Home (orphanage and Nursing Home).

Sunflower Academy mainly connects with orphanages and helps legal and de facto orphans. Since those children don’t have parents around, their daily study lacks proper guidance. Hence, at Sunflower Academy, EWB focuses on Chinese, Maths, English and other exam-oriented courses. To make up for insufficient or absent all-round education in their growth, EWB also tops up with personality courses in the winter and summer holidays.

 

Featured Story:

Build a home of companionship

There’s a unique “home” for each and every child at Dalian Teaching Site. It consists of mentors and stars, together with 3-4 volunteer teachers, e.g., Chinese, Maths, English and Physics. The “homie chat” on a monthly basis is focused on the child’s recent developments, either in or out of school.

The children have been a part of EWB for a long time (ranging from one to six years). With a pact to always stay connected with each other, teachers and children have developed genuine friendships: teachers provide well-thought guidance, and in turn, children heal teachers with their growth. Children can turn to EWB for forceful support any time they want.

In the “home,” every teacher devotes their weekends to the children. A newly graduated, having just received the first paycheck, offered to give the child a huge gift; a teacher with a fever insisted on finishing the class before seeing the doctor; a teacher held an internal meeting for discussion since a child had let out negative emotions.

With thousands of miles in between, teachers and children can only meet online. Despite that, as long as EWB persists, connections endure. Children will grow up with hope inside, like blooming sunflowers directed towards the sun. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Year’s gifts that the children received

 

Project Outcomes:

As of 2021, 53 volunteers of the Sunflower Academy have provided a total of 1413 hours of courses for 17 students (“Mentor of the Stars” courses not included). The Academy opened stable courses oriented towards exams such as Chinese, Maths, English, Physics and History. During summer/winter breaks, additional personality courses were available.

One student has graduated from vocational school and is currently an intern at a kindergarten, on the path to a nursery school teacher.

 

Representative Partners:

Dalian Social Welfare Institution, Tashan Loving Home in Ningde City, Fujian Province.

 

Leaders’ Visions:

EWB plans to move the Sunflower Academy forward and continue the provision of free, quality online resources for students.EWB hopes to strengthen communication with partner teaching sites so as to have a better grasp of authentic feedback and improve courses and services.

 

Members’ Voice:

Gong Xiaoqin, Principal of Dalian Teaching Site:

I’ve been a volunteer at this teaching site for about five years, and it’s been a privilege to witness all the development along the way. The project in which I take most pride is “Mentor of the Stars,” incubating into a comprehensive system from the very starting point of children’s needs. It invigorates the teaching site, mapping out an educational form more adapted to de facto orphans. EWB never stops on its way to exploring education. Along with Sunflower Academy, I hope we can secure bigger progress for all.

Shi Zinuo, Principal of Dalian Teaching Site:

2021 was the first year when I took part in the organizational management of the teaching site. I established cherished bonds with teachers and fellow managers, drew inspiration from them in working together, and was greatly moved by their wholehearted passion for education. In the years to come, I aspire to pass on such devotion and transform it into stronger motivation to promote education equity.