Empower Rural China Students - 21st Century Skills

Program Success leads Evergreen Education Foundation (EEF) to Fund Two Additional Years (7/2026 – 6/2028) for Child Development Centers in Yunnan, China The new Evergreen funds will continue the EEF support for the programs initially funded for 7/2024 – 6/2026 in Sanlian and Xinglong villages of Mazhan township. The funding from EEF will also establish two new programs in Lianza and Laxing villages of Diantan township. The Parenting and Play Center Program is a structured early childhood development intervention, which includes organized play-based learning group activities, one-on-one development support, caregiver engagement and home visits. The Child Development Evaluation Report that EEF received on June 10, 2026 provides detailed information documenting the success of the initial program in Sanlian and Xinglong villages and documents the importance of continuing early childhood development programs. The Child Development Evaluation Report (see attached document) assesses progress for children (0-6 years) in the following areas: Gross Motor Skills, Fine Motor Skills, Adaptive Ability, Language Development, and Social Behavior. Children in the sample achieved an average 23.08% increase overall in these areas, from the start of the project in 2024 to the end of the project in June 2026. Children who participated the most frequently in the program achieved the greatest development gains. Evaluation results also indicate that sustained participation of 6 months or more is creitical for children to achieve large, stable, development gains. However, even children with the lowest participation levels achieved significant increases in development. The attached report provides details of the evaluation and includes 5 recommendations for future Parenting and Play Center Programs, which are: (1) prioritizing regular attendance; (2) providing targeted support for low attendance families; (3) prioritizing social interaction and adaptive learning activities; (4) maintaining regular developmental assessments; and (5) sharing best practices from high participation families. A good overview of the importance of early childhood development and recommended practices is available in chapter 7: Behind Before They Start of Invisible China by Scott Rozelle and Natalie Hell (University of Chicago Press, 2020).

EEF LGS has long been committed to promoting interdisciplinary reading and practical literacy among youth in remote and rural areas. To stimulate students' interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), and cultivate their innovative thinking, hands-on skills, and teamwork spirit, the group initiated the annual STEM challenge with the theme "Rocket Catcher Design" in 2025. This project aims to guide students through a real-world problem-driven, project-based learning process, combining reading, research, design, and practice to complete the entire journey from theory to a finished product,
thereby enhancing their comprehensive competencies.

Via online meetings, detailed explanations of the challenge task were provided to teachers at five project sites located in Jiangxi, Henan, Jiangsu, and Anhui provinces. The task was to design and build a device capable of safely "catching" a simulated rocket (low-velocity projectile), with requirements for stability, adjustability, and innovation. Relevant reading materials were distributed, encouraging teachers and students to conduct preliminary material study and group discussions.

Under the organization of teachers or instructors, each project site carried out activities step by step:

• Research and Brainstorm: Students read related materials to understand rocket motion
• principles, catcher structural design, and material properties, completing preliminary design sketches in groups.
• Prototyping: Using limited materials provided by the project (such as cardboard, A4 paper, string, paper clips, tape, etc.), students built catcher prototypes and conducted initial tests.
• Iterate the design: Based on test results, students adjusted designs, improving structural strength, catching accuracy, and operational ease, documenting the improvement process.
• Official Test and Submission: Each group wrote a project report, recorded a demonstration video, and submitted their final work for evaluation.

We invited three STEM education experts, engineers, and teachers to form an evaluation committee. Entries were comprehensively reviewed from three dimensions: final catcher score, scientific merit, and innovation. A total of 51 award-winning primary and secondary school students were selected (including first, second, and third prizes, as well as special awards like Best Design Award).