Since September 2023, Stepping Stones has partnered with Qifu Technology to launch the “Sunlight and Stars Children’s Assistance Program”. Through free coding education, this initiative aims to help migrant children bridge the digital divide with their urban counterparts.
On the end of June, 2024, the second phase of this program concluded successfully at the Shanghai Disabled Persons Employment Service Centre. 35 migrant children received valuable inclusive education through practical experience and the integration of both able-bodied and disabled individuals.
Stepping Stones, leveraging its extensive teaching and research experience, has developed a series of programming materials suitable for children. The course content covers everything from basic programming knowledge to practical skills. Through these systematic courses, students not only reinforced their vocabulary and grammar knowledge, but also enhanced their confidence in expression. They applied what they learned to real-life situations, strengthening the natural use of polite language, which significantly improved their language expression abilities and communication skills in daily life.
At the graduation ceremony, Stepping Stones and Qifu Technology jointly organised a special event – inviting the children to visit the Shanghai Disabled Persons Employment Service Centre. Through interacting with disabled artisans and learning about their handicrafts and intangible cultural heritage products, the children experienced unique tech innovation projects and listened to inspiring stories of disabled individuals overcoming adversity. The founder of the project, Ke Shuichang, particularly inspired the children with his story, embodying the spirit of perseverance through his actions.
The course developers meticulously designed engaging lesson materials that combined pictures, sounds, and videos, making the classroom content more vibrant. Students actively participated in classroom activities through real-time interactions with volunteer teachers, greatly enlivening the classroom atmosphere. This teaching method not only increased students’ enthusiasm and interest in learning but also provided them with sustainable, high-quality education. Since the launch of this program, over 20 coding classes have been provided to more than 60 children, fostering their digital knowledge, creativity, communication skills, critical thinking, and self-confidence.
Stepping Stones’ teacher Teddy stated:
“We have always advocated for the concept of inclusive education. By allowing children to experience tech innovation projects firsthand and get closer to the lives of disabled individuals, we aim to cultivate their compassion and sense of mission. We hope to help even more people in the future.”
During the three-month coding course, volunteer teachers formed mentor-like friendships with the children. At the graduation ceremony, the children expressed their gratitude to the volunteer teachers for their tireless teaching efforts. Stepping Stones’ long-term companion-style teaching transformed acts of kindness into sustained digital inclusion efforts, igniting the tech dreams of migrant children.
Against the backdrop of urbanisation and population mobility, Stepping Stones Youth Development Centre bridges the educational gap between migrant children and urban children through tech education. By enhancing children’s science and technology literacy and igniting their passion for exploring scientific knowledge, Stepping Stones supports them on their journey of technological discovery. The efforts and contributions of Stepping Stones lay a solid foundation for the future development of migrant children, embodying the power of public welfare education.
