Education to nurture kindness in Chinese children

We are delighted to provide an overview of the impactful achievements and milestones of ACTAsia's Caring for Life Children's Education Programme in 2023, which was made possible through your generous support. 

Introduction:  

In a year marked by global uncertainty and mounting environmental challenges, our education programmes have played a pivotal role in shaping compassionate attitudes and nurturing empathy among children, consumers, and professionals across Asia. Against this backdrop, ACTAsia remained committed to reaching more children with our vision for a more compassionate world for animals, people, and the environment.

Expanding Caring for Life Education for Children:  

Throughout 2023, our team worked tirelessly to expand the reach and impact of our Caring for Life Education for Children programme. One significant milestone was the publication of Year 4 Lesson Plans in Chinese, a vital resource approved for use in China's educational curriculum. These lesson plans covered various important topics, including City Waste, Personal Environmental Footprint, Exotic Animals as Pets, Social Disadvantage, and Disability. The curriculum was carefully designed to engage young learners and instil in them a deep understanding of the interconnectedness between humans, animals, and the environment. 

Impact Assessment:  

The impact of our Caring for Life curriculum was notable, with 2,399 children benefiting from the Year 4 Lesson Plans. Educators reported significant improvements in the children's knowledge and empathy and their active participation in classroom activities. Through these lessons, children gained valuable insights into pressing societal issues and developed a sense of responsibility towards creating positive change in their communities.

Success Stories:  

ACTAsia proudly unveiled the profound impact of our groundbreaking Caring for Life (CFL) education programme through our continued evaluation of the programme. Over a decade ago, Bill Samuels – a trailblazer in humane education research across Asia – joined forces with ACTAsia. His pioneering work culminated in our first Success Story of the year, showcasing the remarkable strides that have been made in nurturing humane attitudes and fostering prosocial behaviours among students in Eastern China.

Earth Day Celebration:  

One of the highlights in 2023 was our Earth Day Celebrations, which saw over 34,000 children from our pioneer schools in China participating in impactful activities centred around the theme "Invest in our Planet." Through engaging and interactive sessions, children explored the urgent issue of climate change and learned about the importance of environmental stewardship. The Earth Day programme raised awareness and empowered children to take meaningful action towards safeguarding the planet for future generations. 

Recognition in the International Journal of Educational Research: 

ACTAsia’s Caring for Life (CFL) education programme demonstrated its crucial impact through recognition in the International Journal of Educational Research. This highly influential and respected academic publication platform evaluated the impact of Caring for Life education for children. The paper, ‘Learning to Care,’ thoroughly assessed the CFL programme’s effects on cognitive empathy among lower-elementary students. The peer-reviewed article emphasised how the programme not only improved children’s empathy but also improved wellbeing outcomes.

Future Goals:  

Looking ahead to 2024, we are excited to embark on new initiatives to further our mission of creating a compassionate world for all. From publishing the full CFL primary school curriculum in Chinese to expanding our Earth Day events and reaching more children throughout Asia with the message of compassion. 

Thank you so much for supporting ACTAsia and helping us to create a kinder world for all.

In this update report, we are delighted to share the compelling story of Ms Joy (name changed for confidentiality), a teacher at Jian Yuan Primary School in Guangdong, China, whose remarkable journey vividly illustrates the profound impact of ACTAsia's Caring for Life (CFL) programme.  

Two years ago, Ms. Joy participated in ACTAsia's Earth Day activities with her students, using our Caring for Life Earth Day toolkit. She adopted the themes and materials from our Caring for Life (CFL) children's educational framework and seamlessly integrated them into her teaching practices. Drawing from ACTAsia's CFL program, Ms Joy is dedicated to instilling respect and compassion in her students, aiming to mould a future generation of change-makers. 

Ms. Joy is a passionate teacher who finds inspiration in the fresh perspectives children bring. She takes pleasure in employing innovative approaches to teach traditional Chinese culture. Her goal is to empower her students to become critical thinkers capable of building sustainable futures. Unsurprisingly, she is drawn to CFL and ACTAsia's Earth Day activities. 

Teaching a class of fifty eleven-year-olds, a standard class size in Chinese schools, Ms.Joy is often asked how she manages such a large group of young students. She chuckles and says, "I've become accustomed to it." She acknowledges that students' behaviour can be influenced by their school environment. Many of the children at her school come from families where their parents live far away, leaving them without the support and care associated with a strong family environment. This lack of stability can make some of her students more prone to behavioural issues. 

To Ms. Joy, teaching eleven-year-olds is a unique and crucial opportunity. 'I enjoy the growing maturity of that age,' she says. As these children grow up and approach adolescence, 'we need to give more guidance on how to be compassionate and good.' Ms. Joy emphasises that equipping students with tools for developing lifelong responsibility and care is especially important. This is one of the reasons she so firmly believes in teaching compassion through CFL. 'It is hard to train students to be better people,' she says. 'There are not many resources like CFL to provide students with a comprehensive, holistic education.'  

Addressing Climate Change with Caring for Life 

Ms. Joy discusses the ever-growing expectations and requirements of teachers. 'It is not just about teaching skills, but morals,' she says, 'not just about teaching children how to be good, but parents as well.' However, teachers are given minimal support in realising this goliath feat.  

ACTAsia's CFL education for children programme aims to support Asian children between 6 and 12 years old in developing a sense of compassion and responsibility for animals, people and the environment. Using education to promote the One Health concept, central to the CFL programme, is the interdependence of all living things.  

Ms Joy enlightens young minds with a powerful lesson on Earth Day 2023 

For Earth Day, ACTAsia invites schools in Asia to share critical climate change and biodiversity concepts using materials and activities from our CFL framework. Ms. Joy has participated in these activities with these students for the past two years.  

Ms. Joy was first introduced to CFL as an undergraduate student, where she underwent professional training. 'The training influenced the content I teach in class,' she says. Her initiative to incorporate CFL into her teaching is nothing short of inspirational. As Jian Yuan Primary School is not an ACTAsia pioneer school, using CFL themes in her lessons is her own independent project. This is a testament to Ms. Joy's belief in and understanding of the importance of building compassion through environmental and humane education. She is the only teacher in her school to conduct biodiversity and climate change lessons.  

If birds lose their home, we, too, will soon lose our home. 

The Earth Day activities have a significant impact, according to Ms. Joy The children are shocked to learn about the environmental deterioration and are motivated to take action. Without CFL, it is difficult for students to comprehend and address climate change as they lack guidance in protecting the environment. 

What stands out most to Ms. Joy about ACTAsia's CFL is its promotion of critical thinking and imagination among young learners. She shares stories of her students' profound responses to climate change during her Earth Day classes. She recalls a powerful and ominous painting created by one quiet, introverted girl, capturing both the despair of environmental degradation and the hope and determination for a better future. 

'A boy stood up and said, "Destroying forests is equal to destroying birds' homes. If birds lose their home, we, too, will soon lose our home.' 

ACTAsia's CFL materials ignite environmental awareness and action in students. "It marks a wonderful starting point for environmental protection," notes Ms. Joy. Ms. Joy's commitment extends to teaching Earth Day annually. She aims to integrate the full CFL curriculum into her school, making empathy, compassion, and the significance of safeguarding animals and the environment an integral part of everyday learning. 

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Ms Joy for her dedication to advancing our vision to educate and empower children, enabling them to be the change-makers of the future.