Stepping Stones Spring Updates

Please accept our warmest spring regards, along with our latest updates. 

1. Spring Updates

The Spring has arrived, our new volunteers have been trained and our programs have all started up again at the beginning of the new term!  Each week, more than 220 volunteers are teaching at 30 schools and community centers each week in and around Shanghai, 50 volunteers are teaching children through Videolink in 6 rural Chinese schools, and another 20 rural English teachers have signed up for teacher training through Videolink.  We have a new team of volunteers from Shanda University in Jiashan assisting our computer teachers to teach 448 students in two schools in Jiashan, and two volunteers already completed 3-week full time teaching assignments in schools in Hunan and Jiangxi. In short, another busy term ahead at Stepping Stones!

 

2. Volunteer Testimonial 

Some of you may wonder how our volunteer experience is like? Check what our volunteer says below: 
“After my bachelor studies on History Education and master studies on English Education, now I am working at an International School in Shanghai. Our students are so fortunate to study at a caring learning environment with fruitful teaching resources. However, how about those migrant students in Shanghai? Can they acquire a quality and equitable public education? When I came across Stepping Stones, I felt a calling to be someone who can make a significant difference for such children, even if we only work together for a short time every week.
By supporting the students in Sunflower Community Center in their English learning, and by delivering lessons and making conversations with them in English, we all can witness how much progress they made day by day. What’s more important, they really enjoyed the lessons and are now more confident to speak English in public. My previous teaching experience has demonstrated to me that language and background knowledge were not the only key factors; however, it was their learning attitude, psychological wellbeing and parental environment that pose greater influence upon their academic performance. Nonetheless, these factors, sometimes, were even neglected by the teachers. 
I hope the after-school supporting lessons organized by Stepping Stones can provide them with warm and secured environment to fully express themselves and fulfill their potential in the future.” 

– Mandy Deng, 

 Fall 2017 Semester Volunteer